The powers that be wanted to market rappers flashing cash, sporting bling, and showing off fancy cars; rappers with little real sense of what was going on in the world around them. Those powers didn’t want you to hear from conscious artists like Public Enemy, KRS-One, Nas, Dead Prez, Immortal Technique, Saul Williams, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, or even a Common. Often the Dave Chappelle Show was the only place you could find some of them.
African American elected officials are painted as the picture of corruption in three piece suits in the media, by the media, for the media. Every little thing morphs into proof they should trade their cuff link for handcuffs.
It's not just Huntsville it's all over the United States of America. Those African American elected officials who stand for something and aren't afraid to speak truth to power are eventually investigated and convicted of some kind of corruption and people like me who call it out are called racist.
Attempting to keep Common out of the White House was not about trying to censor lyrics that seemed offensive. It was about trying to silence a voice who rhymes about real issues, and speaks for the oppressed.
Don't get me wrong, you don't have to be an African American Democratic elected official to be investigated and convicted, in some cases all you have to do is be a liberal democratic elected official and off you go too.
Yep, it's open season on those African American elected officials, liberal democrats and Activist who stand for something in Sweet Home Alabama, but none dare call it racism, they prefer to call it thuggery.
This proud nation is at a crossroads.
One direction hurling towards increased economic inequality, the slashing of social safety nets, deregulation, xenophobia, discrimination of the gay community, voter suppression, and the unconscionable pollution of our environment. The other is a direction of ending poverty, protecting and helping the oppressed and unfortunate, holding Wall Street accountable, embracing immigration, and preserving our ecosystem.
What Willie Nelson said
“Rather than trying to put an end to Eminem or some other rapper, politicians should think about why they’re rapping. It’s easier to try to censor some kid who’s swearing about poverty than it is to stop the poverty.” – Willie Nelson
RedEye's translation
It's easier to investigate and convict the politicians who are not afraid to take a stand and speak out than it is to cure the reasons they stand up and speak out.
19 comments:
I like the Willie Nelson quote by the way. I rarely post on blogs but I just wanted to tell you to keep doing what you are doing because without dialogue there will never be understanding or even a possibility of understanding between different viewpoints. It comes down to the fact that we are just people trying to survive and a little compassion and understanding would go a long way. And think how lucky we are to live in a country where Common can say what he wants without being thrown in jail. I'd die for that. There will always be small-minded people who don't have the courage to confront an adversary eye to eye. Stand by what you believe in and hold your head eye. Keep up the good work.
Hold your head high. (Damn auto-correct)
"And think how lucky we are to live in a country where Common can say what he wants without being thrown in jail. I'd die for that. "
I wonder what part of that don't our freedom loving, troop supporting, right wing, republican friends don't understand? :)
Thank you for your kind and encouraging words. I will keep my head held as high as the Freedom Riders whose blood, sweat, tears and lives granted me the opportunity to speak up and speak out.
Will Culver is an AAA (Acceptable African American), in other words he knows is place, but the minute he steps out of place he will be zapped back in to place too.
Typo, should read, wonder what part of that don't our freedom loving, troop supporting, right wing, republican friends understand? :)
This comment is in regards to Councilman Showers and in response to Dale Jackson. When people pretend that the good ole boy system is some sort of myth and that within that system people don't get away with far worse than what Showers did and never are punished or even given a disapproving look, that really grinds my gears. (Not to say what Showers did was right but come one, if you think this was an isolated incident or similar favors aren't given every single day with impunity then you are deluding yourself. They should be acknowledged as ethics violations as well and action should be taken. You want hard evidence or examples, there aren't any and that's my point, but as a lawyer here in town, I see these favors all the time. What concerns me more is that Showers was willing to expose himself like this. He should have known better and it puts his acumen into question. I mean I had 10 gallons of gas in my back shed he could have had if he needed it that bad. If you don't play the game, you lose.)
In regards to Councilman Showers I know him personally and he is not stupid, I think there is more to this than gas for his daughters car. Still waiting to hear his version.
Fair enough. I don't know him and my observation was based only on what I had gleaned from the news. And I'd have to agree with your assessment that there is more to it. One can only imagine, politics are politics after all.
