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» Name: Anthony Springer, Jr
» Age: 24
» Location: Sigma Land/The City of Sin
» Member Since: 04/09/07
» Bio: Hip Hop fan, writer, promoter of higher ed... you want to know more: blusolo1914@yahoo.com
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Mr. Springer's Neighborhood

Viewing Posts Tagged "al sharpton" View All

Dollars and Change

April 25, 2008 | Tags: barack obama, al sharpton, Sean Bell, J. Burnett

It’s been a minute since I’ve blogged on this site, and those of you around during the infancy stages of DX blogging will recognize the screenname (note to all: I haven’t gone anywhere, I just write under my government now: Anthony Springer, Jr.)

I can’t recall the last time I shed a tear over too much of anything in the news, not 9/11, not Jena, Darfur. The Sean Bell verdict did what an act of terrorism and a genocide could not: move me to tears. My heart hurts for the Bell family, his wife, and the two daughters that will grow up without a father. But most of all, I hurt for everybody who’s ever been killed or maimed at the hands of overzealous, cowardly and crooked officers.

To continue saying “fuck the police,” at this point in time is counterproductive, and gets us nowhere. Sure, it makes us feel good (go on and say it now, you know you want to), but at the end of the day, we’ve wasted emotions and black and brown men everywhere will still be getting shot across the country and we’ll be left feeling powerless to do anything about it.

My blogging brethren J. Burnett issued a call to action, and if that was the alley oop, I hope this post is the dunk that hits home with somebody out there in cyberspace.

Barack Obama commented on the verdict today, saying, "Well, look, obviously there was a tragedy in New York. I said at the time, without benefit of all the facts before me, that it looked like a possible case of excessive force. The judge has made his ruling, and we're a nation of laws, so we respect the verdict that came down.”

I don’t expect Obama to take a real controversial stance on the issue, and while his statement was, to say the least, disappointing, there’s a gem in there that we need to heed.

In a nation of lawless police, we are a nation of laws, which means that we can’t be content to march in the streets and we can’t resort to random acts of violence against law enforcement. We need to lobby our elected officials to change our laws.

“Dollars and change,” in the words of the late Johnnie Cochran. There’s no amount of money that will bring Mr. Bell back, but if the people who fund the police are made to pay EVERY time some rogue cop acts a fool, the police may think twice before drawing a weapon.

And we need to lobby for changes to the court system. Expecting the police to police themselves is ridiculous; expecting the local district attorney—who’s success DEPENDS on a good working relationship with the police—is equally ridiculous. Cases involving police misconduct should be investigated, at worst, by an independent body and at best by the FBI or Justice Department.

The three officers in the Bell case were likely acquitted because they opted for a trial by judge instead of a jury. This needs to change as well. Trials involving police misconduct should be MANDATORY jury trials, in a venue close to the location of the incident in question.

Bullshit rolls down, real change is an uphill battle, who’s willing to push the wagon for justice and equality? I seldom agree with Al Sharpton, but justice was aborted today. Let’s not allow Mr. Bell’s death to be in vain.

The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

Let's Leave Hip Hop... to Hip Hop

August 08, 2007 | Tags: Hip Hop, 50 cent, al sharpton

So Rev. Al is at it again.

While I applaud anybody that's able to speak up and articulate the shock, dismay and outrage (hey, SOMEBODY is following him) of a group of people, I cannot sit idly by and watch said person inadequately address the problem.

THAT is my problem with Al Sharpton.

Anybody with any ounce of common sense realizes that Al's anti-bad language crusade is, when stripped down to a bare minimum, absolutely correct. The problem is that Al (as usual) is a day late and a dollar short (and that dollar would be better spent elsewhere).

Those of you who've followed DX over the years know full well that Hip Hop (in a general sense of the word) is capable of policing and defending itself. If you look at past editorials on this site, you'll see that we've challenged the industry on both artistic and moral levels. If you look at most of the blogs, you'll find Meka Soul, Brillyance, Andres, and J. Burnett (if I missed any other of my blogging fam, I apologize) talking about the shitty state of music AND the content of said music.

A look across the web will reveal the same thing on numerous other sites. Last I checked, The Source isn't afraid to check the industry and (to a much lesser extent) XXL as well.

Sorry Al, we got this covered.

With so much going on in our communities and the Black community in particular, it's with absolute shock and amazement that I continue to be bombarded by a black "leader" with a bad perm insistent on cleaning up the music some pre-teens listen to. If I took an informal poll, I'm willing to bet a paycheck that the majority of kids under 18 don't know who Al Sharpton is, and if they did, don't give a damn one way or the other.

Sorry Al, a day late and a dollar short.

I would also bet a paycheck that said individuals read The Source, XXL, or log on to Hip Hop DX

Yeah, we got this one.

But in the 07 (and beyond), Hip Hop is gunning for bigger things. We're more organized and as we get older, we get more focused. We're taking on the war in Iraq, health care, education and a host of other "grown up things" because, well... Hip Hop is growing up.

We're doing all the things that "leaders" like Al Sharpton should be doing. If Martin or Malcolm were alive, I doubt they'd be spending the bulk of their time trying to clean up the latest 50 Cent album (though I have no doubt that they wouldn't be pleased with what plays on the radio).

Al and Jesse need to clean it up, and clean it up quick[1]... or be replaced by the next generation of real leaders.

Let this serve as a warning.

[1]and I'm not talking about rap lyrics