11/21/24
May 28, 2007
Patriots Linebacker Missing in Lake: The Coast Guard is searching the waters of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana for Marquise Hill, a New England Patriots linebacker who went missing after his jet ski overturned yesterday. "I'm an optimistic guy," his agent said. "He's a strong kid and a fighter."
this is terrible...and after 24 hours of rescue gone unfinished seems very grim..god bless him and his family.
posted by french-connection at 01:34 PM on May 28, 2007
This is awful. That's a big body of water. Heartbreaking.
posted by rainbaby at 01:58 PM on May 28, 2007
so no life vest while jetsking? I thought it was almost universally worn?
posted by bdaddy at 02:57 PM on May 28, 2007
A body was just found in Lake Ponchartrain .Its assumed to be Hill.
posted by sickleguy at 03:07 PM on May 28, 2007
The link now has a state official saying the body they've found is his.
posted by Drood at 04:43 PM on May 28, 2007
Ah, hell.
posted by chicobangs at 06:57 PM on May 28, 2007
.
posted by Joey Michaels at 08:33 PM on May 28, 2007
No life jacket. Stupid is as stupid does. My sympathies to his family and friends on such a preventable death.
posted by budman13 at 10:02 PM on May 28, 2007
Cheap thrills...expensive price. RIP Marquise.
posted by GoBirds at 01:22 AM on May 29, 2007
.
posted by Fence at 05:13 AM on May 29, 2007
.
posted by scully at 06:40 AM on May 29, 2007
.
posted by texasred at 07:03 AM on May 29, 2007
.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:42 AM on May 29, 2007
. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends.
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 10:34 AM on May 29, 2007
RIP
posted by Joe188 at 12:32 PM on May 29, 2007
There was no mention of an accident or collision. They just fell off and weren't wearing life vests? That is about as stupid as can be. Maybe he should have spent some of those college years learning something instead of just playing football. Its kind of hard having sympathy for someone that does something as dumb as this. Did he even know how to swim? There are some mistakes that don't give you a second chance. I feel for what his family is going through but he basically asked for it when he declined to wear a life vest. After what happened to Steelers QB, Rothlisberger, you'd think it would be a wake up call for players riding motorcycles or jet skis or whatever, to protect their bodies and take safety measures when engaging in risky injury prone activities....... NAH
posted by Atheist at 02:15 PM on May 29, 2007
Actually he was a pretty good swimmer and he didn't just "fall off". The jet ski went out of control in the choppy and rough waves of the lake and flipped over. He then told the girl to grab onto a peice of something( i cant remember right now) and told her to hang on as they where separated by the current. She hung on untill help arrived while Hill was lost. He made the mistake of not wearing a life jacket and it cost him his life. Please give your thoughts and prayers to his friends and family, not to exclaiming how stupid he was.
posted by TelamarketersBeware at 03:23 PM on May 29, 2007
Well not only was he stupid but he was also in violation of several state laws as described below in the state of Louisiana boating regulations. No floatation device and the article stated the accident happened at 9PM which I believe is after sunset. You may think it is callous, but if one person is made aware of the senseless stupidity surrounding this unfortunate incident (which I will not call an accident) and is enlightened by the publicity surrounding Mr. Hills death then, maybe another life will be saved. I also wonder if alcohol was involved it being a holiday weekend and all. A person shall not operate a personal watercraft unless each person aboard is wearing a Type I, Type II, Type III, or Type V personal flotation device approved by the United States Coast Guard. A person operating a personal watercraft equipped by the manufacturer with a lanyard type engine cutoff switch shall attach such lanyard to his person, clothing, or flotation device as appropriate for the specific vessel. A person shall not operate a personal watercraft at any time between the hours from sunset to sunrise. A personal watercraft shall at all times be operated in a reasonable and prudent manner as defined in R.S. 34:851.5.
