"The art of any given period or culture is a faithful mirror of that culture's philosophy."- Ayn Rand
Within this anti-value culture, the entities which exist to protect individual rights (the police, the military, and the law courts) have suffered acts of physical violence and have been maligned, disrespected, and disregarded (to say the least) by the citizens who need their services.
Rapper Soulja Boy's lyrics in his song "Let's Be Real" represent the latest results of an era where it appears to be cool to knock cops, the armed forces, and officials of the judicial system.
As the artist issues words like "f--k the FBI and f--k all the Army troops," we must recognize that yes, misconduct and malfeasance have appeared in each of the agencies mentioned above. Yet, such actions represent a minuscule part of the appropriate functioning of these governmental groups. This, therefore, does not excuse Soulja Boy or other performers who disparage the same people who guard his and others rights to spout such vitriol.
It would be too easy to just passively blame Hip Hop and shake one's head at society. Instead it is more rational to sit down, think, and encourage artists to responsibly display their opinions.
In light of his official apology, it is important to forgive the rapper but to never forget that taking swipes at those who serve and protect us.
unacceptable. The fact that he took the time to say sorry shows a member of a generation struggling to live in accordance with a proper morality that has never fully manifested. His mea culpa may just signal a young SouljaBoy ready to become a grown man.
No comments:
Post a Comment