'Burn a Bush'? Michelle Obama invites rapper Common to a poetry reading

reply to post by daskakik


Who singled who out???? Mrs. Bush was the one that had to cancel her poetry evening because of the left of center poets protest and threats.

It will be interesting to see whats to come from Mrs. Obama inviting this person. I hope for good-meaning the students have a good time and enjoy there poetry evening.

I posted my impression...and I'm sorry to say that I don't agree with your line of thinking and/or the case you make. Especially the way you make it. I feel like your attacking me for my impression. We'll just have to agree to disagree. Peace

reply to post by relocator

Nothing personal.

I meant the singling out by this thread and some of those posting that Obama is pandering. They all do so why is this worthy of special attention?

Sending the wrong message? The only thing that some came up with was a song that Common recorded about a criminal which others have done. Again nothing different or special there.

You then mentioned better things to speak about at this event without even knowing what is planned for that night. Also if the people attending are not really children then I see nothing wrong if age appropriate topics (for the actual public) are touched upon.

My line of thinking is don't judge someone for something they have not yet done. How can you not like that line of thinking.

Mrs. Bush shouldn't have had to call her event off.

reply to post by beezzer


Most rappers and hip hop artists who I consider to be legitimate usually talk about their experiences growing up in the slums, and will talk about controversial issues from a perspective that was molded through the eyes that their upbringing saw.

So it's very narrow-minded and even ignorant to think that rappers and hip hop artists solely talk about busting a cap in some fool's ass...

Bitches, ho's, US legal tender, and superlative spinning hubcaps are usually brought up as well.

Seems like it was much ado about nothing:

White House poetry night

In a rapid-fire yet smooth delivery, he waxed lyrical about navigating inner city life, how it’s “hard to see blessings in a violent culture,” writing as a “beacon of light for those of us in dark alleys,” and that “from one King’s dream he was able to Barack us.”

Detractors may have been disappointed by the complete lack of controversy, but for anyone familiar with Common’s work, it sounded about the usual.

I hear Johnny Cash "Shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die"! Can you believe that man would be invited to the freaking WHITE HOUSE??? What has happened to this country? He's a freaking ex-con, for Christ's sake! And Bush awarded him with the National Medal of ARTS!

Now, tell me... What is the difference between these two pictures? Look carefully at the people and tell me, if you can, the difference - and why people would condemn one and not the other... (hint: It's not the color of the curtain in the background)

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/288970719f66.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8764a58c87d7.jpg[/atsimg]

CAN YOU SPOT THE DIFFERENCE?

And Jon. Stewart so expertly showed the hypocrisy of the people who are slamming this president and Common. Not that you all want to look your hypocrisy in the face, but if you have the guts, here it is:

Jon Stewart on Common's White House Invite

Jon Stewart, meanwhile, noted that Common—"a Grammy-winning vegetarian"—is actually a very mainstream rapper. The Daily Show host accused Fox pundits of hypocrisy for attacking Common but not going after artists like Johnny Cash, who wrote his share of violent lyrics and was honored by George W. Bush, or Ted Nugent, who has made violent remarks about Obama and Hillary Clinton but whom Sean Hannity calls a friend

Check out these lyrics!

Early one mornin' while makin' the rounds
I took a shot of coc aine and I shot my woman down
I went right home and I went to bed I stuck that lovin' 44 beneath my head

Got up next mornin' and I grabbed that gun took a shot of coc aine and away I run

Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues

Hannity's favorite rocker, Ted Nugent
.

If your gonna make a stink about Mrs. Obama then why not make a stink about Mrs. Bush and the center left poets that caused her to cancel her poetry event?

Sounds like the poetry event went well and I guess the students had a good time. No mention of what the students thought? It's a shame that some of the other poets didn't get the kind of press Common got. huh? He didn't show up for the afternoon event but made it for the evening event..Does anyone know anything about any of the other poets?

Originally posted by relocator
If your gonna make a stink about Mrs. Obama then why not make a stink about Mrs. Bush and the center left poets that caused her to cancel her poetry event?

Laura Bush canceled for her reasons. She got pressure from the left and made her decision. That's her prerogative.

Michelle Obama got pressure from the right. She made the decision NOT to cancel, but to stand up for what she believed in, no matter what the conservative pundits had to say (and they have had PLENTY to say).

In each instance the First Ladies made their choice. You can't blame someone else for that. They are both accountable for their choices.

I am proud and impressed that Mrs. Obama stood for her beliefs and didn't crumble under criticism. I can't respect the action of giving in to public pressure. Sorry, Laura.

Common's Performance

reply to post by relocator


I'm not making a stink about Mrs. Obama. I'm making a stink about those making a stink. It's a non issue why are people making it one.

Also if you checked the link I posted you would see that Jill Scott shared the headline with Common and the article also mentions Rita Dove, Aimee Mann, Moira Bass, Billy Collins and Steve Martin, so it isn't like others were ignored by the press.

As for Mrs. Bush, I think you are wrong about the reasons she cancelled. Sure it was because someone called upon the poets invited to speak up against war. I think that is using freedom of speech for good.

A spokesperson for the first lady stated:

"While Mrs. Bush respects and believes in the right of all Americans to express their opinions, she too has opinions and believes that it would be inappropriate to turn what is intended to be a literary event into a political forum."

Politics at the White House. Who would have thunk it.

reply to post by daskakik


I'm happy to see someone reporting on the other poets attending the event.
I can respect the fact the Mrs. Bush didn't want to turn the literary event into a political one. Can't same the same for Mrs. Obama. It would be nice to see something done by this administration to bring Americans together instead of dividing us apart.On that note: I guess we all should work on learning to discuss and debate in a way that will allow us to come together and not divide us.

