You may have noticed that I've been writing lately about "feeling my age." Feeling like Red Forman, not understanding "saggin," etc. I don't know if it's the "BIG 40" or the Zocor or what, but something is there. I think, partly, it's that I am starting to lose touch with youth culture. As I have written, I am particularly put off by the Hip Hop/Rap/Gang culture. Now, it's not odd for one generation to look at other generations in a negative light. For instance, the World War II generation looked at the Hippie culture of the Baby Boomers with much disdain. I'll tell you what, though. I'll take long hair, beads, and naive thoughts about peace and love over the hate and violence of Rap culture any day. And, the hippie music was 1000 times better.
What set me off tonight? Well, a few things. I took my daughter, in her pink tights, over to Arlington High School in St. Paul for dance class. As I neared the High School, the streets seemed to be lined with Hip Hop Hoodlums. As I've always stated, this is not a race thing. It's the culture. Believe me, I saw plenty of Eminem want-to-be's. The look on everyone's face went beyond anger into fright. It seemed to be saying "Mess with me and I'll kick your ass because I'm frightened to be here too." Then, when I returned home, I read this on the Pioneer Press web site:
Officers arrested seven teens at Arlington high school this morning after a feud that police said led to a teen being killed on a Metro Transit bus Sunday boiled over again. Also today, Ramsey County prosecutors charged a St. Paul teen with murder, accusing him of gunning down Earl Freeman, 16, during a melee on a bus. Jerome Pablo Cross, 17, was charged in Ramsey County juvenile court with second-degree murder for Freeman's death on a Route 74 bus in downtown St. Paul. Prosecutors are seeking to have Cross certified as an adult.
Family and friends of Cross gathered outside the juvenile courthouse on East Seventh Street at midday, chanting "Free Ro-Ro," which is the teen's nickname, and holding signs that said, "Innocent." This morning, police were called about 8:35 about a fight at Rice Street and Arlington Avenue, off school grounds, but near Arlington Senior High School. Police broke up the fight, which was part of an ongoing gang dispute, according to a police report. The fight was a continuation of a "longstanding feud" that figured into the homicide, said Tom Walsh, a police spokesman. Police aren't commenting about what the feud involves and whether it's gang related.
An Arlington High School assistant principal told two of the students involved in the fight to not come to school that day, but one of them showed up at the school at 1495 Rice St. about 9:20 a.m. and brought other students along, said district spokesman Casey Mahon. Officers went to the school and arrested six juveniles on suspicion of trespassing and another student, 18-year-old Erik Terell Jackson, on suspicion of possessing ammunition by an ineligible person. Jackson didn't have a weapon and Walsh didn't comment on what type of ammunition the teen allegedly had. Nice. Right where my daughter has dance class. Luckily, this is NOT the high school by kids will be attending. Does it really matter, though? These thugs are everywhere, even in rural areas.
I felt a little better, however, when I read the following article by Joe Soucheray. I agree with this 100%, and only wish I could "put my words on paper" like this. Please take the time to read it:
http://www.twincities.com/soucheray/ci_5742935Amen, Joe. Remember (the "good old days") when scores used to be settled with fisticuffs out in the parking lot? Now, scores are settled with weapons. As long as the Rap/Hip-Hop culture continues to glorify violence, guns, gangs and drugs, we're going to have incidents like what happened on the St. Paul bus. I fully realize there are many other factors that contribute to this violence in society. Parenting (or the lack of it)and poverty are two of these factors. To say these factors lead all people who experience them to violence, however, is a discredit to all of the people who grew up poor, in the inner city, or without parents who don't give in to violence as a way of life.
I don't have any answers here, and I just want my kids to grow up in a world in which they are not intimidated by these thugs and hoodlums. Hip Hop and Rap will probably go the way of other crap forms of "art" and disappear. I hope that whatever replaces it will have a little more positive message. Hell, I'll take a resurgence of disco over this crap.
Peace,
Jeff
As far as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club goes, this is a band that I did not even like until the release of Howl in late 2005. Prior to this album, they sounded like a Jesus and Mary Chain rip-off band. If I wanted to hear Jesus and Mary Chain, I'd go buy one of their albums. However, BRMC changed their sound 180 degrees on Howl. The new sound was a mixture of folk, country and even gospel reminiscent of Bob Dylan and The Byrds. A more recent comparison would be The Waterboys. It's mainly acoustic, and the band utilizes extensive harmonica, organ and even a horn section on certain tunes. BRMC is not a "religious band," but the lyrics deal with many spiritual themes in gospel-tinged songs such as"Devil's Waitin,'" "Restless Sinner," "Gospel Song," and "Weight of the World." There are more hard-driving electric songs, too, including "Howl" and "Sympathetic Noose." In fact, there are so many different musical styles on the album that it is very difficult to categorize as rock, folk or something else.
