Roger Porter
June 22, 2011
Recently popular Chicago based rapper Lupe Fiasco stated in an interview that President Barrack Obama is a terrorist. Then a few days later he went on the ultra-conservative political commentary program The O’Reilly Factor to defend his viewpoint. Of course the two of them had it out and I’m sure it made Bill O’Reilly feel a little less racist to have the opportunity to actually defend the president but that’s not the point. The most significant thing about this whole ordeal is that Lupe Fiasco did not back down. He did not apologize, and he did not retire from his career as a rapper.
It’s sickening to me how in contemporary American society every group wants to force a person to say they’re sorry even when that person obviously isn't. It bothers me because it only isolates the problem instead of addressing the larger issue.
For example; comedian Tracy Morgan issued both a written and verbal apology for offensive jokes he made in his stand up routine towards homosexuals. I do believe this will cause people to be more conscious of what they say publicly about gays, however, it does absolutely nothing in terms of making people more accepting of the gay lifestyle. After all isn’t that the issue? I mean don’t we as a society wish to open people’s minds and expand their consciousness or are we content with merely embarrassing the hell out of public figures when they slip up?
I can assure you that Lupe Fiasco is not the only human-being in the world who thinks President Obama is a terrorist. As a matter of fact there are whole countries full of people who think Obama is a terrorist. The question is what do we do now? Do we organize mass protests in front of Lupe Fiasco concerts and force his label to drop him, or do we try to understand why it is that he considers the president to be a terrorist?
I say it’s 2011. It’s time to stop being dismissive and start engaging in real hardcore dialogue. And please no more press conferences, and no more apologies.
http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshhO7Vt4c2f3b7kDST3