Understanding the plight of Marshawn Lynch

For those of you who have not heard, Oakland native and Former Cal star, Marshawn Lynch was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm yesterday. My first reaction was an old rhetorical question that Oaklanders too often have to ask: "Why can't Oakland folks learn how to act?!" It has never been a question I can answer in a way that makes me too hopeful. Though this question persists, the source of my frustration has shifted a bit in this case.

Firstly, I am not surprised that Marshawn was carrying a gun. Coming from nothing to millions in the course of 2 years is quite an assent. There are always a gang of haters lurking in the shadows ready to pounce, especially when you still come around the old neighborhood like Marshawn does. That fact that he reps The Town so hard and comes through on the regular is great for the kids to see, but it also makes him vulnerable. Let us not forget that during his junior year at Cal he was shot at while sitting in front of his alma mater, Oakland Tech High School.
It is easy for those of us who don't have to negotiate humble pasts and extravagant presents to criticize him as another ghetto knucklehead. But the only thing that makes him a knucklehead in this situation is that he didn't have the gun registered . . . to his homeboy/ personal assistant who is always with him. The threats he is susceptible to as a 22 year old high-profile millionaire from Oakland, CA are real. Granted the T.I. and Plaxico Burress fiascos should have been warnings to all gun-toting celebrities, but I understand the position he is in.

I also understand the police's position. More specifically the Culver City police's motive. Read the below excerpt from ESPN and see if you don't see something wrong with this scenario.

The Culver City Police Department on Sunday afternoon released a brief statement with details of the arrest. The statement noted officers spotted three men in a 2006 Mercedes Benz and recognized Lynch as the Bills' running back.

"A subsequent field investigation led to the discovery of a loaded firearm," the report said. "The officers determined the gun belonged to Lynch and he was arrested for possession of a concealed firearm."

By their own admission the officers approached Marshawn after recognizing him. Keep in mind that he was not driving, as alluded to here and confirmed by his attorney. If you are sitting in a car minding your own business, what reason do police have to search you? None. If they were smoking weed or parked in a red zone or something else equally trivial, the police would have cited that. The fact that the police straight up admitted that they approached him because they recognized him is rediculous and illegal. The Culver City PD in this case are the equivalent of TMZ with badges.
I was just talking to a good friend, and LA native, tonight and he gave me a little run down on the Culver City PD. We all know that the LAPD is notoriously suspect for many reasons, but the smaller Culver City Police is apparently known specifically for racial profiling. My friend, a Black male with dreads (sound familiar?), says it's an event if he is NOT pulled over driving through Culver City. The police have offered a wide array of invented reasons to justify their harrasment of him over the years, but they are always unfounded. With this first-hand testimony in mind, Marshawn's aprehension is that much less of a surprise, especially since he was in a Mercedes. I am no law student, but it is my understanding that evidence obtained illegally is not valid in a court of law. Can any one offer some clarification here?
Regardless of whether or not any of this turns out to constitute harrasment or racism or anything else, the fact now remains that Marshawn was caught with a loaded firearm. This will surely earn him a league fine, a potential suspension and tarnish his reputation further. Again, should he have been carrying an unregistered concealed weapon? No. But the police's means do not justify this end. We have a little thing called civil rights in this here country, and the Culver City PD's actions here are just as illegal as Marshawn's.

This also frustrates me because it overshadows the fact that Marshawn had a great season in which he rushed for over 1,000 yards and 8 touchdowns. He made it to the Pro Bowl in his second season and then ran for 48 yards on 6 carries there against the game's best players. His hard-nosed, never-say-die attitude on the field is known as "Beast Mode" and his jovial off the field persona is hilarious. Somewhere in the middle of these extreme's Marshawn finds balance by always putting his "Fam 1st." In short, Marshawn is much bigger and better than the stupid thug role the press have assigned him.

ESPN blogger Tim Graham even suggested that Buffalo should let Marshawn go due to his legal troubles. "Pardon me I had to laugh at that" (c) Jay-Z. They would be the laughing stock of the league if they did so. Marshawn is a rising star, but like anyone, he is unprepared to deal with the magnitude of that fame in certain ways. He needs to realize that though carrying a gun in Oakland may be common, he can no longer do that as a Pro-Bowler and franchise player. Oakland may be the center of our universe, but our rules don't apply everywhere.
Regardless of the drama Marshawn, keep your head up and your mind clear. Remember that a good reputation will only help your career, and a bad reputation will make everything a struggle. Keep some wise old heads around you and remember that you have a lot to protect. A gun won't always be the best solution. Fam 1st, Fame 2nd, Firearms Never.

Enjoy Marshawn's highlights from this season below, but mute the sound and slap the song "Marshawn Lynch" by the Cataracs feat Mistah FAB and The Jacka.