Gee I don't know what to say. I'm not stunned, though. When Elvis was young, it was the right thing to "do your time" in the military.
During the VN war, it was not good to me there. If you had no desire to "do the right thing" (rich, poor, white or black), you tried everything to get out. Besides, if JH's talent had't been uncovered, he would have just been a freakin', drug addicted, criminal, loser, black (notice that I didn't use the N word) scum bag (which he was in the end, anyway).
I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of Mr. Hendrix. I agree that's it great his talent was disovered, as his guitar playing has provided me with hours and hours of inspiration. (I used learn every note of his his songs, and even had his trademark 'Big Muff' pedal.)
Who knows what would've become of him. But I really don't think you find his blackness had anything to do with it, right? It sounds like you disagree with his lifestyle, drug use, etc. - But to call out his race as part of what you're calling his demise, is, well, really racist, no?
I have known and worked with lots of black people whom I admire immensely (that's not an exageration). People who prove that education and character is important no matter who does what to you. People who work to be roll models for their children.
I'm sorry, but if I was a black mother, Jimmy Hendrix would not be a man I would want my child to emulate.
There are those who just don't give a damn about how their actions impact others and even black people would call them the "N" word.
Besides the fact that the man was crap, his music left it's mark. I'll concede to that.
There are white people who fit in this catagory, too. They just don't have as much to prove to such an impressionable group of people.
I get crazy because he is observed as some remarkable black cult hero. I guess you could compare him to Johnny Cash, who at least took some responsibility for his life. JH just didn't give a damn about the world or himself.
I bring up his blackness because there are young black people out there who use the fact that he is a member of the persecuted black minority as an excuse for his behavior and think that he is cool. Maybe even emulate him.
I work with a woman who's boyfriend (black) makes a good living. Both of his kids are single parents. His daughter lost her job and is on welfare expecting a 2nd one from a man who is living with another woman who gave birth to two more of his babies. His son just lost his job and is taking a paternity test for his girlfriend's second baby. The first one wasn't his. She is on welfare. These are not ghetto people. It makes me crazy. Both of these people had jobs and knowingly f*ked up their future. WHY? Is all of this whitey's fault?
Did you know that 70% of the violent crime in the city is in black communities? Many of these people won't take responsibility for their own actions. That is why I applaude the black mother and father who insist that their kids do well in school, get a job, go to church and except that there are consequences (good and bad) for their actions. That, in spite of Whitey, a black person can do well in this world.
Elvis was a goof too. Everybody says that it was his mama's fault, though.
i think one might be hard-pressed to find that many amazing rock legends that were upstanding members of society of any color. think about it a little.
I get mad at these black rappers who talk about punching bitches and black athlete's who are totally irresponsible, too. I think that I have a little black, church-going mama with a fancy hat in my brain wanting to hit this people with her purse.
I live good roll models like Tiger Woods, Walter Payton and Barack Obama. But mostly I love the black tech writer that I worked with at B&H who scraped up his money to send his daughter to private school (graduated with a 4.25 GPA) and stays up nights to help his wife write her master's thesis.
Di - I'm not saying you are a racist, I just agree with Paula, that everything you stated in your first post was "fair game", save for the part calling out "black."
I'm guessing that just in the way your first post hit me, I wanted you to clarify, and re-read how it sounded. Jimmy Hendrix is surely not any parents dream for a kid, save for the 500 billion albums he sold...
But, I guess to call him a 'black scum bag' (which you said he turned into anyway) just doesn't seem to do the world any good. He can be a scum bag. He can be a drug user. But he doesn't have to be a 'black' [insert negative].
Secondly, I would add the "notice I didn't use the 'N' word" makes it sound like you normally would. I know that not to be true, but it reads that way...
I'm not here to nitpick and split hairs over what my mother-in-law said... I know you're a very good person, and I know you're one of my favorite people to be around!
My only point was to call to your attention how it sounded. Makes me think it'd be fun to post more on this topic to get a discussion going!
Hmmmm. The "N"word got you a little nervous, hmmm. My friend at work conceeds that there are black folk and there are "N"s..and she's black. Your typical "N" in the black community is the man who is drunk, stoned, or both, won't keep a job, beats his woman and kids and just doesn't give a damn. These are her words - not mine Hey - are there white "N"s?
JH, from the information the the article, sounds like he could have very well fit the "N" description.
I guess the "N" word is a term of total disrespect. Sort of like the "C" word for women. Heaven help you, as a man, if you ever call a woman a "C" but there are woman who call each other this in jest. My own wild and crazy sister calls Denise, her best friends, and I "ignorant sluts - ha ha ha".
In a world where everyone on the same, say, social plain, these sensativities won't exist. Will that ever happen? Makes you think.
I agree that both words are really bad. I think the "C" word is more of a totally disrespectful word, but with less historical context. The "N" word holds significant historical context - and encompasses the most unthinkable historical atrocitiy: slavery.
On a lighter note, I think Denise is pretty funny! Only good friends and family can get away with joking that way. I'll start to refer to Scott and Eric as My Homies from this point forward!
15 comments:
Gee I don't know what to say. I'm not stunned, though. When Elvis was young, it was the right thing to "do your time" in the military.
