RSS25
For most young people in America, turning 18 and then 21 are times of celebration. The power that comes from being able to buy porn and cigarettes signifies their arrival at the gates of adulthood. When 21 rolls around, it’s assumed you’re grown and the ability to buy alcohol says so. (Yeah right!)
But for young black men in this country, the age we seek is past the days of purchasing cigarettes and booze. For us, the age is 25. Twenty five may seem an odd age for some, but for black men 25 is the age when statically we can let out a psychological sigh of relief, that says I survived, I made it, I’m in the clear.
Sadly, another of my young brothers didn’t have the chance to experience the magical age of 25. Early this morning Redskins safety Sean Taylor died from a gunshot wound that he suffered after an intruder broke into his home. Taylor was only 24.
A 2005 Bureau of Justice report sheds light on the grim reality of gun violence and the glory that making it to 25 represents. According to the report, blacks age 24 and under had significantly higher rates of violent victimization than blacks age 25 or older. Check the report.
What’s even more tragic about Taylor’s death is that he did not fit the statistical makeup of black gun violence victims. According to the stats “blacks in households with lower annual incomes are at a greater risk of violence than those in households with higher annual incomes.”
Taylor was college educated, attending the university of Miami where he was a named a consensus first-team All-American, the “Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year” and a finalist for the “Jim Thorpe Award” given to the nation’s best defensive back. In 2004, Taylor was the first University of Miami player taken in that years NFL Draft, selected fifth overall by the Redskins. Taylor’s 2007 salary was to be more than $1 million.
And whereas that stats claim “blacks living in urban areas are more likely than those in suburban or rural areas to be victims.” Taylor residence was in Palmetto Bay, an affluent suburb south of Miami.
As a young black man, I’m sad, sad at the fact that whatever is haunting us doesn’t automatically go away when we achieve success. My thought and prayers are with Sean and the rest of the Taylor family. Rest In Peace.
9 Comments, Comment or Ping
TROUBLdMami
Rest in Peace Mr. Taylor; all my LOVE and BLESSINGS go out to his family. Its so sad that some of us don’t even realize that we are killing ourselves!!! We could continue to blame whomever and whatever, but at the end of the day we are going to be our own demise if we don’t wake the fuck up!!! ;)*
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"a mom"
I shed tears for Sean and his family. He is not my birth son, but my son none the less. All parents that have experienced having and wanting children can identify. I have two sons. One twenty seven and the other twenty five “The lucky number.” Everyday I fill my sons in my heart as they go along the way living life on their own, I say a prayer that nature protects them from harm. Our young black men are leaving us too soon and I don’t think for a minute that mine are not still at risk. I know that someting needs to be done, and I admit I don’t have the answers, but I hope that the life I live can be an example.
[Reply]
choppaboy.upt.
Man. first Darent Williams (Denver Bronco’s) Now Sean Taylor? Is young balck niggaz NEVER safe?
[Reply]
39ways.of.troubl
I havent been able to cry but i want too, because Sean and I have crossed path several times. To be honest, when i look at the Sean i actually see myself; a young black male, same age, stature, tax bracket and father. Now his daughter has to go through life without ever knowing her father, parents have to mourn the loss of their only child and fiancee left with an open promise.
Please listen to the cry of our communities and stop the killing of such promising men. light or dark, young or old we all have a purpose on this earth. Instead of killing one another off let’s uplift one another and spread the love of God. It’s a spiritual warfare going on and the quicker we all realize it the better off we will all be.
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Troublsome
The age 25 shares significance to me as well. My brother was shot and killed at the age of 24. Two years later my second oldest brother took four shots to his stomach and now has one kidney. A few years later my twin brother was shot in his head age of 20 at the , He is okay now!.Ocassional migraines, post traumatic stress, and the bullet still remains in his flesh. I know that It’s not the magic number of 25 but close enough. The series of these events made me think “When was my turn?” Kinda like the Final Destination movie. The thing that made even more bizarre, is that “It became normal to me”… It was normal to me, that I thought that I was next to what I imagined to be a curse or predestined in my life. It became normal to read the newspaper, or watch the news and see another young kid dead… 25
[Reply]
Malia
Get that outta your head Troublsome - you have angels surrounding you at all times so Divine Intercession is on your side!!!
I don’t know why God allows these horrendous events to occur. Sometimes I think that it’s the only way for him to get our attention!!!! We should definitely cherish the moments we have because tomorrow is promised to NO ONE!
May the Lord comfort and bless and reveal HIMSELF to the Taylor family in their time of grief and mourning. AMEN AND AMEN!!!
[Reply]
Toy
25 is such a magical number for our community…it hurts my heart that this happend to Sean Taylor and that it happens to many others everyday.
For that beautiful baby to never see her father’s smile again is tragic beyond measure…and completely in vain.
Father bless the Taylor family.
[Reply]
Q.
today is the first day i’m ready to talk about this.. it’s been troubling to hear more and more of the story as it comes out.. i’ve had to have a few conversations about this w/ some of the guys who have been on the same field as him, and others who are in a different sport, but the sentiment is the same..
someone i look at as a little brother doesn’t even put on his alarm system, because he feels safer as he’s living in the suburbs and his “neighbors” look out anyway.. i have to ask his cousin to turn on the system every night.. no matter what we think, a lot of people are opportunists.. and not always with the right state of mind.. or in, i should say.. i can’t call it..
watching the games today is tough.. especially hearing about the 4 minute tribute the Redskins put on before the game.. i wished the NFL would’ve aired it live across the country.. i’m hoping i can find it on YouTube..
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Mrs.39 ways of Trouble
I recently lost my best friend and she was only 28!She and I had been best friends for 14 years and I was literally crushed. I still struggle with her death, everyday! Like Sean, she was a victim of a senseless act of violence andthat makes coping with the tragedy, somuch harder. The younger generation doesn’t value life and has diefinately bought into the myth that violence is cooland makes you more of a revered street element.No oneconsiders the effects on the families, community or even being incarerated.We lost 5 blackboys, that day, Sean and the 4 who committed the crime and Jackie lost her father. Its sad but the bloodshed must cease before we lose anentire generation, to the streets.
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