So here we are for the second time that Ja Morant has waved a gun on live. A lot of people are speaking out, specifically former NBA player Stephen (Stak) Jackson and JJ Reddick. They aren't defending his behavior but are saying that Ja's punishment is unfair. Stak made a good point about some other former player (Chris Kaman), that most can't even recall, posting guns back in 2012, 2013, and 2016. JJ Reddick made a point about gun violence and our politicians being able to do so with ZERO punishment. Both points I truly understand, but can we make some sense here? When we make mistakes, our life stops being in our hands and then turns to being controlled by someone else.
They both make very good points, but here is my point and complaint: I really dislike when black people complain about not being treated like white criminals when it is US who are the real Kings and Queens. Why can't we finesse the system and recognize who we are and play the game by our own rules. Instead, one of us who is a prominent figure makes a bonehead decision, and we whine and cry about the treatment we get. When are we going to protect ourselves better and make the best decisions for us and who we truly are TO THE BONE (Kings and Queens)? For some reason, we see ourselves as the savages who ravaged land from the melanated people of the world. For some reason we want to be treated the same as those who took our women and children, raped them, trained the boys against their flesh and killed the men. Stop it. Instead of making comparisons to white people who get away with savage BS, we should be taking responsibility for ourselves and coming together as the tribe we really are. We win by recognizing who we are. Not by complaining about our place in the world. In actuality, complaining about our placement in the world is saying that we can be put in place.
Further speaking, the punishment Ja was given may be excessive, but with all due respect, it could have been worse. They didn't have to let him back on the team or in the league. I am not saying don't fight back, but with all this gun violence in 2023, you damn right the punishment is going to be severe even though it is a bit much. In my opinion, we have to make better decisions for ourselves because at the end of the day we KNOW what the outcome is going to be for us, so we start taking ACCOUNTABILITY.
Lastly, I want to speak on looking further into Ja's lineage as it speaks to mental health. I would be willing to bet that his grandfathers and grandmothers come from traumatic situations and/or has uncles and aunts who have lived a certain style of life and have been incarcerated. I continue to bring up the book, It Didn't Start With You by Mark Wolynn which speaks on how our DNA passes on traumatic experiences from one generation to the next. A simple question we could ask is: How come Ja Morant keeps putting himself in this predicament? Well from a mental health standpoint, what first comes to mind is how although he went to a good private school and had both parents actively in his life, his DNA knows other circumstances which in turn he lives out unknowingly. Another thing that comes to mind is imposter syndrome where one has trouble believing that they are deserving of such success and in some cases can lead to self-sabotage. Survivor's remorse is another thing that comes to mind. This is when you have trouble letting go of people who aren't good for you and also feel guilty for being the chosen one. All of these things are very real and what I think is taking place simultaneously within Ja. With that being said, although we may be disappointed, we need to give grace. Which is what I will give him from here on out. At first, I called him, "the dummy of the year." smh. I know it's deeper than that though.
Do I think Ja should be punished as harsh as half the season with no pay? No. But do I also think we as black people should play the game of life better? YES. We don't always have to be the victim. We can be the victor especially when the rules have been shown to us.
Peace, love, and hair grease!
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