I am no fan of this administration
I think they are disgusting

But if you think Common is a gangster rapper or promote violence in his lyrics then you should not post anything about him as you obviously do not understand the man's music.

reply to post by relocator

Honestly I don't buy into the whole left-right thing. Coming together is a great thing. Your the one saying Mrs. Bush did the right thing and Mrs. Obama didn't. I say what both did isn't that big a deal. Just something to cause a division. Guess what, it worked both times. Works just about everytime they use this tactic.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


Yeah Right... Mrs. Obama's decision to invite Common really brought American's together with that decision.

So what's more important in these times...Inviting someone to a White House event for students that will politize this event and divide many in America or bringing Americans together as one in order to adapt and overcome these trying times?

If I was going to pander..I would respect someone more for pandering to bringing us together than to divide us.

I'm getting really tired of all the hate. As they say "You can catch more bees with honey". Spread some love. Peace.

the only problem with this is all the people who agree with commons sentiment but dislike him because of what he says being on a pedestal to say what he says and being black and saying what he says and then being invited to the white house for tea and crumpets.

reply to post by relocator


Seeing that modernacademia didn't say anything about coming together I guess your post was an answer to mine.

If no body would have raised a stink in the first place then there would not be sides to choose from.

For example Mrs. Bush invited Sam Hamill to her poetry event. She was trying to be inclusive. Hamill being a self proclaimed left wing radical had to stir the pot and decline the invitation but made a call for those attending to disrupt it by focusing on an anti-war theme. It wasn't the First Lady's fault.

Same thing here. Common is invited. He shows up does his thing. No big deal. This time it's the radical right that had to stir the pot. I say this time it wasn't the First Lady's fault either.

The only thing I see wrong with Mrs. Bush cancelling her event was that I am sure they could have found a group of artists/poets that were more than willing to not pay heed to Hamill's call to disrupt the event and things would have probably turned out just as well as this event.

Originally posted by daskakik
reply to post by relocator

 

If no body would have raised a stink in the first place then there would not be sides to choose from.

Exactly!!! The ones who turned this into a divisive issue were the people who had to dig and dig to find offensive lyrics. And believe me they had to dig deep. This guy has been making music almost 20 years now, and all they could find were two examples, which in my mind, are being misinterpreted. The Obama's did not make this a political issue. The people over at the Daily Caller did.

reply to post by relocator


Bringing people together is not the same as appeasing people.

Inviting a rapper/poet to the White House is being inclusive - "bringing people together".
Appeasing those who look down on rappers is NOT bringing people together, it's excluding a segment of Americans.

When we are ALL brought together, some people whine and cry, "I didn't know you were going to include THOSE people... "

Originally posted by dolphinfan
reply to post by RicoMarston

 

OK.

"Black gem in the rough

You’re rugged enough

Use your mind and nine-power, get the government touch

Them boys chat-chat on how him pop gun

I got the black strap to make the cops run

They watching me, I’m watching them

Them dick boys got a lock of cock in them

My people on the block got a lot of pok* in them

and when we roll together"

Now maybe you think this is cool and maybe you think it is art. 9 out of 10 people in this country would disagree with you and that makes it a poor choice to be highlighted at the White House. It is poor taste, poor judgement and to suggest that this continued kind of racial pandering on the part of the administration does not have a reaction on the other side, you're being foolish.

I don't want folks talking about the inner city and the manifest problems there. I can't think of anything more boring than having a discussion for the 1000th time, including that one. The business has been discussed to death and most of us certainly don't need poems to celebrate the violent dysfunction that exists today within our cities. You can also get off the "they don't have the same rights and freedoms" rubbish. Its tired, old and nobody buys it any longer other than the folks who think they deserve more rights and freedoms.

Prediction - he won't be there. He will develop a scheduling conflict or some excuse which will make it impossible for him to attend. He won't be there because he never should have been invited in the first place and when this starts to get news they will drop him like a bad habit.

9 out of 10 people would disagree? Care to back up that statistic? Naw, didnt think so, as it is blatantly false.

I do challenge you to go spend some time in a true inner-city area and see if you still feel the same way. People ARE treated differently. Whether you like the conversation or not, it is ABSOLUTELY true.

I'm guessing you come from white middle-america.

People do realize George W Bush Senior invited Eazy-Eo the white house?

Have you ever heard Eazy-E lol he's basically one of the pioneers of gangster rap.
Eazy-E is like one thousand times more vulgarity, and obscene things in his lyrics.

I am not making this up folks, Eazy-E performed in the white house[ I believe].

He might not of performed, but I am one hundred percent sure he visited the white house.

Originally posted by Frontkjemper
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

You're missing the point, it's not about if Michelle likes "Common" or about political correctness, it has everything to do with double standards and the lowering of standards we already have. When has it been acceptable to have a rapper in the white house (or any other institute) rap about killing police officers?

Flashback: Eazy-E Invited To George Bush White House

At least since 1991 but then again I may just be remembering how "F the Police" went over with most LEOs.

reply to post by Runaway1977


Yes, but I suspect George Bush was seen as 'reaching out to heal the divide' by inviting a black rapper to the White House... His move was seen as altruistic and compassionate - open-minded and inclusive.

Of course, Obama inviting a black rapper to the White House is seen as something totally different. It struck fear in the heart of the conservative base.

What's Obama doing inviting all of his own peeps to OUR house? What's with the basketball teams and rappers and black people? It's very hard to take for certain people.