During the VN war, it was not good to me there. If you had no desire to "do the right thing" (rich, poor, white or black), you tried everything to get out. Besides, if JH's talent had't been uncovered, he would have just been a freakin', drug addicted, criminal, loser, black (notice that I didn't use the N word) scum bag (which he was in the end, anyway).
So there.
wow, mom.
I would hope you'd never use the "N" word!
I'm not sure I agree with your assessment of Mr. Hendrix. I agree that's it great his talent was disovered, as his guitar playing has provided me with hours and hours of inspiration. (I used learn every note of his his songs, and even had his trademark 'Big Muff' pedal.)
Who knows what would've become of him. But I really don't think you find his blackness had anything to do with it, right? It sounds like you disagree with his lifestyle, drug use, etc. - But to call out his race as part of what you're calling his demise, is, well, really racist, no?
I'm not racist.
I have known and worked with lots of black people whom I admire immensely (that's not an exageration). People who prove that education and character is important no matter who does what to you. People who work to be roll models for their children.
I'm sorry, but if I was a black mother, Jimmy Hendrix would not be a man I would want my child to emulate.
There are those who just don't give a damn about how their actions impact others and even black people would call them the "N" word.
Besides the fact that the man was crap, his music left it's mark. I'll concede to that.
There are white people who fit in this catagory, too. They just don't have as much to prove to such an impressionable group of people.
so why bother bringing up his blackness if white people can be just as crappy? i think that's the point.
I get crazy because he is observed as some remarkable black cult hero. I guess you could compare him to Johnny Cash, who at least took some responsibility for his life. JH just didn't give a damn about the world or himself.
I bring up his blackness because there are young black people out there who use the fact that he is a member of the persecuted black minority as an excuse for his behavior and think that he is cool. Maybe even emulate him.
I work with a woman who's boyfriend (black) makes a good living. Both of his kids are single parents. His daughter lost her job and is on welfare expecting a 2nd one from a man who is living with another woman who gave birth to two more of his babies. His son just lost his job and is taking a paternity test for his girlfriend's second baby. The first one wasn't his. She is on welfare. These are not ghetto people. It makes me crazy. Both of these people had jobs and knowingly f*ked up their future. WHY? Is all of this whitey's fault?
Did you know that 70% of the violent crime in the city is in black communities? Many of these people won't take responsibility for their own actions. That is why I applaude the black mother and father who insist that their kids do well in school, get a job, go to church and except that there are consequences (good and bad) for their actions. That, in spite of Whitey, a black person can do well in this world.
Elvis was a goof too. Everybody says that it was his mama's fault, though.
i think one might be hard-pressed to find that many amazing rock legends that were upstanding members of society of any color. think about it a little.
I get mad at these black rappers who talk about punching bitches and black athlete's who are totally irresponsible, too.
I think that I have a little black, church-going mama with a fancy hat in my brain wanting to hit this people with her purse.
I live good roll models like Tiger Woods, Walter Payton and Barack Obama. But mostly I love the black tech writer that I worked with at B&H who scraped up his money to send his daughter to private school (graduated with a 4.25 GPA) and stays up nights to help his wife write her master's thesis.
Di - I'm not saying you are a racist, I just agree with Paula, that everything you stated in your first post was "fair game", save for the part calling out "black."
I'm guessing that just in the way your first post hit me, I wanted you to clarify, and re-read how it sounded. Jimmy Hendrix is surely not any parents dream for a kid, save for the 500 billion albums he sold...
But, I guess to call him a 'black scum bag' (which you said he turned into anyway) just doesn't seem to do the world any good. He can be a scum bag. He can be a drug user. But he doesn't have to be a 'black' [insert negative].
Secondly, I would add the "notice I didn't use the 'N' word" makes it sound like you normally would. I know that not to be true, but it reads that way...
... Di (cont.)
I'm not here to nitpick and split hairs over what my mother-in-law said... I know you're a very good person, and I know you're one of my favorite people to be around!
My only point was to call to your attention how it sounded. Makes me think it'd be fun to post more on this topic to get a discussion going!
I can see your point (I guess).
Hmmmm. The "N"word got you a little nervous, hmmm. My friend at work conceeds that there are black folk and there are "N"s..and she's black. Your typical "N" in the black community is the man who is drunk, stoned, or both, won't keep a job, beats his woman and kids and just doesn't give a damn. These are her words - not mine Hey - are there white "N"s?
JH, from the information the the article, sounds like he could have very well fit the "N" description.
Sorry!
This is just for argument sake.
I guess the "N" word is a term of total disrespect. Sort of like the "C" word for women. Heaven help you, as a man, if you ever call a woman a "C" but there are woman who call each other this in jest. My own wild and crazy sister calls Denise, her best friends, and I "ignorant sluts - ha ha ha".
In a world where everyone on the same, say, social plain, these sensativities won't exist. Will that ever happen? Makes you think.
I agree that both words are really bad. I think the "C" word is more of a totally disrespectful word, but with less historical context. The "N" word holds significant historical context - and encompasses the most unthinkable historical atrocitiy: slavery.
On a lighter note, I think Denise is pretty funny! Only good friends and family can get away with joking that way. I'll start to refer to Scott and Eric as My Homies from this point forward!
Jimmy Hendrix is black?
L.
kumbaya, m'lord, kumbaya!
kumbaya, m'lord, kumbaya,
kumbaya, m'lord, kumbaya!
ohhh lord, kumbaya...
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