posted by Atheist at 03:59 PM on May 29, 2007
"The jet ski went out of control in the choppy and rough waves of the lake and flipped over" Actually a jet ski doesn't just go out of control as if it had a mind of its own. The operator is responsible to maintain control and change the way they operate the craft when the conditions turn choppy and rough.
posted by Atheist at 04:17 PM on May 29, 2007
TB, you're fighting a losing battle. Atheist's take on the situation may leave a bad taste in your mouth, but he's got the rule of law and the rule of common sense on his side. If Marquise Hill, God rest his soul, had been operating his watercraft in a responsible (and legal) manner, chances are we wouldn't be having this conversation. Like it or not, it's the truth. He's dead as a result of his own actions. Not bad luck, karma, kismet, or the Fickle Finger of Fate. His was a death easily averted with the application of a little common sense.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 04:32 PM on May 29, 2007
While all of that is true, it's a shame that the penalty for an ill-considered action was death. It's not like we haven't all been stupid at one time or another, so the idea he's undeserving of sympathy is pretty harsh. He also helped save his friend.
posted by rcade at 04:50 PM on May 29, 2007
rcade - I think I can feel sympathy for the family left behind, but with so many innocent victims of disease, violence, and starvation, dying because of circumstances far beyond their control, I don't think Hill's completely irresponsible, and careless behavior deserves much sympathy. You say he helped save the life of his friend, and I think he was lucky not to have gotten her killed also. He endangered his life and the life of someone else. Of course turning his death into some sort of heroic act or ill fated tragedy doesn't really do justice to the truth.
posted by Atheist at 05:19 PM on May 29, 2007
I already regret asking this. How could he have gotten her killed? How did he risk her life?
posted by jerseygirl at 07:35 PM on May 29, 2007
By being black.
posted by yerfatma at 06:09 AM on May 30, 2007
rcade - I think I can feel sympathy for the family left behind, but with so many innocent victims of disease, violence, and starvation, dying because of circumstances far beyond their control, I don't think Hill's completely irresponsible, and careless behavior deserves much sympathy. It doesn't deserve much sympathy, perhaps, but you seem to think that it should be vilified as some kind of extraordinary act of blatant irresponsibility. This strikes me as ironic, given that the death took place on Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start to summer foolishness in the United States. I can guarantee you that in my town alone there were dozens if not hundreds of actions that violated laws and regs such as the one you cited, or the laws of common sense, or both. Drinking while boating, boating without a PFD, taking to the water with an inappropriate craft or insufficient skills, dorking around in a channel, operating close to swimmers, excessive speed...there's a great deal of foolishness that takes place on the water on Memorial Day weekend. Most perpetrators make it home in one piece without even a tap on the shoulder from fate to let them know that they were taking a risk. Was Hill irresponsible? Sure. Did his failure to wear a PFD cause his death? Possibly -- a PFD helps, but it doesn't make you drowning-proof by any means, particularly not in current. Was Hill doing anything different than thousands of other Americans this weekend? Absolutely not. As for comparing Hill's death with the deaths of victims of "disease, violence and starvation", that's uncalled for -- and I don't mean that in the sense of, "That was a nasty thing to say and you shouldn't have said it." I mean it's absurd to try to establish some kind of meritocracy among deaths. You seem to believe that sympathy is some kind of limited commodity, and that if you give any to Hill, you won't have any to spare for the victims of disease, violence and starvation. Maybe it works that way for you. I don't think that it does for most people, and even if it did, the futility of trying to establish who's deserving of sympathy is obvious. People die in recreational boating accidents even when they do everything right, because sometimes Shit Happens. Are they undeserving of sympathy because they could have chosen some other, non-water-based form of recreation?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 07:45 AM on May 30, 2007
By being black. ? I hope that was a joke.
posted by BornIcon at 08:07 AM on May 30, 2007
No, that has always been my perception of Atheist's viewpoint. It's my weakness, but if this had been Jeff Kent, I don't see him coming in here and talking about the person who died as if they were a bad guy.
