Given everything I could dig up on this rapper, I'll assume the White House came up with even more "uncomfortable background." No one thought it might be a good idea to tell the guy to stay away?
Seriously?

http://reasonableconversation.blogspot.com/2011/05/poetry-night-at-white-house.html

Bill

Sorry but Common is not the person you think he is.
I know you did research on this, but do you really know him? I'm sure you understand rap music is a form of poetry that is to be interpreted by the listener. Most hear cop killer, others hear a different meaning of stop the violence.

Common is a Grammy-winning artist has also been called a “socially conscious” rapper, has worked on the children’s show Sesame Street, and has written children’s books meant to encourage appreciation for poetry, spoken word, and reading. He also started the Common Ground Foundation, which works to help young people in poor communities to become “contributing citizens and strong leaders.”

Bill, I usually agree with you politically, but not on this one...



BTW...Rev. Wright, blasted by the media, served in the Marines and the USN. I never heard that mentioned by anyone.

Larry, I started to respond to this as well, but you basically covered (and very well) the points I wanted to make. It's very comforting to me to see a "middle-aged White guy" base his opinion on THE FACTS rather than just a knee-jerk reaction to just the mention of the word "rapper". In fact, such a "knee-jerk" reaction might suggest something a little more sinister than what we're willing to own up to. We all like to think that we are fair, unbiased and non-judgemental in the way we perceive people from another culture, but the historical indoctrination that most Whites AND Blacks have had to endure growing up in this country (and many others), makes this very difficult. It doesn't mean that you're a bad person; it's just that that 'gut reaction' tends to kick in long before we have a chance to think about something rationally.

We'll get there.........just probably not in our lifetime.

chas


BTW, nice blog. Keep up the good work. Nice place to exchange ideas. I had to respond HERE because I coundn't respond in your comments box (I don't belong to any of those 'options').

Thanks to both of you guys for weighing in. And once Blogger gets back on line and reposts all the posts they've temporarily taken down due to some maintenance thing, I'd ask you to go back and re-read what I wrote.

I can't even pull it up myself right now, so forgive any inaccuracies as I try to clarify my thoughts.

I understand fully that Common is not a "gangsta" type rapper and in fact, rejects that style. However, he makes no bones about his support for the two convicted cop-killers who belonged to the Black Panthers. I'll allow that there may be...somewhere...questions about their convictions or trials. I chose not to go too far down that road because it wasn't central to my point. Add in the fact that he also worshiped Reverend Wright's Church and in my opinion, he just becomes too toxic for use at a White House function.

Wasn't there another rapper of conscious without any baggage they could've brought in? I would've fully supported that regardless of how I personally feel about today's rap music.

Recently, I've heard the term "optics" being used a lot in political discussions. To me, the optics of having Common perform at the WH were just lousy. I knew the Right would piss down their leg over it and the Administration and the Left would be forced to, in appearance to many, defend someone who "supports cop killers." Its more about perception than reality in this case.

We know how RW media reacts when given fresh meat to chew on, yes? This was a hunk of still warm, bloody tissue that they could sink their teeth into fast enough. Ray Charles could've seen this coming, so THAT's why you don't do it.

Obama's job is in one way, to get re-elected. His job has never been to present controversial performers in the WH so he can get beat up for it. This President and his Administration have a habit of self inflicting problems. Obama was enjoying a nice little burst in the polls, and then this. Thud.

There have been far worse people welcomed in the White House by dozens of Presidents. Common, in the big scheme of things, barely merits mention.

Thanks for following the blog. I'm surprised how many people have visited it and appear to be doing so on a regular basis. The traffic is very encouraging so far...

ps-When rap first came out, I thought it was really clever. I enjoyed it because it was original. As a kid from Pittsburgh, I'd never heard anything like it. Once it seemed to change into a darker, meaner thing, I lost all interest.

Good Morning,

When we start to worry about what Fox "News" and the Right Wing media "reports" and then actually react to the so-called moral majority, by ignoring our own left leaning values, then it will be an America that will be in the decline.

