Right motive–wrong target
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton, upset about violence in rap music, asked the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to punish artists and radio stations connected with violent acts.
Artists connected to such acts should be denied airplay on radio and television for 90 days, he told reporters after meeting with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and two other commissioners.
He also urged the agency to fine and review the licenses of radio stations “that encourage a pattern of this, including allowing employees to do on-the-air inciting of violence.” (more…)
Once again we are banging on the door of the government to take care of the problems that we help create. Sharpton is correct that something needs to be done to curb some of the “crazy-ness” that you find in hip-hop music (for the racially sensitive–yes rock music ain’t clean either–however, we are talking about US here), but the FCC ain’t our daddy or mammy! To be honest with you, the responsibility does not fall on the so-called leaders in the black community. It all begins with the family. Society today has become so disconnected with each other. People today avoid intervention when they see neighborhood kids starting trouble because we do not want the extra responsibility. All the jokes about how we used to get “beat” by every adult in the neighborhood if they saw us doing something wrong are now “just jokes”. We have allowed political correctness and and the current lawsuit culture to replace our common sense on how to take care of our own kids. Too much pressure is placed on the shoulders of the police and teachers to do the job that we “regular (9-5) folk” should be doing.
Hip-hop (like any other genre) is just an expression. I personally have no problem with hip-hop, but it does alarm me that our kids today can be so candid about mature subjects like death and sex at 7 years old!!!
Where are the adults?
