Americans are entitled to free speech. This I have been told since I was a third grader learning my first history lesson. They even showed me proof...they showed me the Constitution. The one document that is to serve as the guideline for how all Americans are to be governed. Yes, as an American, I am entitled to free speech.
Or so I thought.
Turns out that free speech isn't necessarily free. Nor is it discounted in some cases. Nope...as Americans, we pay FULL PRICE for our abilities to say and do what we want. Sad, but true. We really do not control the words that flow from our mouths.
Today, I read Yahoo news, and I find out that five of the Falcons players were fined for their displays of solidarity with Michael Vick. Some to the tune of 10,000 dollars. Now, I know for them, this is a drop in the bucket for what they make, but seriously, the principle is what is being violated here. How can you tell a man that you can't verbally support a teammate during a game? How can you penalize someone for speaking their mind to uplift a downtrodden (albeit foolish) comrade?
Now grant it, freedom of speech should have some limitations. Hate speech should be governed, simply because the impact of those words have caused death, violence, and mayhem throughout the history of the US. Yelling "FIRE" in a movie theater is against the law since it could lead to mass frenzy and injury, even though it is just a word. Those types of rules, I understand. But the recent punishments handed down by the NFL simply blows my mind.
But this is the current trend I am seeing. It seems that different agencies/institutions/etc. have realized that the Constitution only applies to the government, but they don't have to offer that same service to their constituents. Examples include:
-Speaking out against improprieties and maltreatments in fraternities and sororities. It seriously sickens me that so many people can be thrown under the bus because they choose to speak out against things that they feel would BETTER the organizations they love. Of course, they label it as "conduct unbecoming of a member" but it really means "conduct that may expose our dictatorial control." (Of course, I am not referring to anyone group in particular, since all of the organizations I am familiar with aren't that vindictive towards members. *WINK*)
-School protests. To be honest, America swears that our generation doesn't have the gumption and the will to fight for what we believe, but as soon as we do, those same individuals are there to stifle our creative and intellectual minds. (As I write this, I hear the words "Don't Tase me Bro" echoing from Gainesville, FL.)
-Speaking out in the workplace. It amazes me how many people want to say something on their jobs or at the workplace about what is truly going on IN the workplace, but get fired or demoted once they do.
And there are countless other examples, but because I don't want to go into witness protection, I will stop here. But you get my point.
At what point are we going to act like adults? Adults understand that we can verbalize, express, and discuss varying points of view without threat of backlash or punishment. Adults realize that I may not agree with you and your ideas, but I respect and defend your right to say them. Adults believe that forward progression of any institution (be it schools, sports, or fraternal organizations) hinges on the abilities of individuals to be able to think and present those thoughts as rational ideologies that can help the future of said institution, whether the higher-ups agree or not. Definitely, adults wouldn't penalize or punish other adults for simply speaking their mind in a non-confrontational way. But then again, I suspect that being an adult nowadays simply refers to your age, and not your maturity.
Bottom line is... you are entitled to free speech, as long as no one can hear you!
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Does Hip Hop Deserve the Flack that It Receives?
Lately, a lot of buzz has come from the article by Jason Whitlock called "The Black KKK." In it, he likens the criminal activity of some of Black America's constituents to that of the Ku Klux Klan, mainly because he sees them as a generation of people who terrorize and kill Blacks, much like the KKK did in the early 20th century. He also takes a very pointed approach towards placing some of the blame on Hip Hop and the violent messages that have emerged in music as a catalyst for alot of the trends we see in Black America.
The last portion of that paragraph is where all hell broke loose.
Many of the young people who read this article and others similar to it began to lash out at critics of Hip Hop by saying that it is taking an unfair beating for several reasons. The rest of this blog will deal with the predominate arguments that I have heard, and my take on each one.
1. Hip Hop is just a mirror of what happens in society. Drugs, guns, and violence have always been a part of American Culture, not just Blacks.