posted by yerfatma at 08:51 AM on May 30, 2007
Its kind of hard having sympathy for someone that does something as dumb as this. Did he even know how to swim? It's not hard to have sympathy. I'm sure we've all unwittingly put ourselves in harm's way at one time or another. Is the penalty for lack of judgement death and righteously so? Sorry - I'm not buying it. He didn't deserve to die. That doesn't come across as intelligent; it's just callous. While all of that is true, it's a shame that the penalty for an ill-considered action was death. It's not like we haven't all been stupid at one time or another, so the idea he's undeserving of sympathy is pretty harsh. He also helped save his friend. Bingo. And don't dismiss this idea that just because he got her into the situation doesn't mean he didn't also act heroically. He cleaned up his own mess, didn't he? By being black. Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. (Not that I'm necessarily agreeing that Atheist is a racist, but I guarantee that there would be a different reaction were he not a black man. Fuck me - our society is pathetic sometimes.)
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:48 AM on May 30, 2007
Abso f'ing lutely Yerfatma. Had Jeff Kemp done it, I say the same thing. I said the same shit about the baseball player that flew his plane irresponsibly low around Manhattan and into a building. I live on a sailboat and have been boating all my life, I see first hand how yahoos with more money than sense, swill a few beers, jump on or in a watercraft and endanger their lives and the lives of others, without the first ounce of knowledge of the rules, laws or common sense safety aspects of the activity. Your implication of racism is just out of line and completely uncalled for. I say what I think. When professional athletes act like criminals, behave irresponsibly, or endanger others, they will not get my sympathy when they lose their careers or their freedom or their lives. Frankly the funny thing is, until you said it, I didn't even know Hill was black, nor did I care. My black wife will get a kick out of your assumption of racism. Stupid comes in every color, and I will not tip toe around because someone like you wants to throw out the race card everytime you really have no valid argument. OJ Simpson is a killer in my eyes and he was my favorite football player, and a black athlete. Robert Blake is also a killer in my eyes and we was a white actor. WTF when someone does something stupid, I just call it as I see it regardless of their skin color. Obviously you don't see past it. I honestly think that my screen name Atheist brings out the worst bigotry in some people. Because a person doesn't believe in God, does't mean they are morally bankrupt. My heart has plenty of sympathy for those who deserve it. When I see millions of children in Africa orphaned by Aids or starving I do not see a color I see a need. Excuse me if I don't have a lot leftover for the spoiled, pampered, professional athlete who typically thanks God for his abilities and then blows it with his behavior, while so many suffer. As if there is a god blessing one person with wealth and athletic ability while he ignores millions who starve. Don't mix up Atheism with a lack of morality or compassion.
posted by Atheist at 10:01 AM on May 30, 2007
Frankly the funny thing is, until you said it, I didn't even know Hill was black, nor did I care. His picture is smack dab on top of the linked article.
posted by jerseygirl at 10:05 AM on May 30, 2007
I read the article in a paper in a coffee shop, no photo and his color never even crossed my mind. Believe what you like. Also yerfatma, I never spoke about Hill as if he were a bad guy. I just claimed his actions were his own fault and were incredibly stupid. You can read whatever you like into that but think about it. Your on a Jet Ski in a lake that is over 600 square miles and you don't wear floatation. DUH....
posted by Atheist at 10:24 AM on May 30, 2007
ok fair enough. I guess back to my original questions for you... How could he have gotten her killed? How did he risk her life?
