On ESPN First Take this morning, Joey Porter will once again exhibit his open-handed grasp on reality. An interview will be aired in which he defends Plaxico Burress and the general propensity of NFL players to carry concealed weapons. Full article here.
“It’s a tough situation. I mean we’re always in the spotlight. So you can’t tell a person to stop living your normal life,” Porter said. “You’re gonna go out and do these things.”
First of all, grow up Joey. “Living a normal life” means frequenting clubs where you’re likely to be robbed or shot?? Growing up Joey, even for NFL players, means making wise decisions. Not going to clubs where you need to carry a gun to feel safe would be a wise decision. I’m really getting tired of the “I’m an athlete, fame is hell, pity me” routine. When you get to play a game for millions of dollars and become famous for it, some sacrifices will be necessary. So I say again: grow up.
Second, and more importantly, let’s not lose sight of the fact that Plax was carrying a gun ILLEGALLY.
He also brought up Sean Taylor’s death:
“I mean, you look at Sean Taylor, he was trying to go by the rules of not having a gun because he got in trouble earlier that year with the gun. Something as simple as that, he gets a home invasion and he gets killed over something simple.”
Sean Taylor was killed because of another person’s stupid decision. Plaxico shot himself in the leg because of a series of poor decisions on his part. Furthermore, Sean Taylor was in his home. I’ve got no problem with a person keeping a gun in their home. Plaxico brought his gun into public illegally to shoot himself in the leg.
Sorry Joey, I’m not buying it. I have no sympathy for athletes who believe their spotlight entitles them to any kind of slack when it comes to being an adult and a responsible member of society. Sorry Joey, I’m not affording you or Plaxico any leniency here because you can’t keep yourselves out of shady clubs and gang-related incidents. And it sure doesn’t sound like the NY justice system will either.
8 Comments
December 10, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Um, last I checked, carrying a gun is not illegal…Plax did not have his gun registered, which is illegal in NY…but you are an IDIOT to express the opinion that athletes should not carry guns if they so choose. “Feeling safe” and being safe are not the same thing. If an athlete wants to frequent a local establishment, show me the law that says it is illegal. He shot himself accidentally – this was not a gentleman’s club, or a private club, and it was totally within his right to go there. Morons like you prove that evolution is reversible. Plax’s teammate was robber BY HIS DRIVER…think feeling safe did him any good? Don’t think so. Go crawl back into your hole, boy…oh, and maybe you should shut the hell up…
December 10, 2008 at 6:39 pm
Joey Porter expressed feelings that many people have…not just athletes. Whether he expressed “just the right level” of fear, or “way too much” fear, or “too little fear” is up for discussion. The simple fact is we each have an individual right to self-defense. This is a human right. It is not granted to us by a government, since governments have to rights to grant – only privileges given to it by the people who consent to be governed – see the Declaration of Independence for more on that. We may choose to visit places we deem safe, or places that are less safe. Certainly, there is wisdom in avoiding places that are more dangerous, but that is separate from the unalienable right to defend ourselves.
The church members at Sash Assembly of God in Sash, Texas all probably felt safe going to church on the morning of August 29, 2005. Four of them didn’t return home. As JC said, feeling safe and being safe are two different things. I am ultimately responsible for protecting my life. Not the police. Not the military. Not any bureaucrat. Try filing a lawsuit for failure to protect and see how far it gets.
Plaxico Burress is a victim of the unconstitutional laws of New York City. He harmed no one besides himself. Was he stupid in carrying his Glock inside his waistband without a holster? Yes. Did he commit a crime by carrying a gun and hurting himself? Not according to natural law and the U. S. Constitution. A permit or license is permission from the government to do something that would otherwise be illegal. The U. S. Constitution is the highest law in the land, and it enumerates his unalienable right to self-defense. The New York law that violates the Constitution is null and void.
You should read up on the issue of Sean Taylor. He was unable to own a gun…disarmed for life because he pled guilty to a crime that could have carried a jail sentence of 365 days or more. He was not armed with a gun the night he was killed, nor could he have legally had a gun. I guess his family and friends can be reassured when they visit his grave – he wasn’t violating the law.
December 10, 2008 at 7:09 pm
@JC:
Get a grip.
I didn’t say athletes shouldn’t carry guns if they so choose. I said athletes shouldn’t carry guns ILLEGALLY, should make wiser decisions than those Plaxico made, and shouldn’t expect public opinion to give them a break because it’s so tough to be famous and have a personal life. My point is they have a choice to not spend time in places that might get them into trouble – regardless of the fact that they have the right to be there. And if they DO decide to be in those places, with a gun ILLEGALLY, it’s ridiculous for Joey Porter to expect leniency for Plaxico from us because he’s famous and plays in the NFL.
December 10, 2008 at 7:21 pm
@Ryan:
That’s not true. NY law doesn’t prohibit you from owning a gun. You simply need to register it. That’s not unconstitutional. It does nothing to impede your rights.
It doesn’t matter how you phrase this either. You want to BE safe? Well then you can protect yourself if you so wish. But if you’re in NY first you need to register it. You can also walk into any club you wish. But don’t expect sympathy from the public when something bad happens.
December 10, 2008 at 7:54 pm
The fact of the matter is we all make choices. A rich football player is unlikely to garner sympathy from the general public…agreed.
As I stated earlier, a license or a permit is state permission to do something that would otherwise be illegal. New York law DOES prohibit you from carrying a gun IF you do not agree to their infringement on the natural right to self-defense. The same issue comes up when considering permits for free speech. A free speech permit is permission from the state to engage in a behavior you have a natural right to engage in – which the state has no right to make illegal. Anyhow, I don’t wish to engage in a debate over the 2nd amendment – you’re running a sports blog. Perhaps a less controversial “right” enumerated by the Bill of Rights might make it easier to illustrate that rights derive from property and the Declaration of Independence makes it clear our republican form of government is to be consensual – that is, governments obtain their privileges from the people they consensually govern. Governments are a construct of men, and, as such, have no innate rights.
December 10, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Boy, the 2nd amendment is fun isn’t it?
1. I doubt Plaxico bought his gun with a well-established militia in mind.
2. I too believe we should all have the right to own a gun. But I also believe some realism should be employed. First, we don’t need M-16’s (not the issue, obviously, but there it is nonetheless). Second (and more importantly), registering firearms and creating accountability is a good thing. Think about what we’re giving up as a society by protecting what you’re calling the “right to self defense” and then remember that all we’re talking about is some paper work.
December 11, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Nimrod, you are clearly what’s wrong with We the Sheople…not even worth wasting typing time to debate this, stick to sports…paperwork, really? You think this is merely about filling out paperwork? Geez…
December 11, 2008 at 5:02 pm
Another highly enlightened contribution. Thanks for stopping by, it’s been a while since I’ve had someone broad-minded enough to use “We the Sheople” on one of my blogs. Keep up the great work.