Below is the completely inaccurate account by the British shit rag GUARDIAN.com.uk — Herein they evoke the names of Sarah Palin and Karl Rove and call the widespread displeasure over the rapper Common controversy a right-wing outcry. These a-hole liberals in the UK have no clue that the vast majority of those offended by the Obama cluelessness are not right-wing fanatics, but ordinary people — police, emergency rescue people, military and the average man on the street. How disingenuous that they drag out the names of the usual suspects. What kind of a-hole writes this crap? It’s worded to look like they’re having an Easter egg hunt at The White House while evil fat people are gathering to steal and eat the eggs while children cry in peril.
>>>It should have been a controversy-free event, a night of poetry at the White House. But instead a literary celebration turned into a mini-row over the lyrics of a rapper invited to perform.
Michelle Obama invited a selection of poets and other writers, part of a series highlighting American music and literature.
Rightwingers are upset that the list of performers on Wednesday night included the rapper Common, whose lyrics they claim glorify violence, in particular A Son for Assta. It is sympathetic to a former Black Panther convicted of killing a policeman almost 40 years ago.
Although Common, real name Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr, has been widely praised for his positive messages, rightwingers have homed in on the song about Assata Shakur, who was found guilty of the New Jersey shooting in 1973. She escaped from jail in 1979 and has since been in exile in Cuba.
Common wrote: “Your power and pride is beautiful. May God bless your soul.”
Among those complaining are Sarah Palin, a possible Republican presidential candidate,(untrue) and Karl Rove, a former adviser to George Bush. Rove described Common as a thug while Palin wrote sarcastically “Oh lovely, White House”.
New Jersey police members also added their voice. “The young people who read this stuff, hear this stuff, are getting a very dangerous and deadly message,” David Jones, president of the State Troopers Fraternal Association union, told NBC.
The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, was forced to defend the invitation to Common, saying the media was presenting a distorted picture of him and that his work should be looked at as a whole.
“While the president doesn’t support the kind of lyrics raised here, we do think some of the reports distort what Mr Lynn stands for more broadly in order to stoke controversy,” Carney said.
He described Common as “within the genre of hip hop in what’s known as a conscious rapper”.
He added that it was possible to oppose some of what Common has done while appreciating the rest.
“One of the things the president appreciates is the work Mr Lynn has done with children, especially trying to get them to focus on poetry as opposed to some of the negative influences of life on the streets,” Carney said. <— Is this guy talking about poetry relative to “niggas” and “ho’s” and Joanne Chesimard?
You know, funny thing about that. Fox News interviewed him about 6 months ago, and seemed to like him then. Called him a “rap legend,” and asked him “your music is very positive, and you’re known as the ‘conscious rapper’; how important is that to you, and how important do you think that is to our kids?”
Guess things change when you’re invited to the White House, huh?
Why is this an automatic Fox News issue — notwithstanding the fact that they have uselessly injected themselves into the situation? It’s actually the New Jersey State Police and other US law enforcement who started the uproar. Fox hadn’t vetted him out prior to doing the laudatory report to which you referred (which was a freelance piece BTW). And yes, it does become a bigger issue when you’re invited to The White House because the entire nigga-ho-gangstuh thing is disgusting and intellectually Neanderthal — and yes, Fox News suddenly digs into this guy’s body of work so as to find the trail of evidence which enables them to play ball with enraged law enforcement — good for them because there has to be an anti-matter response, regardless of how zany, to the lunacy of pure crap like Huffington which has now forged an unholy alliance with the internet relic, AOL. TheDamienZone.com is often and usually very discourteous to Fox News. Nothing they say or do or eat or shit on Fox ever influences anything one reads here.
Damien
You never read anything about Assata Shakur, did you? She was convicted of having shot an officer, despite the fact that three medical experts stated that she couldn’t have done anything, and despite the fact that the NJ State Trooper admitted that he lied in his official statements. The case would have been laughed out of court today, but they were trying to railroad all the dangerous “black activists” – so she went to jail anyway. The only “crime” she’d actually be convicted of today would be escaping from jail.
Then go look up the lyrics for “A Song for Assata” and tell me what part is “glorifying violence.”
“the entire nigga-ho-gangstuh thing is disgusting and intellectually Neanderthal”
You’d probably be surprised to find out that I agree with you there. It’s a shame that doesn’t fit Common’s work, though. Not all rappers are thugs – that’s just a lie that some people want to push. Go look up reviews for any of his albums, instead of taking Sean Hannity at his word (the man is known to make shit up, you know).