posted by jerseygirl at 10:27 AM on May 30, 2007
I will not tip toe around because someone like you wants to throw out the race card everytime you really have no valid argument. Yeah, yerfatma does that all the time, y'know. /sarcasm for anyone who didn't get it. Because a person doesn't believe in God, does't mean they are morally bankrupt. My heart has plenty of sympathy for those who deserve it. When I see millions of children in Africa orphaned by Aids or starving I do not see a color I see a need. Excuse me if I don't have a lot leftover for the spoiled, pampered, professional athlete who typically thanks God for his abilities and then blows it with his behavior, while so many suffer. Atheism doesn't make you morally bankrupt, but believing that sympathy and compassion are scarce and limited commodities is either a cause or a symptom of something not right (probably both), and your attempt to create a calculus to determine who's deserving of your sympathy is inconsistent at best. First it's got to do with being an innocent victim (whatever that means), then it's got to do with money? Wha'ts the deal, here?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:34 AM on May 30, 2007
lil_brown_bat - you make some very credible points about Memorial Day and other holiday weekends, there is plenty of irresponsible behavior going on but it doesn't make it acceptable. There are two types of victims of this behavior, the innocent victim of somebody elses stupidity, and the victim of their own stupidity. So how many victims of this past Memorial day weekend were there? I am sure there were a lot. Of all the tragic victims this last weekend, the one that is newsworthy is not an innocent victim but the victim of his own actions that just happened to be a professional athlete. This society is as Weedy put it is pathetic sometimes. You want to call it the tragic death of an athlete so be it. I just call it another stupid jerk with a lot to live for, got himself killed for no real reason.
posted by Atheist at 10:34 AM on May 30, 2007
Jersey Girl - To answer your question, He allowed his passenger to ride without a floation device. He took a passenger on a watercraft he obviously was not qualified to operate. You as the driver of a car, have a responsibility to make your children ride in an approved car seat, or wear seat belts. If you own a motorcycle would you allow your loved one to ride on the back without putting on a helmet? Hill was the driver, he was responsible for the safe operation and the safety of his passenger. Lil Brown Bat - I guess all I can say is that I see a difference, between circumstances that are of ones own making, and those that are not.
posted by Atheist at 10:40 AM on May 30, 2007
Winner, winner. Chicken dinner. (Not that I'm necessarily agreeing that Atheist is a racist, but I guarantee that there would be a different reaction were he not a black man. Fuck me - our society is pathetic sometimes.) This is a pretty passive aggressive way to say that you do think I am a racist.
posted by Atheist at 10:51 AM on May 30, 2007
Well ok, based on the comments you have posted in the past, I think you have problems with people from other races. "Racist" is a loaded word and I'm not willing to apply it to someone from the other side of a computer screen, but your opinions, and the threads you show up in to share them, do seem to be informed by an interest in racial differences.
posted by yerfatma at 11:15 AM on May 30, 2007
Lil Brown Bat - I guess all I can say is that I see a difference, between circumstances that are of ones own making, and those that are not. Atheist, I guess all I can say is that some day you'll have a friend or loved one who dies a preventable death as a result of something that could be construed to be his/her irresponsibility or lack of judgment. You insist on seeing the dead as falling into two categories: the virtuous, worthy and blameless; and the irresponsible, who are fully culpable for their own deaths. It may be only when you face the death of someone whom you've known beyond the superficial that you see the limitations of your categories. I live on a whitewater river. I see people doing careless, stupid or ignorant things on it all the time, and I've saved a few of them from certain drowning. I also see that there's a difference between blatant irresponsibility -- getting hammered in the parking lot, then taking an innertube through class III rapids, for example -- and ignorance. People think it's perfectly safe to go tubing, and to take their small children, and most times they blissfully float down through hazards that they don't understand. Many people believe that being a "strong swimmer" means something, because on flatwater, it does. People do not go out for a day on the water wanting to come home in a bag, and when they do come home in a bag, it's almost always because they were doing something that they thought was safer than it is. That was almost certainly the case with Hill. He was wrong and he paid the price. His death is not heroic, and you are distorting my words when you suggest that I view it as "the tragic death of an athlete". But to say that sympathy has no place here is to say that we should likewise condemn the 12-year-old kid who drowned in a quarry, the tuber who stood up and got a foot entrapment, or the sailor who got knocked down and didn't have the skills or strength to right his craft. Your choice.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 11:17 AM on May 30, 2007
You as the driver of a car, have a responsibility to make your children ride in an approved car seat, or wear seat belts. That's because they're children. Grownups like the woman passenger can put on their PFDs by themselves. he obviously was not qualified to operate How would you know that? Accidents can happen to the most qualified drivers.