Okay, so this is a valid point. American culture has made a nice name for itself as being one of the most unsavory breeding grounds for violence, drugs, crime, etc. And yes, it affects all cultures, not just Black America. But let's look beyond the emotion of this argument to see what the people who espouse this argument are saying. Basically, this is a way of saying that it's okay, everybody is doing it. That, to me, is a cop-out, and should not be accepted. Just because other societies, other media, and other groups are doing the same thing does not make it right. But the fact of the matter is, some Hip Hop has become the vehicle through which this violence has made it to our community. This is in addition to drugs, gangs, etc. But the thing we have to remember is that these elements co-evolved, and Hip Hop has played a role in the integration of gangs, gun violence, and drug use into our communities by bringing it to our doorstep in a nice, neat little package.
2. Poor-parenting is the problem. Kids need to be disciplined more, and Hip Hop can't negate personal responsibility of the home.
Now this argument is the one I think carries the most weight. Poor parenting in the home started long before Hip Hop was ever created, and it manifests itself tremendously in the overall regression of our children and their activities. But we have to remember the theory of "tabula raza." Tabula raza (or clean slate) says that a person is born with a mind that is essentially a clean slate, and that societal influences (parenting, community, music, arts, etc.) write on that slate and create the individuals consciousness. To expand it a little further, some of this stuff can be erased, or overshadowed by other events that write HARDER on the slate (so if a parent is doing their job, then the influence of other outside forces should be minimalized) and that essentially the biggest influences will take up the most room on the slate. With this being said, the Hip Hop industry is one of many things that write on the slate of our children, so even with parenting, there is still a chance for it to affect the minds of our youth, especially when you have negative music and lyrics infiltrating our parental influences when our children are at school, on the bus, etc. So unless you live on an island, this negativity can still reach the children, and therefore, can still cause negative influences, despite good parenting. So Hip Hop is still not off the hook.
3. We have so many other problems in Black America, so music can't be that big of a deal. If we fix the other problems first, then we can deal with Hip Hop.
I pose a question...if someone has gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time, which do you treat first? The answer is...you treat them both simultaneously. You don't wait for one to be cured first, because the other will fester until then. You have to use a multi-faceted approach, and the same goes with the ills of Black society. If we really want to try and fix our communities and our people's issues, then we have to divide our energies and resources to address all of the problems simultaneously. So for critics like Whitlock, who points a finger at Hip Hop, that is where he chooses to focus his energies, and I don't blame him. Anyone who has a problem with his assessment of Hip Hop's negative influence on Black America should simply find an element of society that bothers them and work on it. But you cannot knock him for choosing to address this issue as HIS priority. It's called smokescreening, and when people try to say "This major problem is not as big as another major problem" then the problems eventually get skirted, and nothing ever gets solved.
And lastly...my favorite.
4. Hip Hop is no longer our culture. You can't blame the artists for doing what sells and what the white men that are over these companies make them do.
This is the biggest cop-out and hypocritical statement that could ever be made. On one hand, people love to say that Hip Hop is a powerful voice in the community when something good is coming out of it. But as soon as something negative is mentioned, then the argument becomes "Artists can't help what the companies tell them to put out." That is pure hypocrisy. Yes, there are people who pull the strings that may not relate to Black America, but Hip Hop is one venue by which the middle men (aka the artists) can actually make changes, if they were to all get on one accord. But let's face it, it is easier to take the big chain and contract then it is to take a stand. No one wants to see that though!
Bottom line is this. If you love something, then you should want to see it progress, and you should want to see it be positive. And you should want to evaluate it from time to time to see if it is representative of the thing you fell in love with in the first place. To me, a lot of the people that defend Hip Hop have not taken a critical look at it in order to make it progressively better. That is what real love does...it enhances all parties involved. So if you love Hip Hop, then try to enhance it, and make it better. And if there is still an issue after you have done your part, then maybe Hip Hop(in its current form) simply doesn't love you back!
The last portion of that paragraph is where all hell broke loose.
Many of the young people who read this article and others similar to it began to lash out at critics of Hip Hop by saying that it is taking an unfair beating for several reasons. The rest of this blog will deal with the predominate arguments that I have heard, and my take on each one.