We simply cannot let these people dictate what's right or wrong, we need to think for ourselves, and dig a little deeper to find the truth. I believe in your blog, you stated something like 'You can't blame Fox for this one" Actually I DO blame Fox for this one ENTIRELY, they, among others are all part of Right Wing Talking Points. Issues become Toxic because Fox makes them toxic, and they repeat lies all day long. Is it a coincidence that Rush, Beck, Fox News etc. etc. etc., all day long, all "reported" the same thing? They just keep hammering, and unfortunately some 'fall into their trap and actually start believing their crap.'(hey that rhymes) "The more you repeat a lie the more it becomes believable"


Therefore I applaud Michelle Obama for inviting Common to the White House. Controversial?...only if you believe the Right Wing Media, who at this time needed to find SOMETHING after the boost to Barack. Further, I actually believe this all HELPS Obama's re-election, I'm sure a poll of young hip voters, would verify. The White House really does know what it's doing.

Keep up the good work on your blog Bill, most of everything is right on, but on this one you may have been a little intimidated by the Right Wing media. That's not going to happen with me.

....a little too early for me to be in a bar...maybe later

Bill, after reading your response, I just have to comment on the very refreshing atmosphere that you and Larry and a few others have helped to create here at 'The Bar'. To have differences of opinion discussed in such an honest and open AND non-malicious manner is something that simply could not happen in the 'main' forum (would probably be a 'banning' before we got 10 posts into it ). I have to believe that is in large part due to the quality, no, scratch that, NATURE of the people who inhabit or frequently visit, this part of the available fora. It seems to be the only place where ideas can be expressed, and reasoned discussion can take place, without the usual barbs, name-calling, and general nastiness that has become the norm on the 'main' forum. It's not surprising to me that a blog such as yours would be initiated from someone from this group.

As for the "Rev. Wright" thing, let us not forget that President Obama was also a member, so I think it is unlikely that the entire gist of Rev. Wright's message was "hate the White man". I think that he came from a generation (as did I) of Blacks that served their country honorably in the military, and subscribed to all the other tenets of 'good citizenship', only to be rewarded by a country and a society that still treated them like second-class citizens. His rhetoric probably resonates pretty well with most Blacks of his generation (and why wouldn't it, if you think about it). I think that from time to time, we have to remove the cultural filters that form our perceptions, and look at the world from the other guys perspective. Blacks have never experienced the "White Privilege" that may not seem so obvious to those for whom it applies, but is nevertheless, there. All of these things shape and influence our view of the world, but it is the 'thinking man' who recognizes this and compensates accordingly.

Well, don't want to turn THIS into a blog spot, so I'll shut down this little thought trail, but again, I like the blog and hope it gains in popularity. I'm not usually into 'blogs' so I'm not sure how they work, but could you make it easier to comment on the blog itself, ie. no social network accounts needed to post a comment.

chas

Larry-

In principle I agree, and perhaps its a twist on "the scantily clad girl asked to be raped" kind of thing, but someone on the WH staff should've said, "Uh, hey, Common is cool, we all get that, but this will cause a big kerfuffle in the media. Is it really worth it?"

To which the answer is, imo, no.

This isn't universal health care or a big immigration plan. Its not equal pay for women, or more affordable college tuition. Its not keeping any archetype manufacturing companies alive, etc.

Its poetry...what's the upside, politically? Not to wander into offensive generalities but would we agree that most of the people who already liked Common are very likely to vote for Obama in '12? And that those who didn't, are very un-likely to vote for Obama? I think the move was high risk/low reward, which smart politicians avoid.

Chas-I have no control over how people are permitted to comment directly on the blog. Several people have contacted me to say they've set up a google email account and now they can post. Like all emails, I'm sure there's various privacy controls available.

Thanks,guys...

So what happened to this subject in the blogspot? Too hot? Just curious.

chas

Some fairly major issue when a routine maintenance update went bad. The entire seemed to lose all of their collective posts from the last 36 hours or so. They say everything will be restored, but so far for me, mine are still missing.

I've made some adjustments under the hood and readers no longer need to have a specific ID in order to post comments on the Reasonable Conversation Blog.

The details:

http://reasonableconversation.blogspot.com/2011/05/comment-filters-liftedfor-now.html

I hope to see you both...

Bill