posted by qbert72 at 11:29 AM on May 30, 2007
You as the driver of a car, have a responsibility to make your children ride in an approved car seat, or wear seat belts. That's because they're children. Grownups like the woman passenger can put on their PFDs by themselves. i don't know what state you live in, but in CA the driver of the vehicle gets a ticket if ANYONE in the car doesn't have their seatbelt on. Therefore it is the DRIVER'S responsibility to make sure that everyone is safe, adult or child.
posted by yay-yo at 12:22 PM on May 30, 2007
But that's a law set down by a (nanny) state. It doesn't have to be a moral responsibility just because it has Ahnuld's signature on it. So do any number of fake breasts from the 80s.
posted by yerfatma at 12:34 PM on May 30, 2007
qbert72 - A qualified driver obeys the laws, and safety requirements. He allowed himself and his passenger to ride without floatation. What do you not get? We was not a qualified operator. lil_brown_bat - Thank you for you intelligent comments. I really do not disagree with you. I may have made it seem that I am totally without sympathy, which isn't actually the case. I have sympathy for someone who lost their life because they made a mistake, and I certainly feel for his family. Believe me if a member of my family died doing something stupid, I would be crushed and feel terrible. I just don't think I would expect it from others. Having lived on the water my whole life, as a sailor, scuba diver waterskier, and surfer, all of which are activities which can cost you your life even without making a major mistake, I know where you are coming from. Reasonable people can engage in relatively dangerous sports and do it responsibly. We all choose what is an acceptable level of risk for the pleasure we derive. Its hard for me to see the sort of careless and reckless behavior that Hill demonstrated, which showed a complete lack of respect for the activity, himself and his passenger. Here in California we have a law that requires every motorcyclist to wear a DOT approved helmet. Many riders use tiny novelty helmets that offer no protection and are illegal. The cops seem to ingore the violation even though the fake helmets are easily spotted. When I once asked a cop why he didn't ticket bikers with these helmets, he said, "If I have to tell a guy to wear a helmet that protects his head, then I just figure he is already brain dead, what good will it do." That really sums up how I feel about the Hill incident . It just such an obvious precaution. He played chicken with a train and lost.
posted by Atheist at 12:41 PM on May 30, 2007
Its hard for me to see the sort of careless and reckless behavior that Hill demonstrated, which showed a complete lack of respect for the activity, himself and his passenger. I hear ya, Atheist, but OTOH, what he did is not unusual. I won't argue with your judgment, but if you look at it that way, there were a very great many people showing a complete lack of respect for the activity (whatever activity it was) this past weekend. Do I call it a "complete lack of respect for the activity" when a mom and dad bring their kids up to the river and the whole lot goes floating down on tubes tied together with clothesline, not a PFD in the bunch? I dunno. "Complete lack of respect", to me, means that you've got complete knowledge and awareness of the dangers, and you just blow 'em off...which is not the same thing as being ignorant. It kind of sounds like Hill ran into problems with current -- well, I'll tell you, I sailed since I was five years old, and when I started running whitewater I had to learn a whole new set of skills to stay alive in moving water. People don't adequately prepare for a danger if they're irresponsible jerks; they also don't adequately prepare if they don't know the danger's there to prepare for.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 12:58 PM on May 30, 2007
A qualified driver obeys the laws, and safety requirements. That's not what you meant by "qualified driver" the first time you used it. You said he was not "qualified to operate" the watercraft, as in "not able to control the vehicle in difficult circumstances" . This kind of qualification has nothing to do with obeying the law. And you can't infer anything about his operating skills from the current information. Therefore, you can't use the "He didn't know how to ride his vehicle" line to support your argument that he is responsible for what happened to his lady passenger. What do you not get? Faulty logic, I guess.
