She Wouldn't Be Alone Now

I remember when this really was an accurate representation.

Now, at least 50% of that graduating class would have more than their legs dangling for all to see and it's amazing -slash - ridiculous to me.

Let me clarify my use of the word amazing. I don't mean amazing in a "hell yeah, look at all these sluts! I love sluts!" kind of way. More of a "where in the fuck did all these sluts come from?" fashion.

When I was growing up, my elementary school had exactly one slut. Her name was Tamara. Back then, the definition of slut meant she let you touch her boobs and slide your hand inside her Levis if you were lucky. (Note: I didn't even try to be lucky back then...)

High school wasn't much different either and not just because I was sitting far, far away from the cool kids. There were ninja sluts - girls who only operated as sluts in the shadows, appearing "normal" on the outside - but the number of overt skanks was far less numerous than it is today.

You can't drive down the street without potentially running over at least four or five skanks every per block!

Seriously... where did they all come from?

Did some law get passed that made it illegal to not have your tits hanging out at every possible moment and the only pants females under the age of 25 are allowed to wear are either (1) black stretchy pants or (B) jeans that are just a little small so your underwear and/or ass hangs out for all to see every single time you bend down to get something?

Who's going to buy the cow when they get the milk for free 397 times a day?

And for all those people who are now going to bitch about my making sweeping generalizations and dressing a certain way doesn't mean anything, you like to look nice, blah blah blah blah blah, I say this:

If it looks like a slut, walks like a slut and is surrounded by several other slut-like creatures, chances are she's going to be sucking dick way earlier than her parents would like too...

While it certainly doesn't just stay in the land of the ladies - there are males sluts too; I was once one of them - there are a couple key distinctions that need to be made for all the "this is such a double standard" believers out there:

1) Yes, it's a double standard. Sluts versus Studs. Been that way for a while. Deal with it already.

2) D'you know what happens to guys walking around showing off more skin than is covered up? They get mercilessly ridiculed by every other man on the face of the Earth until they put on more clothes. Why do you think guys who wear Speedos tend to hang out with other guys who wear Speedos? They're the only idiots who think they look good...

3) Conversely, a girl walking around with more flesh than fabric is not only the target of catty comments from skanks and non-skanks alike, but she also draws the attention of Pervy Perverson, the 46-year-old guy who can't look her in the eyes when she's interacting with him at work. Or worse...

And don't even get me started on the Internet. Everyone with a webcam and a heartbeat has some skanked up picture(s) of themselves and the number of "adult dating services" or "chatrooms" combine to outnumber the remaining websites in existence.

Someone needs to do a study on this and figure out where all these sluts came from.

Or at least get them to cover up every once in a while.

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An Open Letter to Anyone Who Wants to Listen

Yesterday, I sought out clarity and understanding of an issue.

Today, I want to pass along what my venture has taught me and what I pledge to do from this day forward as a result.

In hoping to have a discussion, I was sent a link to Google images of horrible atrocities.

In sending a private email asking for insight and opinions, I was told that is what us white folks always want to do.

In asking to help educate and open minds, I was told that educating and opening minds wasn't part of the deal.

Racism and bigotry are issues that have always struck a chord with me. That's what happens when you're the white kid who grew up loving hip hop, hung out in a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities and was nicknamed "United Nations" by his old man for being so accepting of everyone, no matter the skin tone.

I do not tolerate either and do not understand those who do. We no longer live in a time where "that's the way they were raised" can be used as an excuse, not that it should have been in the first place.

I also do not understand being bound to the past beyond the point of moving forward. The sins of the father do not always fall to the son and the ills of the father work the same way. At some point, history and the past must simply be that; remember it, swear to never repeat it and work towards the future. The future is what we can control and change and influence. That should be our focus.

Yesterday, part of one of the comments nearly brought me to tears:

If you've had thousands of your people killed and burned while White offspring laugh and smile at the feet of their murderous fathers, then you would totally understand. Slave ships traveled to and fro for 200 years. Two thirds of Africans died on each trip. Do the math.These are the images burned in our memories from birth and where the majority of our distrust for Whites is grounded.

That shit is sick! It's fucking disgusting and an entire race should be ashamed that their grandfathers, brothers, uncles, neighbors, priests and presidents basically authenticated DEATH with no action!

I am not ashamed of who I am, nor do I feel I should be. Slavery and the atrocities committed during those times were not committed by each and every white person. I am as sickened by the pictures linked to me in the comment as anyone with any moral fiber should be, but I am not responsible for those sins. Please don't judge me as such. Doing so is as mistake and a missed opportunity.