" don't know him and my observation was based only on what I had gleaned from the news"
And therein lies the problem. We know what "the news" wants us to know, not what we need to know in order to make informed decisions and judgments.
That's a possibility. Omission or manipulation of facts could skew public opinion. Is this something that you have seen before in Huntsville media? I've just never given much weight to local news outlets. A public access program broadcast from the basement of someones home could do a better job. Anyway, if you get the scoop let me know.
You have just pointed out racism, bigotry and prejudice are alive and well, a fundamental entreched ppart of American culture and society.
You are implying the reason for these statistics, the one common factor, is BLACK.
No reason to look further. No reason to question why.
Just vile repulsive ugliness on your part.
African Americans don't feel as if they are owed anything except to be treated fairly and equally.
As the late great James Brown said, We don't want nobody to give us nothing, open up the door and will get it ourselves.
Peace be with you.
Blacks are treated fair in this day and age!! The door is WIDE open but as I said MANY do not take advantage of it!!!!!! The door being many rules ie you have to interview a black coach in the NFL before you hire anyone. There are NO white cornerbacks so when will A team be required to have a starting white cornerback? NEVER because there is a DOUBLE STANDARD! That's just one example! There are numerous jobs in Huntsville but no one to fill them. Drive through North and West Huntsville and you see blacks standing on street corners. Are they selling drugs, loittering etc. I know what they are not doing...working or looking for a job!! Drive through South Huntsville and you see people jogging, riding bikes, walking dogs etc not just standing around all day. I could spar with you all day but you bore me you are blinded like the many other blacks!! You are still scared to go on the Dale Jackson show because he may show you up!!!!
Another example of double standard. Why not write about these examples!
Mentally handicapped man brutally beaten in racially motivated mob attack. Media censors.
A middle aged mentally handicapped man is about to get on a public bus in Louisville, KY when a wolf-pack of black teenage thugs brutally beats him. Two police officers saw the attack from across the street and intervened. Otherwise the man may have been killed.
Had the races in this story been reversed, this would be a major national news story. Since the victim is white and the perps are black it is censored by the “mainstream” press. The local media in Louisville will not even report that the perpetrators were black. Political correctness is more important to them than public safety.
Extreme affirmative action in South Africa.
Promising white students are being barred from South Africa’s medical schools, while dramatically inferior black students accepted.
From Times Online…
The 18-year-old, who matriculated at Pretoria’s Afrikaanse Hoër Meisieskool, is still determined to become a doctor, despite her applications being rejected by the universities of Pretoria, Stellenbosch and the Free State.
Lubbe is one of many white matriculants who battle to gain acceptance to medical schools, where race still plays a large role.
Now, Lubbe and others like her are studying towards other degrees to try to increase their chances of acceptance by medical schools later during their studies.
Louise van Immerzeel, 24, a third-year medical student at Wits University, completed a BSc degree before being accepted.
“I can’t explain how hard it is to get in. I have lots of people in my class with a master’s degree. There are people with PhDs that didn’t get in,” she said.
Medical school admission policies extend from a strict, race-based system in use by the University of Cape Town (UCT) to a “definite effort . to accommodate candidates from a disadvantaged academic background” at Free State University.
UCT is clear about its racial selection criteria, by which black students need to obtain 534 out of 900 points, whereas white and Indian candidates have to achieve 700 out of 900 marks to make their “admission probable”.
Thanks for telling us how you and yours really feel.
It not a way to feel it's to show you and others what is really going on!!!! You like to write these stories of how blacks are done wrong etc. it's not as bad as it was. There have been improvements and yes we could do a bit better but with that said look at situations were whites are treated unfair in order to get the so called ratio up etc.The more important story is black on black crime, absent fathers, the uneducated blacks, when there is free money and programs everywhere for the black man or woman but most do not take advantage because we as a society have gotten them use to a handout (whites too) like welfare etc. Why work when the government will pay the bills? It's an entitlement society!!! If all you know is to apply for free money health care etc when will anyone better themselves? It's called FREE WILL but most do not have it.
A mind is a terrible thing to waste and a hard thing to change.
Why not comment on the statements? Are you afraid it's the truth so you play the race card or the others are stupid because poit out the truth!
"You got to to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold'em,
Know when to walk away and know when to run.
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done."
Kenny Rogers, The Gambler
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