Saggy jeans? If there is a specific reason why Plaxico’s gun went off, it’s because his jeans were sagging and loose, and the gun slipped, and BANG! If he wore his jeans like a man, he would have two healthy legs. Does anyone know where that saggy jean look was cultivated? In prisons. Inmates weren’t allowed to have belts or shoelaces so they couldn’t hang themselves or strangle another inmate. When some of these inmates got out, they continued to wear their pants low and sagging. I guess no one ever told them that they look like idiots AND inmates in the real world.

Here’s what’s really cool: Championships. Winning. Style. Confidence. Resilience. Empires. Family. Goodness.

Not chains and excess.

One of the best rules David Stern imposed was the dress code. These superstar athletes now look like superstar athletes, not thugs (Iverson) and skater punks (Nash).

The great thing about America and American sports is the second chances. Hopefully, Plaxico learns his lesson and becomes the valuable on field presence he once was.

On a similar note - I will say I’m baffled. Like Chris Rock said… Sarah Palin can shoot moose and wolves from a helicopter and take pictures over their dead carcasses. And, she ran for Vice President of the United States. But, Michael Vick’s in jail.

Athletes are held to higher accountability then everyone else. Especially black athletes. Especially Donovan McNabb.

1). Don’t carry a weapon if you are not trained in how to handle it and be prepared to actually use it as a last resort with the consequences that follow.

2). Fame is great but carries a price. Use common sense. Most of what he lists as rules also apply to us common-folk as well.

It’s the same way with Brett Favre and Donovan McNabb. When McNabb has a bad game, the media rides him to no end about how he badly he played. When Brett Favre has a bad game, the media makes excuses, citing his age or the Jets D or the fact that his receivers dropped passes.

You are absolutely correct in that the purpose of 95% of firearms is to kill. I feel the framers of the Constitution were correct ( despite their elitist agendas) in making the right to bear arms the second amendment and thus the second most important amendment, after our personal and collective freedoms. What good is freedom without the power to protect your freedom?

Of course I think that with something as potentially dangerous as a firearm, the law is to be followed to the letter, and local firearms laws are there for a reason. It is easier in some states than others to obtain a concealed carry permit, a permit which remains legal when traveling from one state to the next ( though the local law enforcement will most likely frown at it) but in Plaxico’s case, he had no such thing. Obtaining such a permit also requires additional safety courses with the local sheriff’s department

Guns have solved many conflicts, (Not always justly) and many would agree with me that the loss of some life is sometimes necessary to save many lives. I”ve been robbed at gunpoint myself, and had firearms trained on me on several other occasions and while it is not at all a fun experience, I would not kill someone unless it was a final resort. I’ve also been rescued from bad situations by gun toting neighbors, and am very grateful for their bravery. If however I had the opportunity to save someone from harm by lawful usage of a firearm, I pray that I would not hesitate.

The world we share is not a safe place, but shortsightedness, and fear induced reactions will not change that. If we outlaw guns, then only the outlaws will have guns.

America’s obsessed not just with guns but all fine machinery. Guns are exciting and relatively one of the most reliable machines ever devised, so our infatuation with firearms is not a mystery to me. Our immature and subsequently dangerous attitudes toward them is very scary, and to amend what I wrote before, I think the responsibility lies not just with our leaders but also the entertainers we look up to (Video games, Movies) that need to demonstrate a more sophisticated control of how firearms are portrayed.

Sorry for taking up so much room, but I feel this is an important topic. At least we have sports to help distract us from the harshness of the world, but sometimes I think our energies and dialogue would be better spent in trying to solve the pressing issues of society rather than the deficiencies of our favorite teams.

“I can understand that athletes of all professional sports are targets, some more than others, but the walking around with a gun is not the solution.”
Karl Malone

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.”
Albert Einstein

Guns are just machines, and harmless unless negligently or maliciously operated. Following 3 safety rules THAT EVERY GUN OWNER/SHOOTER KNOWS will prevent accidental discharges.

1. Do not touch the trigger unless you are aiming at something you wish to shoot.

2. Only point a gun at something you wish to destroy.

3. When handing a gun to someone else, unload and and place the gun in ’safe’ mode, check and show that the gun is unloaded and safe. When receiving a gun from someone else, do the same thing, even if you just watched it being unloaded. If you don’t know how to do this, you should not be handling the gun.

*. Machinery and intoxicants don’t mix.

Education is the answer. Automobiles scare me more than firearms, and have been the leading cause of death in the United States for longer than any of us have been alive. I feel it should start with our country’s leadership (role models and government/community leaders) to not just emphasize and encourage responsibility, but to teach responsibility. Thank you for this editorial.

This is a very good and timely article.

I was especially intrigued by your statement:

“The people who find a way to stay level-headed are usually the ones who access their subconscious mind.”

I thought you were going to continue along that line of thinking, and talk about the need for pro athletes and celebs to think “bigger.” And, how whatever we focus upon expands. So if we focus on trouble, we get more trouble. We instead need to focus upon safety, and success, and more wealth, and more joy, and more benevolence. It’s like in ball, you play to win …. you don’t play “not to lose.” Same thing. If you play “not to lose” you are really focusing on “losing” instead of winning. So that’s why those teams always lose. In life, playing to win means going after things that really matter to you. Going to a club is great and I don’t have a problem with that. But showing off in a club shouldn’t be the most important thing in somebody’s or anybody’s life.

I know this goes to another level, but one must ask themselves how they can make a difference in the world, in someone else’s life. I think that’s the key to success and joy, and that’s why we’re here on earth anyway.

That’s why I honor and respect your article, and it feels like a privilege to read it. I like this article of yours too because I once wrote something that touched some of these topics, although not so specifically about guns:

Why So Many Black Athletes Self-Destruct (And How To Avoid It)
http://blackfivesblog.com/?p=260

Please check it out if you have a minute.

Meanwhile, best wishes and happy new year to you and family!

Claude Johnson
President
Black Fives, Inc.

you are correct in that assumption, but a bodyguard is not with you 24 hours. Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry were at home. Antoine Walker was driving into his garage. We have a right to bear arms i just wish education preceded it.

Chris Clark Said,
January 2, 2009 @ 10:05 am

If you hired the bodyguard then why do you need the gun on the way home?
The truth is you don’t. Hire protection if you need it and for goodness sake stay as far away from trouble as possible.