Anyways.
Watchin' 50 Moments that changed music on Much Music (Canadian MTV, for those not-in-the-know) and something was said, and I was like "Yeah, I should write that down, cuz I juat put a new spin on it, but I gotta think it out more." but I didn't write it down and I forgot.
But I recorded it, so I'll rewatch it. ; )
mmkay, so here it is:
Talking about Eminem's song Kill You
"I’m ready to make everyone’s throats ache. You faggots keep egging me on till I have you at knife point, then you beg me to stop?" and another one that goes "My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge. And I’ll stab you in the head, whether you’re a fag or les. A homosex, hermaph, or a transeves. Homophobic? Hey fags, the answer’s yes. Nah, you’re just heterophobic.”
Yeah, oops.
Uhm, so, what was I talking about? Yeah, he didn't apologize, but he gets on stage at grammies, I think, I dunno, I never pay attention to award shows, why do I care what's most popular? I mean, If My artist is nominated I hope they win so other people will listen to them, but I don't freak out about it or throw a party.
Anyways, so he gets on stage and he doe
Stan which is one of my favorite songs by him, and instead of Dido singing the chorus like on the track, Elton John comes out playin the piano and at the end they hug and Em doesn't even care. He definitely respect Elton John even though he's openly gay (I mean, He's wearing a 70's canary Yellow and Pimpin' pink polkadot suit)And then they go on and say he didn't apologize for the lyrics.
I think that it's partly cuz for a rapper, especially one like Em who's facing racial issues he can't show weakness, and those are the breaks.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think he shoulda said anything like that, but I think that coming from where he is I think that was apology enough.
But that's not my big Idea, I'm thinking more along the lines of part of being unprejudiced, is more along the lines of you're unprejudiced to everyone.
Let's say A man walking downtom on the street wearin' a 70's suit in pimp pink and canary yellow polka dots gets hit by a car.
Obviously everyone's going to assume Hate Crime Hate Crime Hate Crime! Sexist! Homophobic!
How bout the guy was walking down the street? I mean, this man, not necessarily gay but dressed to the stereo type is walking ON THE STREET. Just because someone's fighting the world doesn't mean they're perfect, in fact most of the time they crack under pressure and do something stupid.
Have you read Black and White by Eric Walters? Do It. It's a little kiddy but it's good.
[White boy, Thomas (Narrator) has a crush on Denyse, a black girl. He goes to her church, a black church, and her father delivers this sermon.]
"I read the newspapers yesterday," he began. "They call it news but nothing in there seemed to be new." He paused. "The same things keep happening. Again and again and again. The night before last, a young man was killed by a police officer. The young man was black. the police officer was white."
I felt a shiver go up my spine as people yelled things out--"Isn't it always that way?" "Wheres the Justice?" Suddenly I felt much whiter and much more alone.
"The young man who was killed was Twenty-one years old, the age of my oldest son. He could have been my son, but he wasn't." The pastor paused. "But he was my brother."
"And Mine too!" Yelled a voice.
"And what of the policeman--the white policeman--who fired the fatal shot? What is to become of him?"
"Nothing!" screamed an angry voice.
The pastor shook his head sadly. "They say they're going to be giving him a medal," He said in a hushed voice. There were gasps from behind me. "And do you know why they're going to give him a medal?" he asked, his voice suddenly as loud as thunder. "Do you know why?"
More screamed replies from the congregation, so many that I couldn't make out any individual's words. I slumped lower in the pew, wondering if the woman at the back had been able to slip out, but not wanting to risk looking back to find out.
"The reason they're going to give him a medal is simple. He's getting that medal because he deserves to receive that medal. He earned that medal, and I would be honoured to be there to shake that young man's hand!"
There was stunned silence, as if nobody could believe what he'd just said, as if all the air had been sucked out of people's lung and they couldn't even gasp again.
"The young man--the young black man who was killed--was all hyped up on drugs. They think it was crack. He'd already taken the life of his own four-year-old son, and he was holding a knife to the throat of that child's mother. He was saying he was going to kill her. the policeman--little more than a boy himself at only twenty-three years of age-- had spent almost two hours trying to talk the man into giving up the knife, into allowing that young black woman to live. At the risk of his own life, he tried to save the lives of both the woman and the man who held her hostage. When he couldn't, when the knife slashed her throat, he had no choice and he fired his gun. But he fired it not to take a life, he fired it to save a life. The life of that young woman. And after firing that fatal shot he then pressed his hands against the throat of that woman, trying to stop her lifeblood from flowing out of her body, through his fingers and onto the group. And he stayed with her--there in the ambulance, and right into the operating room. They say--the doctors who operated on her--that if not for his actions she would certainly have died. And for that he is a hero. Because that girl was not my daughter, but she was my sister."
He pause and took another sip from the glass perched precariously on the edge of the lectern.
"Now, I know what you're thinking. So often has it been an innocent black man killed by a white police officer--the man's crime simple to be black-- a victim of racism, a disease that is crippling this country. But if you think...Think long and hard...weren't you just as guilty of an act of racism when you assumed that the policeman in my story was guilty simple because of the colour of his skin?
"Now, in truth, your thoughts didn't cause a death, but thoughts lead to actions, and actions start to take on a life of their own that could end a life."
[...]
"Look around this world" he continued, "And you can't help but think that God is white..." he paused. "...And brown...and black... and yellow...and red." How cna He not be all of those colours? Is it not written that we are made in the image of God? That unfortunate, troubled young man who was killed was my brother, and so was his child. The young policeman is also my brother. The Woman lying in the hospital is my sister. We are all brothers and sisters."
[..]
"You must resist the urge to strike back. You must turn the other cheek. I believe most of you have heard of that" He looked up and smiled. "You must have the strength not to lash out against them with the same anger and hatred that they use against you. You must have the strength of Gandhi, or of Dr. King. For you must remember that only love can defeat hate. We were put on this planet to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. When you leave this house of worship today, I implore you to leave in peace and love. Reach out your hand, not to strike in anger but to greet in peace."
I think Mr. Smith is right. It's a two-way street and being prejudiced against the prejudice is the new hypocritical black of the 00's.
Such is how I see it.
Alice Dotty.
Chanson du jour: Tomorrow - Avril Lavigne.