I saw yesterday as an opportunity, to open a line of discussion on a topic that is of the utmost importance in our world. Instead of discussing the random, unimportant topics that are usually featured here, I wanted to do something I think is important - educate.

It's not my job or any other Black person to educate Whites on what is right and wrong to say.

Get a fucking book and educate yourselves instead of focusing on yourselves and yourselves only.

No one else in this country does this. We know more about Whites than they know about themselves because we are forced to know.

My question is this: Why not you? Or me? Or anyone?

There isn't any rule that says you can't help someone grow and become a better person. This isn't about black or white, it is about educating, understanding, learning, growing and becoming a better world.

For me, the future is what is most important. It is the world in which my children will live and grown and learn. I cannot change the things that have happened before my time, but I can educate myself, my children and anyone else who wants to listen to where we have been, where we are and where we can go.

Education and communication are the answer.

I refuse to stand in the past and not be a part of building a better future, for everyone.

My world is colour blind.

I only hope that yours is too.

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The Anger Has Subsided, But The Sadness Remains

This is a follow-up to my earlier post "I'm Sick of These Little Wannabe Thug Bastards"

A couple days have passed since I came home and pounded on the keys to release the frustration I was feeling about the plight of a segment of today's youth. The rage has gone, but now, a honest and genuine sadness lingers.

I've gotten a couple comments on the piece courtesy of my fellow Bugs Patrick Smith and David Chalk and I feel the need to maybe elaborate a little further on the actual core of this issue that troubles me, since their comments lead me to believe that I am being somewhat misunderstood.

This is not a case of me nearing 30 and falling out of touch with Pop Culture. For starters, I still look like I'm 25, 21 when I shave the sad excuse of a beard that I grow over a two week period of not shaving. More importantly, there are aspects of Pop Culture that I am still insanely fond of and ridiculously in touch with. These are not the ramblings of a guy who doesn't understand why kids these days don't know Grand Funk Railroad...

Here is my problem, hopefully, more eloquently than before:

There doesn't seem to be the prevelance of people - parents, family & friends, educators, the artists and media themselves - that make sure that the people who are taking in all the media that is available these days are getting the right message. By no means do I think that Biggie, Scarface and Pulp Fiction should be collected and burned in the center of the town. What I do think is that someone needs to be on the other end, explaining the negative consequences of the actions and lifestyles displayed and discussed in these works.

I have to disagree with Patrick Smith, in that I don't see the people putting out today's bullshit hip hop getting marginalized. They are cashing in. Artists drop one hot song and style like they've been doin' this for years. Then they disappear of the face of the Earth but the message that you can get rich quick by (fill in generic pre-hip hop career) is all that is left for the unintelligent masses.

In his comment, David Chalk expanded on what 2Pac's THUG LIFE tattoo across his abdomen stood for: The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone. While the message is noble, it is also one that is not readily available to those who do not seek out the meaning and instead is construed as and plead of allegence to the streets and advocacy of the hustler lifestyle, and therein lies the problem.

While I strongly agree with Chalk that it is more about opening minds, I also think what "na" says is accurate as well - some form of censoring isn't a bad thing. He and I sound like we came from similar upbringings and I'd like to think I turned out alright. Hip Hop still permiated my soul, but I also was conscious enough and educated enough to see the shiny beats and empty lyrics as that while taking in message laden albums like Things Fall Apart.

A friend of mine back home is a teacher and has expressed similar sentiments to me. She did it on Facebook of course because adding to the discussions here appears to be a totally foreign concept for some. Anyway, she sees the numbers growing within her school and her classrooms and agrees that it is a troubling trend.

There is far more media for these kids to take in today and the weight of the content has ramped up exponentially over the last ten years:

• 2 Live Crew was censored for singing Me So Horny, but now we have 4000 G-Unit songs about selling drugs and violent crime. Sure artists and labels are forced to put out Radio Friendly versions sans cussing, but the message that is relayed is far worse than hearing someone say fuck.


• I used to shoot little cartoonish bad guys or an attacking alien race on my Atari. Go grab Manhunt 2 for your system of choice and try to tell me their isn't anything disturbing about the violence and imagery in that game


• And don't get me started on the bullshit ideals and ideas that shows like The Hills and Laguana Beach and the tabloid rags spread to young girls.

I'm not saying that we need to revert back to the days of Little House on the Prairie and Road to Avonlea, but since everything else is being excelerated, so too should the education that we're providing for these kids about what they are seeing, hearing, watching and doing. And that education doesn't come only from a classroom.

You know what else could really help? Sitting all these kids down to watch the Dave Chappelle sketch of "When Keeping It Real Goes Wrong"...

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