The Streets is Watching!!!!!

Happy New Year America! It feels great to be alive, and have the opportunity to continue to bless you guys with a great & informative blog. It’s a new year. New projects on deck, and even opportunities for me to learn & experience new things. So from me to you I want to say thank you for letting me into your world.

Chucks list of New Years particulars.

Aight now *pulls of medical gloves*

I have something that I wanted to discuss a week ago, but I wanted to wait for the smoke clear to gather some more facts.

What the Fuck is Wrong with Gilbert Arenas?

If you have slept under a rock, or you don’t have a T.V in your home (because I know some people who don’t) you probably haven’t heard that the NBA has indefinitely suspended Washington Wizards Guard Gilbert Arenas for violating its gun policy. You can check the full story here: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4802267&campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_4802267

Now before I give @gilbertarenas (who’s twitter page is suspended) the business (wait on it…) let me  say that I actually like the guy. He is a talented athlete and I was glad to see him finally start to get back to all-star status in the league. To become the (Hibachi) we all know and love. So when I heard the news that he had guns in his locker room I was shocked. I mean did we not learn anything from Plaxico Burgess? It just baffles me how the lack of good judgment escapes our black athletes.I can understand what his reason are for not having guns in his home. But there were other options that he could have taken to make sure that his children didn’t have access to his guns. Arenas originally said he brought four guns to the Verizon Center because he wanted them out of his house after his daughter was born. Ok! I feel him on that but, dude, that’s why they invented safes with locks on them (Home Depot?).

Why would you bring them to your locker? I know D.C is rough but damn, son! If you felt like you needed protection why not hire security to hold you down (@bodyguardbeats). Did Shaq have you that shook that you need to keep 4 guns in your locker? I’m just saying, if you needed help I could have called Day-Day & Craig, (or da cousins..) and they could have held you down. But I digress! I’m not judging the brother because I am a parent and I understand that your children’s safety is a priority, but you should never jeopardize your job and how you make your living.

The NBA is not the hood nor the park. I don’t care if the guns weren’t loaded; there is no place for that in any sport. You had to know that there was going to be a severe punishment handed down by David Stern. And that is the least of his worries, even though his guns were legally registered in VA, he violated the law by carrying those same guns over state lines into D.C (where they are now considered unregistered). Gilbert claimed that he did not know that he had to have them registered and I believe him, but ignorance of the law is no excuse for you to break the law (damn I just sounded like a DA.) the sad fact is that most people who carry guns don’t even know the their own state’s gun laws. So Gilbert may be facing criminal charges as well. This not the first time he has had an incident with guns. Arenas has been suspended once before because of a gun-related matter. He sat out Washington’s season opener in 2004 because he failed to keep up proper registration of a handgun while living in California in 2003 and playing for the Golden State Warriors.

My dad always told me as a child that “The lessons that you learn the most in life, are the one’s that you pay for” (thanks, Dad!) and I hate to say it but this will cost Gilbert. As it stands with each game he misses, Arenas, who turned 28 on Wednesday, will lose about $147,200 of the $16.2 million he will earn this season in the second of a six-year, $111 million contract. As of Wednesday he had $9,429,505.41 remaining for this season. And he has no one to blame but himself. Keeping it real has forced David Stern’s hand by making gestures like this.

C’mon son you making gun gestures in a pre-game warm up during the Sixer’s game. What did you think would happen?

David Stern says:

“Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game,” Stern said. “Accordingly, I am suspending Mr. Arenas indefinitely, without pay, effective immediately pending the completion of the investigation by the NBA.”

I hope Gilbert can learn from his mistakes, and make better decisions in the future. He has a lot to overcome and I am rooting for him, because he is actually a dude who made a poor choice.(Let he who is without fault, throw the first stone…or something like that..)

Now the thing that has gotten me tight is some of the crazy comments that I have heard from people lately about this situation. I have heard that “There is nothing wrong for him bringing guns to the locker room”, (ignorant) and “If you can bring a gun to the park, then you should be alright to bring them to the stadium” (ignorant-er).

But this is the comment that had me tight “ Basketball is a game for the hood & the park, it’s a hood sport” (ignorant-est).

WTF is that about? I played basketball in High School, College, Semi-Pro tournaments, and even had a chance to go over seas before I tore ligaments in my ankle. I love basketball, and yes I’m from the hood. I never thought that bringing guns to the park was ever cool. Do you know how many people get killed in parks over foolish shit? I’ve never seen a gun improve a jump shot. There is way to much violence out here and it’s bad enough that in the black community places more value on sports than on education. Where you ask young kids who they inspire to be like and you hear, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, & Dwayne Wade. We all know kids mimic what they see & hear on TV. We all know Jay-Z said in the song where I’m from “I’m from where they crossover & clap boards, lost Jehovah in place or Rap Lords” or like Biggie Said “ You either got a wicked jump shot or you selling crack rock” There is already the perception out there that NBA is a league of thugs & hoodlums. This incident doesn’t help that.

So now, as Black people, we restrict our aspirations for better financial opportunities and freedom to sports and music as an escape vehicle from the hood. AND we associate the same type of violence pledging the inner city environment WITH the very activity they are using to escape from the violence!

Think about that for a moment.

I suggest “black athletes” work with life coaches to help them make decisions with their newfound money and fame. Someone needs to teach these young people better decision-making skills to keep the out of the negative limelight and out of jail. Its 2010 people wake up, we so have to do better.

For more relevant banter and life discussions be sure to tune in to the “Soap Box Chronicles” on www.blogtalkradio.com/soapboxchronicles. Our debut show airs Wednesday 1/20/10 @ 11pm.

Until next time America,

Young M. Clayton

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