I read your post from a couple of days ago and I wanted the opportunity to respond to you because I believe in what you say and I believe your words reflect sincerity in what you believe.
Of all the posts I believe gohawks was onto to something with his opinion and I'd like to advance it somewhat further.
The images, languages, fashions we see and hear daily is simply because the masses have embraced the ''Urban lifestyle.'' Whats more appealing to today's youth than being a ''wigger'' referring to their girlfriend ''as my bitch'' or their friends as ''homeys''.
Yo, let's not forget the music we have blasting through the airwaves. Like it or not, I can remember when Top 40 was the thing. Today its about how many bitches one can slap, how many ho's one can trick out, how many rocks (crack) one can sling, and why a brotha can off a pig and become the man yo.
We, all of us, not just Muscatine, as a society have allowed the advertising industry, the music industry, the television industry and the media to accept this type of standard and make it a daily way of life. Even our own government is duplicitous. All of us are culpable in one form or another.
Certainly we don't want to live like the Taliban or Muslims but we've brought these problems on ourselves by allowing ourselves to be deceived by marketing ploys, advertising, sports figures (role models?) and the media. Everyone swallowed it. Hook, line and sinker because it was a way to understand the urban lifestyle and embrace it making it our own.
Elvis was accused of playing ''nigg*r music'' when he first came to the public's attention and was accused of immorality wherein he was only shown from the waist up on TV. Eventually, America embraced this sweet, young, humble young man and his music as our own only to have him die years later as a drug addict on a toilet stool.
Every generation has adopted it's own set of symbolism and precedence. In the 50's it was Elvis, the 60's we had the Beatles, Vietnam War, revolution, rock n' roll, drugs and hippies. The 70's, yawn,,,gas crisis, DISCO, Jimmy Carter and Iranian hostage crisis. The 80's, a return to conservatism, the Me Generation and New Wave music. The 90's, Grunge, First Gulf War, patriotic strength, and prosperity.
All of this and more has led us where we are today. If you want to blame yourself as parents then do so. No one knows better than you how to raise your kids. What I'm saying is we've been deceived to accept standards that most normal societies would not accept and we are now only beginning to pay the price.
Maybe I wrong. I am the Toast of the Town.
Of all the posts I believe gohawks was onto to something with his opinion and I'd like to advance it somewhat further.
The images, languages, fashions we see and hear daily is simply because the masses have embraced the ''Urban lifestyle.'' Whats more appealing to today's youth than being a ''wigger'' referring to their girlfriend ''as my bitch'' or their friends as ''homeys''.
Yo, let's not forget the music we have blasting through the airwaves. Like it or not, I can remember when Top 40 was the thing. Today its about how many bitches one can slap, how many ho's one can trick out, how many rocks (crack) one can sling, and why a brotha can off a pig and become the man yo.
We, all of us, not just Muscatine, as a society have allowed the advertising industry, the music industry, the television industry and the media to accept this type of standard and make it a daily way of life. Even our own government is duplicitous. All of us are culpable in one form or another.
Certainly we don't want to live like the Taliban or Muslims but we've brought these problems on ourselves by allowing ourselves to be deceived by marketing ploys, advertising, sports figures (role models?) and the media. Everyone swallowed it. Hook, line and sinker because it was a way to understand the urban lifestyle and embrace it making it our own.
Elvis was accused of playing ''nigg*r music'' when he first came to the public's attention and was accused of immorality wherein he was only shown from the waist up on TV. Eventually, America embraced this sweet, young, humble young man and his music as our own only to have him die years later as a drug addict on a toilet stool.
Every generation has adopted it's own set of symbolism and precedence. In the 50's it was Elvis, the 60's we had the Beatles, Vietnam War, revolution, rock n' roll, drugs and hippies. The 70's, yawn,,,gas crisis, DISCO, Jimmy Carter and Iranian hostage crisis. The 80's, a return to conservatism, the Me Generation and New Wave music. The 90's, Grunge, First Gulf War, patriotic strength, and prosperity.
All of this and more has led us where we are today. If you want to blame yourself as parents then do so. No one knows better than you how to raise your kids. What I'm saying is we've been deceived to accept standards that most normal societies would not accept and we are now only beginning to pay the price.
Maybe I wrong. I am the Toast of the Town.