Before you start arguing something, you probably ought to know what you’re arguing about.
On May 2, 1973, New Jersey State Police Troopers James Harper and Werner Foerster were patrolling the New Jersey Turnpike in the East Brunswick area. They stopped a car with three occupants and began to question them. The female passenger, JoAnne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army. She suddenly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire. Trooper Foerster was struck twice in the chest and Trooper Harper was hit in the shoulder. Chesimard then picked up Trooper Foerster’s service weapon and shot him twice in the head, execution style, while he lay in the road.
When did I mention Sean Hannity or when did I take him at his word? You’re the one who makes up shit as you go along. Everything I have ever written about Sean Hannity has been wrought to mock him — search my blog if you don’t believe me.
Joanne Chesimard is GUILTY!
Joanne Chesimard is wanted for escaping from prison in Clinton, New Jersey, while serving a life sentence for murder. On May 2, 1973, Chesimard, who was part of a revolutionary activist organization known as the Black Liberation Army, and two accomplices were stopped for a motor vehicle violation on the New Jersey Turnpike by two troopers with the New Jersey State Police. At the time, Chesimard was wanted for her involvement in several felonies, including bank robbery. Chesimard and her accomplices opened fire on the troopers, seemingly without provocation. One trooper was wounded and the other was shot and killed execution-style at point-blank range. Chesimard fled the scene, but was subsequently apprehended. One of her accomplices was killed in the shoot-out and the other was also apprehended and remains in jail.
In 1977, Chesimard was found guilty of first degree murder, assault and battery of a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with intent to kill, illegal possession of a weapon, and armed robbery. She was sentenced to life in prison.
On November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from prison and lived underground before being located in Cuba in 1984. She is thought to currently still be living in Cuba.
REWARD
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1,000,000 for information directly leading to the apprehension of Joanne Chesimard.
Somebody should just go and get her ass.
OK, now hold on tight. I know this is going to scare you a little.
I don’t want to frighten you. But sometimes, the “authorities” aren’t telling the truth.
I know that’s hard, but think about it for a minute. Let it sink in.
This is going to be difficult for you. So I’ll move slowly.
First, look up COINTELPRO. I’ll wait.
Then, read this. It’s short, and should be pretty easy for you.
And it tells you that the NJ State Trooper, Harper, admitted to lying in his official reports. He didn’t see a gun. She never pulled a gun. She didn’t reach into her handbag.
He lied. Are we clear on that? Are you OK?
OK, so, Harper and his partner pulled over a car containing Chesimard (I’m gonna call her “Shakur” – is that OK?), and Foerster (the partner) ended up shot. Now here’s the thing, though.
Harper claimed that Shakur pulled a gun from her hand bag. But medical evidence showed that she was shot with her hands raised – you know, like you do when a cop says “Raise your hands!” – and couldn’t have shot anything.
There’s other stuff, too. Neutron activation analysis administered after the shootout showed no gun powder residue on Shakur’s fingers; her fingerprints were not found on any weapon at the scene, according to forensic analysis performed at the Trenton, New Jersey crime lab and the FBI crime labs in Washington, D.C. According to tape recordings and police reports made several hours after the shoot-out, when Harper returned on foot to the administration building 200 yards away, he didn’t report Foerster’s presence at the scene; and no one at headquarters knew of Foerster’s involvement in the shootout until his body was discovered beside his patrol car, more than an hour later.
But all that doesn’t mean anything to you, does it? You’ve already decided that she’s guilty, and nothing is going to change your mind.
That’s just sad.
Don’t try to talk down to me — it’s not possible and your brand sounds corny and trite. I’m surprised you didn’t ask me if I had ‘taken my meds” but you made up for it at the last minute with the always corny, “That’s just sad.”
I believe what I believe and you believe what you believe. Chesimard’s guilt and life of criminality aside, if you EVER again write a comment with this erstaz condescending childishness, I will block your IP address. You’re putting a lot of effort into something that does not interest me in the least — as a matter of fact I think it’s funny in a Rhoda Penmark kind of way. I guess I’ll eventually have to block your IP address from commenting and let you savor the imaginary belief that you taught me a lesson in criminal justice, but people like you never really go away. This is your life and it’s giving me the creeps.
Now, stop bothering me.
Damien
Assata Shakur is the fake name for bank robber, murderer, attempted murderer, crook, dope dealer Joanne Chesimard. You use Shakur as a euphamism for one who is unjustly convicted.
Very good article. Looking forward to seeing you write more articles about this topic.?????
Damien you’re a fool.