posted by qbert72 at 01:13 PM on May 30, 2007
I may have made it seem that I am totally without sympathy, which isn't actually the case. I have sympathy for someone who lost their life because they made a mistake, and I certainly feel for his family. Believe me if a member of my family died doing something stupid, I would be crushed and feel terrible. I just don't think I would expect it from others. Then why come in here and take a shit on some one's virtual grave with all that "he deserved it" bullshit. You're assumptions that he was doing something stupid is fucking absurd. Sure it's easy to say him not wearing a life vest was stupid, but you don't know all the circumstances. He could have been stuck in traffic for 2 hours then realized he reached his destination without life vests, so he figured he'd take a quick spin and call it a day. He may have saw a couple of teenagers goofing off on jet skis and gave his to them. Sure all of this seems unlikely, but my point is you don't have a fucking clue why he didn't have one on. I also wonder if alcohol was involved it being a holiday weekend and all. You also assume he was showing off or fucking around. You also assume he had more money then he knew what to do with. HE'S DEAD. Now do you get the fucking point? I can only hope something similar happens to one of your loved ones and then you have to hear someone call them an idiot for dying, regardless of how. Then you can learn a lesson from this in the same manner you want someone else to learn not to jet ski without a life vest by repeatedly calling the deceased victim stupid. This is the equivalent of calling all smokers who died of lung cancer idiots who got what they had coming. One last thing. If your claims of being married to an African American woman are solely for the sake of not looking like a racist, let me be the first to tell you it doesn't mean shit. I know 2 white policemen who have Black wives and hate (and have even falsely accused) young Black men in our community. Having a Black wife doesn't mean shit. She could be 1/4 Black and look like Anna Nicole Smith. If your going to be a racist at least stand up, stick your chest out and be one. Dancing around your obvious dislike of Black men just makes you look further insecure in your so called "mixed" or "inter-racial" relationship. You should be hoping karma doesn't bite you in the ass talking all this shit about life vests while living on a sailboat. How fucking stupid would that look if your boat went down while you were sleeping...without a life vest.
posted by Bishop at 03:02 PM on May 30, 2007
You should be hoping karma doesn't bite you in the ass So should you because karma might get you for hoping something as tragic as this happens to one of Atheist's loved ones. You mention cops in damn near every one of your comments. Please remind me never to visit where you live.
posted by bperk at 03:16 PM on May 30, 2007
Nobody ever said the circumstances were difficult or highly unusual. You are not qualified to operate a jet ski if, you don't know the laws or obey them. I see qualified jet ski operators running jet skis safely over Pacific Ocean swells. They operate them as resuce and toe in vehicles on the North Shore of Hawaii and off the California Coast, in 30 to 60 foot surf. Wind chop on a lake chop, or lake currents is hardly an unusual circumstance, and falls within a normal day of jet ski operation. A qualified operator recognizes hazards and conditions and adjusts his piloting accordingly. No way can I be convinced that a qualified operator even boards a personal watercraft without proper floatation. The only other place to assign responsibility for this event, other than Hill himself, is possibly with Government. I am not sure about Louisiana, but many states do not require any type of license or training to operate watercraft. So it may be possible for someone to purchase a boat, jet ski or other watercraft and with no knowledge of the laws or the craft, just get on and go. However stupid that may be, I am sure plenty do it. Just because you can buy one or rent one doesn't mean you are qualified to operate it. I am almost positive nobody would rent you a PWC without requiring or providing a floatation vest, and also certain the manual with every new PWC purchased cleary states floatation must be worn when operating the craft. No matter how you slice it, he was either totally oblivious to the laws and dangers or just did not care to respect them. In either case it adds up to unqualified. IMO
posted by Atheist at 03:29 PM on May 30, 2007
Bishop - Wow you sure make alot of assumptions. I never claimed he deserved it. I never said he was showing of. I only wondered if alcohol was involved as a reason for a lack of judgement. I said he did something stupid. He did and he paid the highest price for it. Rationalize all you want. Say he forgot his lifevest whatever. This racial shit is absoutely ridiculous. I said the exact same thing about Ben Rothlisberger when he crashed a motorcycle without a helmet. Of course if you call a white man stupid nobody says you are a racist. Go figure. It's just part of a double standard that is pervasive in todays politically correct society. As a last comment on the subject, you Bishop sounded like the racist when you made the following statement Having a Black wife doesn't mean shit. She could be 1/4 Black and look like Anna Nicole Smith. This statement implies that you somehow feel looking like Anna Nicole Smith is more attractive than say looking like Whitney Houston or Beyonce or Halle Berry. or Opra Winfrey. Try to refrain from making personal attacks it does nothing to bolster your point and frankly makes you sound, uneducated. I think reading your post actually proves my point more than it proves yours.