1. Hip Hop is just a mirror of what happens in society. Drugs, guns, and violence have always been a part of American Culture, not just Blacks.
Okay, so this is a valid point. American culture has made a nice name for itself as being one of the most unsavory breeding grounds for violence, drugs, crime, etc. And yes, it affects all cultures, not just Black America. But let's look beyond the emotion of this argument to see what the people who espouse this argument are saying. Basically, this is a way of saying that it's okay, everybody is doing it. That, to me, is a cop-out, and should not be accepted. Just because other societies, other media, and other groups are doing the same thing does not make it right. But the fact of the matter is, some Hip Hop has become the vehicle through which this violence has made it to our community. This is in addition to drugs, gangs, etc. But the thing we have to remember is that these elements co-evolved, and Hip Hop has played a role in the integration of gangs, gun violence, and drug use into our communities by bringing it to our doorstep in a nice, neat little package.
2. Poor-parenting is the problem. Kids need to be disciplined more, and Hip Hop can't negate personal responsibility of the home.
Now this argument is the one I think carries the most weight. Poor parenting in the home started long before Hip Hop was ever created, and it manifests itself tremendously in the overall regression of our children and their activities. But we have to remember the theory of "tabula raza." Tabula raza (or clean slate) says that a person is born with a mind that is essentially a clean slate, and that societal influences (parenting, community, music, arts, etc.) write on that slate and create the individuals consciousness. To expand it a little further, some of this stuff can be erased, or overshadowed by other events that write HARDER on the slate (so if a parent is doing their job, then the influence of other outside forces should be minimalized) and that essentially the biggest influences will take up the most room on the slate. With this being said, the Hip Hop industry is one of many things that write on the slate of our children, so even with parenting, there is still a chance for it to affect the minds of our youth, especially when you have negative music and lyrics infiltrating our parental influences when our children are at school, on the bus, etc. So unless you live on an island, this negativity can still reach the children, and therefore, can still cause negative influences, despite good parenting. So Hip Hop is still not off the hook.
3. We have so many other problems in Black America, so music can't be that big of a deal. If we fix the other problems first, then we can deal with Hip Hop.
I pose a question...if someone has gonorrhea and chlamydia at the same time, which do you treat first? The answer is...you treat them both simultaneously. You don't wait for one to be cured first, because the other will fester until then. You have to use a multi-faceted approach, and the same goes with the ills of Black society. If we really want to try and fix our communities and our people's issues, then we have to divide our energies and resources to address all of the problems simultaneously. So for critics like Whitlock, who points a finger at Hip Hop, that is where he chooses to focus his energies, and I don't blame him. Anyone who has a problem with his assessment of Hip Hop's negative influence on Black America should simply find an element of society that bothers them and work on it. But you cannot knock him for choosing to address this issue as HIS priority. It's called smokescreening, and when people try to say "This major problem is not as big as another major problem" then the problems eventually get skirted, and nothing ever gets solved.
And lastly...my favorite.
4. Hip Hop is no longer our culture. You can't blame the artists for doing what sells and what the white men that are over these companies make them do.
This is the biggest cop-out and hypocritical statement that could ever be made. On one hand, people love to say that Hip Hop is a powerful voice in the community when something good is coming out of it. But as soon as something negative is mentioned, then the argument becomes "Artists can't help what the companies tell them to put out." That is pure hypocrisy. Yes, there are people who pull the strings that may not relate to Black America, but Hip Hop is one venue by which the middle men (aka the artists) can actually make changes, if they were to all get on one accord. But let's face it, it is easier to take the big chain and contract then it is to take a stand. No one wants to see that though!
Bottom line is this. If you love something, then you should want to see it progress, and you should want to see it be positive. And you should want to evaluate it from time to time to see if it is representative of the thing you fell in love with in the first place. To me, a lot of the people that defend Hip Hop have not taken a critical look at it in order to make it progressively better. That is what real love does...it enhances all parties involved. So if you love Hip Hop, then try to enhance it, and make it better. And if there is still an issue after you have done your part, then maybe Hip Hop(in its current form) simply doesn't love you back!
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