>>I read on msn.com that he "hung out in bad crowds" in high school.
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>Hung out in bad crowds, did he? It must be true if it was written somewhere.
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>Allow me to retort ;-(. How many black professional athletes DIDN'T grow up in bad crowds? That's the reality. That is not bleeding heartism and is not meant to excuse the genuine bad dudes among them. But to subscribe to some airy cliche like "hung out in bad crowds" diminishes all of us. We have to somehow get beyond that. Until I know otherwise, that's a human life lost too soon.

Obviously as with all victims, the victim is guilty and deserving of his/her demise. Such a thing would never happen to a “good person”. It is easy to condemn a victim as it is such a good explanation of why something happens to someone else. Now when you are a victim your thoughts may be different but society will judge you otherwise.

Three rules I live by:

1. Never be a victim.

2. Never get sick.

3. Never get injured.

Good luck! :)