I’m not buying it.  The way in which they continue to talk about his past DUI and other penalties he received during the game demonizes this young man and reinforces my impression that the media consistently tears down young black athletes.

I am angry not only at the media, but also at the ignorance and insensitivity of bloggers who post messages like this:

“It's a shame, but you reap what you sow, and a lot of the players out of the University of Miami aren't exactly Gandhi. And please don't spout off with that "but he'd come so far, he really turned his life around" soundbite. Sometimes OLD chickens come home to roost and sometimes they come back heavily armed and looking for blood. And they don't take ‘Hey, I'm a better person now. Can I get you some hot cocoa?’ as an excuse.”

The picture they chose to post does not portray him as a young innocent man but rather as a ruthless brute who doesn’t deserve compassion.

I am angry because people seem to lack compassion for humanity. I am angry at ESPN’s Michael Wilborn because he decided that Sean Taylor deserved to be shot in front of his wife and children, ultimately leading to Sean’s death. Mr. Wilborn stated:

 “I know how I feel about Taylor, and this latest news isn't surprising in the least, not to me. Whether this incident is or isn't random, Taylor grew up in a violent world, embraced it, claimed it, loved to run in it and refused to divorce himself from it. He ain't the first and won't be the last.”

“He ain’t the first and won’t be the last…” Mr Wilborn, are you serious? Do you really think any person deserves to be shot in the privacy of their home, in front of their 18 month-old child? If Sean Taylor deserved to be shot, you certainly deserve to be whacked right in your mouth for those idiotic comments.

Mr. Wilborn is an African American, ESPN regular and considered a multi-sport expert. Compared to his comments, Don Imus’s comments are G-rated. Mr. Wilborn seems to have a complete lack of regard for not only Sean’s life, but also for Mr. Taylor’s child, family and friends who are still mourning. I am angry that Stephan A. Smith won’t call out Mr. Wilborn, or that Jemele Hill won’t set her colleague straight.

Oh yeah, I am angry!  I am an angry black man with a computer and Microsoft Word.  And today I really don’t care what you think. This is for Mr. Taylor and all the other insensitive idiots painting the picture that Mr. Taylor deserved to die because he had past transgressions such as a DUI and late hits on NFL opponents.  You have got to be kidding me! 

What about Bob Huggins? I guess someone should shoot him right now. Or Baseball Hall of Famer and known racist Ty Cobb? I guess someone should have used an AK 47 on him.

So here’s my statement to the media, my answers to the bloggers and all else who think Sean Taylor got what he had coming to him:

“Yes, I am a young black male. So what if you don’t like me or what I have to say! In fact, I think that’s great because I hate fake smiling people anyway. If you think I’m racist, you’re wrong. If you want to curse me out, that’s great, too, because I like knowing where I stand with people.  So grab a hand full of dirt, put it in your mouth and give it to me. Get dirty with it. Real dirty.”

Somehow if you’re young, gifted and black and something bad happens to you, there is a good chance that most people will think you deserve it. Or that it’s just karma.  Mr. Wilborn, I can honestly say, YOU NEED TO BE FIRED. But I am all for freedom of speech, so maybe someone should just sock you right in YO mouth because you JUST DESERVE IT. But as angry as I am, I don’t think violence is the answer.

Signed,

Angry Black Man