posted by Atheist at 04:00 PM on May 30, 2007
This statement implies that you somehow feel looking like Anna Nicole Smith is more attractive than say looking like Whitney Houston or Beyonce or Halle Berry. or Opra Winfrey. No, it doesn't. It implies that all black people don't look black. In theory, one can pretend that one's light-skinned friend/wife isn't like the rest of them and still be racist. It happens.
posted by bperk at 04:11 PM on May 30, 2007
I'm getting a little deja vu here. Perhaps this is the reason.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 04:28 PM on May 30, 2007
Now you are implying that my wife must be light skinned. Funny because my wife is neither light skinned or even 1% white, nor is she American. I will not get any more personal than that. Is it remotely possible that you could be hyper sensitive regarding the subject? If an athlete commits a crime or behaves in an irresponsible manner and is criticized for it, why do you assume it has something to do with his color? It has to do with his actions, and behavior. How could I possibly defend myself against a false accusation of racism. Confess that my favorite football player was Walter Payton? (Now that was a tragedy not because he was a great athlete but how he conducted his life and faced his forseeable death.) I am proud of how I live my life and how I treat others. No further comment could really mean anything anyway.
posted by Atheist at 05:21 PM on May 30, 2007
Is it remotely possible that you could be hyper sensitive regarding the subject? Is it remotely possible that your comments reflect a callousness towards black athletes that others might take as racism? It works both ways Atheist. Neither are very nice ways to have a discussion.
posted by bperk at 05:33 PM on May 30, 2007
Lakes don't have currents. That's why they're lakes. Just sayin'.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 06:04 PM on May 30, 2007
Very true, lbb. No currents in the way we think of the ocean... But, where it's an estuary with several larger canals/rivers flowing into it, the water does get pretty choppy.
posted by jerseygirl at 06:42 PM on May 30, 2007
Yeah, I'd be inclined to agree with you lbb, but they showed pictures of Ponchartrain on the tv and maybe there's no current, but there sure are waves. And that water can be dangerous. I highly recommend Rising Tide to all those interested in infoporn about the Mississippi. And racism in America. Way to tie up loose ends, me.
posted by yerfatma at 07:26 PM on May 30, 2007
You mention cops in damn near every one of your comments. Please remind me never to visit where you live. Odds are (assuming you're White) you'd get by just fine. If you are not White, please visit where I live so we both can mention cops in damn near every one of our posts. This statement implies that you somehow feel looking like Anna Nicole Smith is more attractive than say looking like Whitney Houston or Beyonce or Halle Berry. or Opra Winfrey. No, it doesn't. It implies that all black people don't look black. In theory, one can pretend that one's light-skinned friend/wife isn't like the rest of them and still be racist. It happens. Exactly. My point was your wife could be 1/8 Black and as pale as Gwen Stefani, but you throw it out there as if you are married to Sha nene Jenkins or Queen Latifah.
posted by Bishop at 08:29 PM on May 30, 2007
This is so beyond sports. I do hope that Marquise Hill comes out of this alive & well. It's such a shame to read something about this but I do hope everything turns out for the better, God willing.