Comments on: Racism and the Drug War http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:26:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/ hourly 1 By: Nancy Byron http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html/comment-page-1#comment-25128 Nancy Byron Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:53:13 +0000 http://therapup.uproxx.com/?p=4633#comment-25128 No harm, no foul babe. Just so you have some background, Kevin Booth spent 4 years, and his entire life savings to make this movie and practically sells it out of his trunk. He comes from a WHITE-as-hell Republican family from Austin, TX. It is not a subject matter that people take seriously and he has no real reason to care about black or brown people or their plight, being far removed from it. This shit is truly how he sees it and there is ample evidence in valid news mediums like USA TOday, US News and World Report, Newsweek, CNN to support the statistics with regards to race and jail sentences. 1 in 100 people in this country are not hardened criminals yet are in jail. They very well may be by the time they get out. The USA has more people in jail than either Russia or South Africa. Sad days indeed. All said with love.......Nancy xo No harm, no foul babe. Just so you have some background, Kevin Booth spent 4 years, and his entire life savings to make this movie and practically sells it out of his trunk. He comes from a WHITE-as-hell Republican family from Austin, TX. It is not a subject matter that people take seriously and he has no real reason to care about black or brown people or their plight, being far removed from it. This shit is truly how he sees it and there is ample evidence in valid news mediums like USA TOday, US News and World Report, Newsweek, CNN to support the statistics with regards to race and jail sentences. 1 in 100 people in this country are not hardened criminals yet are in jail. They very well may be by the time they get out. The USA has more people in jail than either Russia or South Africa. Sad days indeed. All said with love…….Nancy xo

]]> By: Rizoh http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html/comment-page-1#comment-25127 Rizoh Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:28:30 +0000 http://therapup.uproxx.com/?p=4633#comment-25127 Nancy, I definitely wasn't trying to take it personal and now see that you were responding to big tay above. Sorry if I came off a little confrontational. Nancy, I definitely wasn’t trying to take it personal and now see that you were responding to big tay above. Sorry if I came off a little confrontational.

]]> By: Nancy Byron http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html/comment-page-1#comment-25123 Nancy Byron Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:43:49 +0000 http://therapup.uproxx.com/?p=4633#comment-25123 Riz babe. You are taking things very personally that are not directed at you nor were an attack, on anyone. If you read above, you will see that there is a conspiracy theory comment. EVERYONE is entitled to their views, thoughts and opinions and I thought this was a board where people could freely voice them. I did not, in either of my posts, call anyone out by name. I didn't even mention the comment you posted about this being a blatant exploitative attempt to sell DVD's, although it offended me. It is how you feel and I respect that. The above comments are how I feel. As for the rest of it, I don't see how the buying and public trading of lives and labor for profit, for people of any race, can be sensationalized enuff. Again, my opinion. You know I love and respect you, and your opinion, or we would not keep coming to you for it. We never asked you edit, or redact your opinion of the project even though we don't agree with it. I hope you see the difference. Riz babe. You are taking things very personally that are not directed at you nor were an attack, on anyone. If you read above, you will see that there is a conspiracy theory comment. EVERYONE is entitled to their views, thoughts and opinions and I thought this was a board where people could freely voice them. I did not, in either of my posts, call anyone out by name. I didn’t even mention the comment you posted about this being a blatant exploitative attempt to sell DVD’s, although it offended me. It is how you feel and I respect that. The above comments are how I feel. As for the rest of it, I don’t see how the buying and public trading of lives and labor for profit, for people of any race, can be sensationalized enuff. Again, my opinion. You know I love and respect you, and your opinion, or we would not keep coming to you for it. We never asked you edit, or redact your opinion of the project even though we don’t agree with it. I hope you see the difference.

]]> By: Rizoh http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html/comment-page-1#comment-25121 Rizoh Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:21:20 +0000 http://therapup.uproxx.com/?p=4633#comment-25121 One more thing. I understand that it's hard to be objective when you're directly involved with a project and I see where you're coming from. However, I don't appreciate taking my words out of context to make it seem like I'm oblivious of the plight of blacks in America. I'm a black man, so I should know. What I said is that I'm not a fan of the documentary's tactic of sensationalizing racism and comparing drug war to slavery. I never used the word "conspiracy" or "theory" in my post. Is the government involved in some of these dealings? Absolutely. Is there racism in the justice system? Without a doubt. But that's not the point I was trying to make. Throwing the word "slavery" around loosely is the only thing I took exception with, if you read my post carefully. I also went on to say that I can't call it, since I've yet to watch this film in its entirety. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to judge the whole movie by its trailer. Also, I don't buy the argument that rap music is to blame for all the world's ailments. I've been listening to hip-hop since I was 10 or 11 and have never sold crack or robbed someone for bling just because some rapper told me it was the cool thing to do. If we're going to take it there, I've seen worse in movies than I've heard in songs. Just calling it how I see it. One more thing. I understand that it’s hard to be objective when you’re directly involved with a project and I see where you’re coming from. However, I don’t appreciate taking my words out of context to make it seem like I’m oblivious of the plight of blacks in America. I’m a black man, so I should know. What I said is that I’m not a fan of the documentary’s tactic of sensationalizing racism and comparing drug war to slavery.

I never used the word “conspiracy” or “theory” in my post. Is the government involved in some of these dealings? Absolutely. Is there racism in the justice system? Without a doubt. But that’s not the point I was trying to make. Throwing the word “slavery” around loosely is the only thing I took exception with, if you read my post carefully.

I also went on to say that I can’t call it, since I’ve yet to watch this film in its entirety. Of course, it wouldn’t be fair to judge the whole movie by its trailer.

Also, I don’t buy the argument that rap music is to blame for all the world’s ailments. I’ve been listening to hip-hop since I was 10 or 11 and have never sold crack or robbed someone for bling just because some rapper told me it was the cool thing to do. If we’re going to take it there, I’ve seen worse in movies than I’ve heard in songs.

Just calling it how I see it.

]]> By: Rizoh http://therapup.uproxx.com/2008/08/racism-and-the-drug-war.html/comment-page-1#comment-25120 Rizoh Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:12:46 +0000 http://therapup.uproxx.com/?p=4633#comment-25120 @Nancy, If this wasn't a discussion I thought we could have on a hip-hop site then why did I post it here? I only took exception to posting this video on the other site, where I have editorial supervision. In a way, I see how it relates to hip-hop but I'd have to come up with a better explanation for my editor who will ask me why I chose to post a video that has no direct relationship to our scope hip-hop coverage. Another thing: we're not allowed to embed videos there. I even pointed Stacy to the appropriate sites within the network that would be more than willing to cover this topic. Those sites speak to an audience that looks forward to this type of coverage and probably have a bigger reach than my little rap site. That's just how the rules work over there. Sorry that I couldn't help further. @Nancy,
If this wasn’t a discussion I thought we could have on a hip-hop site then why did I post it here? I only took exception to posting this video on the other site, where I have editorial supervision. In a way, I see how it relates to hip-hop but I’d have to come up with a better explanation for my editor who will ask me why I chose to post a video that has no direct relationship to our scope hip-hop coverage. Another thing: we’re not allowed to embed videos there.

I even pointed Stacy to the appropriate sites within the network that would be more than willing to cover this topic. Those sites speak to an audience that looks forward to this type of coverage and probably have a bigger reach than my little rap site. That’s just how the rules work over there. Sorry that I couldn’t help further.

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