Alabama hoops star Brandon Miller hit the game-winning shot in opposition to South Carolina in Columbia final night time, amidst chants of “Lock him up! Lock him up!” raining down from the rafters. The mantra referred to Miller’s presence when 23-year-old Jamea Jonae Harris was allegedly shot and killed by a longtime pal of former teammate Darius Miles with Miles’ gun. Miller has admitted to delivering the gun to Miles and being current when the capturing occurred. Whereas each Michael Lynn Davis and Miles have been charged with capital homicide, Miller has been handled, up to now, merely as a witness to the occasions. He’s performed in each Alabama sport because the Jan. 15, 2023, capturing, and Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats solely drew extra scrutiny Miller’s method by his nonchalant remedy of Miller’s entanglement within the case. Miller’s lawyer issued a assertion denying any wrongdoing on Wednesday.

A lot of questions, however no solutions

So ought to Miller play? Ought to he not? Ought to Alabama even be taking part in, on condition that two of their gamers had been allegedly current on the homicide of a younger lady? Ought to the NCAA get entangled? How can Miller not be charged with one thing? How can Alabama not self-discipline him for delivering a homicide weapon to the scene of the crime? And, above all else, what does this do to Alabama’s probabilities come March? Is a nationwide championship nonetheless a risk? And what about Miller’s draft inventory? 

Her identify was Jamea Jonae Harris

You’ll discover that one identify isn’t talked about within the seemingly endless dialogue about Miller and Miles and Alabama and basketball: The identify of the sufferer, Jamea Jonae Harris.

Harris was at a membership in Tuscaloosa visiting her boyfriend and cousin on the College of Alabama. What occurred subsequent remains to be unclear, however reviews say there was a disagreement between Harris’ group and Davis and Miles’ group exterior. When Harris and her boyfriend tried to depart the membership, Davis reportedly danced in entrance of the black Jeep she was driving in and tried to get her telephone quantity. Miles allegedly texted Miller to deliver him a gun left within the backseat of Miller’s automobile. When Miller arrived, Miles is accused of telling Davis concerning the gun earlier than Davis then allegedly fired two photographs into the windshield of the Jeep, Harris was in killing her.

In keeping with Harris’ mom, DeCarla Heard, Harris’ homicide was the direct results of her refusing Davis’ advances, saying in a Fb put up, that the gunman “took my child’s life as a result of she wouldn’t discuss to him.” In keeping with Heard, Harris and the opposite girls in her celebration informed Davis and Miles that they didn’t wish to discuss to them, that they’d boyfriends, shortly earlier than the capturing. No different motive has been set forth by both the protection or prosecution. Heard stated shortly after the capturing that she nonetheless hadn’t informed Harris’ 5-year-old son, Kaine, that his mom had died.

Nothing new

This isn’t the primary time a lady has been executed for the crime of refusing to provide her consideration to a person that demanded it. As Jamilah Lemieux writes of the homicide, “There isn’t any official report of all the ladies and ladies killed for telling a person or boy ‘no.’ Likewise, nobody retains observe of how typically girls and ladies are harmed for refusing the advances of somebody who finds them fascinating. But, these tales flow into typically sufficient for us to know simply how harmful it may be for a lady or woman to train her company when a person declares his attraction.”

In 2016, Mic Journal revealed a chunk titled, “These 14 Girls Had been Brutally Attacked for Rejecting Males — Why Aren’t We Speaking About It?” Again in 2018, Jessica Valenti wrote “Refusal Killings Must be Tracked” after two extra girls had been murdered for rejecting males’s advances. In 2020, Essence Journal did its personal listing — “Eleven Black Girls Who Had been Killed for Saying ‘No.’” Do your individual Google seek for “Lady killed for refusing man” and see what number of outcomes come up. There are rather a lot.

So right here we’re in 2023, a younger mom has allegedly been killed by the pal of a D1 basketball participant, whereas two others reportedly regarded on (Alabama’s Jaden Bradley was additionally allegedly on the scene), and all sports activities media can discuss is how this incident impacts faculty basketball. Breaking Information: It doesn’t.

Harris’ dying gained’t have an effect on faculty hoops one bit. It gained’t have an effect on gun legal guidelines on this nation, which is rapidly resembling one thing like a capturing gallery subsequent to the O.Okay. Corral. It gained’t have an effect on March Insanity or Miller’s NBA draft inventory and even Nate Oats’ job. On the earth of sports activities, girls are simply the collateral injury of the lads who play the video games. Harris gained’t be greater than that as a result of it seems that nobody within the Crimson Tide’s athletic division, or the state of Alabama, or your entire nation, for that matter, cares about girls greater than March Insanity or a possible nationwide championship. Too many males don’t need the homicide of a lady to get in the way in which of their sports activities, and too many people girls allow them to really feel that method.

In just a few extra years, after a dozen or so extra girls have been killed by males who really feel entitled to them, we’ll get one more slideshow from hell. They usually’ll hold coming. As a result of on the finish of the day, nobody is telling boys and younger males that they aren’t owed something by girls. Together with their time, consideration, or telephone numbers.

And that’s what we ought to be speaking about.