Wednesday, December 10, 2008

In Defense of Plaxico...







In the wake of Plaxico Burress’ latest weapons malfunction, it seems that just about everyone has jumped on the anti-Plaxico bandwagon.

Even New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg has gotten in on the act to promote his idiotic gun-ban plan.

Mayor Mike’s far more a “menace to society” than Plaxico Burress ever will be.

Yeah, it was a dumb move for Plaxico Burress to put a hand-cannon into his waistband with the safety off...get a holster Plax!

And yeah, he probably shouldn’t have been frequenting a nightclub where he felt the need to pack heat while in the midst of rehabbing a sore hamstring.

But excoriating the guy because he had the good sense to carry a concealed weapon on the streets of new York?!

Get real folks!

New York, like most big cities is a pretty dangerous place. And it’s even more dangerous for young, well-paid professional athletes, like Burress.

A few weeks earlier, a teammate of Burress’, Steve Smith was recently robbed, at gunpoint, on his way home...BY HIS DRIVER! Last year, Redskins Safety Sean Taylor was shot and killed in his own home by intruders. Miami Defensive End Joey Porter was shot back in 2003 outside a Denver bar.

The “war on guns” is nothing short of a “war on self-defense” and SELF-DEFENSE is an innate, natural or “God-given right that cannot be rightfully, or lawfully abridged by ANY government.

I agree with Buress’ friend and former teammate Joey Porter, "Everybody has their mistakes, but that's exactly what they are ... Until you've been in that situation, when you've been robbed at gunpoint or you've had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don't know what it's like."

FREE Plaxico!

6 comments:

WomanHonorThyself said...

hello my fellow Nyer..Until you've been in that situation, when you've been robbed at gunpoint or you've had a gun waved in your face or had your house broken into before or been carjacked, you really don't know what it's like."..yes I have been there myself..........never will forget either!!

JMK said...

That's why self-defense is such an innate right and such a truly personal choice.

It can NEVER be morally, ethically or lawfully abridged.

Anonymous said...

Hi JMK!

How has life been treating you? I haven't posted on your site in a while.

I thought I would never say this...but I actually agree with the argument you make in this posting. Several days ago I had a conversation with John about this incident (he actually disagreed, thought that Plaxico shouldn't have a weapon on him) Needless to say I was very surprised at his response. This year alone, at least 3 NFL players have been killed in home invasions and other violent crimes ...I think if businessmen have the right to have a 'carry' permit, then individuals, especially those who are known to have significant earnings, should have the right to do so as well. The statistics don't lie - there is a direct correlation between gun laws and crime...In areas where there are tighter restrictions on guns, there tends to be higher crime rates, and in areas where gun restrictions are looser, there is less crime.

JMK said...

I'm kind of surprised that you're surprised by my stance, Solange.

I've always supported EVERYONE'S natural right to self-defense and I always will. To me, there's nothing more basic than that.

Saying that, I DO understand where some folks "have had it" with Plaxico Burress. He's been a malcontent with the NY Giants all year. He doesn't much like to practice with the team and insists on a separate set of standards for himself.

OK, so he seems pretty selfish. What sports star isn't? They're all movie stars in today's world!

I think some of the media excoriation over this incident is as much about Plaxico's perceived selfishness and the media's bias against handguns, as it is about the recklessness and irresponsibility of Plaxico's actions that night.

And as I said, I can't defend what he did - going out to a club he felt the need to arm himself in WHILE rehabbing an injured hamstring AND his reckless handling of that gun (discharging it in that club)...they certainly seem to be pretty dumb and reckless acts...but in this case, HE (Burress) was the only one hurt in all this and worse still (for him), is that it seems that he's finally worn out his welcome with the NY Giants, which could wind up costing him as much as $29 MILLION!

In light of the recent Steve Smith incident (robbed by the guy who drove him home), Joey Porter getting shot in Denver and Sean Taylor being killed in his own home last year, I can understand why athletes like Burress seek to arm themselves.

I support the right to bear arms, even though I do condemn reckless and irresponsible gun acts, like accidentally discharging a weapon in a public place.

So, while I acknowledge that it certainly seems that Plaxico Burress was reckless and irresponsible, and the effects certainly COULD HAVE been much worse, I don't much like Mayor Bloomberg's poisoning the well and the media jumping all over the guy because he's been far from a "model citizen" this year with the Giants.

If I had come into that kind of money and fame at such an early age and had people fawning all over me since I was a kid, like Burress has, I doubt I'd have handled it that well either...so I have to be honest about that too. I bet that's true about many of the people jumping all over this guy, as well.

What is the proper way to handle this sort of reckless accidental discharge of a weapon?

Suspension of one's gun rights for a period?

A fine?

Jail time???

If Plaxico Burress' Giants contract is torn up over this, his loss of some $29 MILLION would seem to be a pretty stiff penalty for a guy who shot HIMSELF in the leg!

P.S. It's always GREAT to hear from you Solange.

I hope everything's going well for you and John and Nick.

I wish you all a great Christmas and an even greater New Year to come!

Roadhouse said...

Plax is only a few safety courses shy of being a wise New Yorker.

JMK said...

"Plax is only a few safety courses shy of being a wise New Yorker." (Roadhouse)
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Indeed he is, Roady.

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