RubySoho
Winston
Listen To En Vogue and FREE YOUR MIND!
July 26th 2008 10:11
I have been feeling pretty dejected at the breadth and width of hatred expressed towards women and homosexuals on Orble lately.
I heard this song on the radio tonight and it reminded me of the hope we felt in the early 90s, that maybe Generation X could be the generation that made racism, misogyny and homophobia a thing of the past. Well if this blogging community is any indication of what the wider world is like, then it appears we have failed miserably. If anything, it appears we are heading into a new era of bigotry, where feminism continues to suffer a backlash, where the word "God" is used as a weapon with which it is somehow acceptable to beat up on gays and any other minority group you don't like, because if God tells you it's okay to hate someone, then damn well you have a right to make their lives miserable and deprive them of the rights you yourself take for granted.
Why oh why must it be this way?
This song is loud, brash and brassy. It is not to everyone's taste. But it is a snippet of the dignified rage felt by the black community in America shortly after the Rodney King trial . It is also an indictment on prejudice and hatred and is a plea to all to open your minds and accept that other human beings have a right to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what you think their colour, race, sex, or sexuality says about them.
Free your minds everyone. Please.
Prejudice, wrote a song about it.
Like to hear it? Here it go.
I wear tight clothing, high heeled shoes
It doesn't mean that I'm a prostitute, no, no, no
I like rap music, wear hip hop clothes
That doesn't mean that I'm sellin' dope no, no, no
Oh my forgive me for having straight hair, no
It doesn't mean there's another blood in my heir, ya, ya
I might date another race or color
It doesn't mean I don't like my strong black brothers.
Why oh why must it be this way?
Before you can read me you got to learn how to see me
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow.
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow
So I'm a sistah
Buy things with cash
That really doesn't mean that all my credit's bad,
So why dispute me and waste my time
Because you really feel the price is high, for me
I can't look without being watched, and oh
You rang my buy before I made up my mind, OW!
Oh now attitude, why even bother
I can't change your mind, you can't change my color
Why oh why must it be this way?
I'm sad. Really, really sad.
-Ruby
I heard this song on the radio tonight and it reminded me of the hope we felt in the early 90s, that maybe Generation X could be the generation that made racism, misogyny and homophobia a thing of the past. Well if this blogging community is any indication of what the wider world is like, then it appears we have failed miserably. If anything, it appears we are heading into a new era of bigotry, where feminism continues to suffer a backlash, where the word "God" is used as a weapon with which it is somehow acceptable to beat up on gays and any other minority group you don't like, because if God tells you it's okay to hate someone, then damn well you have a right to make their lives miserable and deprive them of the rights you yourself take for granted.
Why oh why must it be this way?
This song is loud, brash and brassy. It is not to everyone's taste. But it is a snippet of the dignified rage felt by the black community in America shortly after the Rodney King trial . It is also an indictment on prejudice and hatred and is a plea to all to open your minds and accept that other human beings have a right to be treated with dignity and respect, no matter what you think their colour, race, sex, or sexuality says about them.
Free your minds everyone. Please.
Prejudice, wrote a song about it.
Like to hear it? Here it go.
I wear tight clothing, high heeled shoes
It doesn't mean that I'm a prostitute, no, no, no
I like rap music, wear hip hop clothes
That doesn't mean that I'm sellin' dope no, no, no
Oh my forgive me for having straight hair, no
It doesn't mean there's another blood in my heir, ya, ya
I might date another race or color
It doesn't mean I don't like my strong black brothers.
Why oh why must it be this way?
Before you can read me you got to learn how to see me
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow.
Free your mind and the rest will follow
Be color blind, don't be so shallow
So I'm a sistah
Buy things with cash
That really doesn't mean that all my credit's bad,
So why dispute me and waste my time
Because you really feel the price is high, for me
I can't look without being watched, and oh
You rang my buy before I made up my mind, OW!
Oh now attitude, why even bother
I can't change your mind, you can't change my color
Why oh why must it be this way?
I'm sad. Really, really sad.
-Ruby
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Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
There aren't very many racists in TO, but they tend to get killed young; and there aren't too many sexists that I've met.
There is hope.
Even though humanity is a bunch of bumbling idiots who always manage to screw it all up.
~Dianna
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
i think Jesus would be very unhappy about how his messages have been distorted by hate-mongers
if you find a blogging community with less hateful idiots on it let me know and ill jump ship with you
Comment by Optomistic Opportunism
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
The real writers will remain.We ain't no shit stain.
>Reckon I could be an Emcee for En Vogue?<
Get down and get profound from New York to Sydney town.
Ow!
DJ scratch: "H-h-h-h-he's on fire!"
Okay another dream job to add to the endless list of improbabilities
Comment by Natalie 2
Beta Girl Blog
I totally agree with you Morgan about the misreading of the Bible. Whenever I get into an argument people who say it is impossible to be a liberal and a Christian, i like to remind them that Jesus in fact, was a liberal.
Whether a person believes that Jesus was a savior, a historical figure, or a bedtime story, and accurate interpretation of what is known about him is that he was all about peace and love, man. Ant-war, turn the other cheek, love your enemy, etc. He was a socialist, for sure. All about people taking care of each other, feeding the hungry, helping the needy, sharing the wealth. In fact, the New Testament mentions helping those in poverty over 3,000 times. And try as I might, I cannot find one reference to homosexuality or abortion in the darn thing...hmmm...why does is seem like those who claim to have the moral high ground (fundamental Christians) know the least about Jesus?
And that, dear friends, ends our Bible lesson for the day
Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Current Business News
Movie Train
Artist Quirk
i think it has become a bit like chinese whispers . . . the meaning of the bible has been so distorted by people re-telling the stories with their own bias . . . i think the original meaning has been largely lost
i do like your description of Jesus though, i tend to think of him similarly to the legend of Robin Hood . . . probably alot of it was based on real happenings but exaggerated in folklore
Comment by Optomistic Opportunism
Bohemian Hiphop
Japanese Jazz Funk
Optomystic Opportunism
On the bible and homosexuality, has anyone noticed how Jesus always surrounded himself with men??
My curtain closes, good night.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
Others are horrid.
You'll get that everywhere.
~Dianna
Comment by Josie
Waxing Political
Unique Parent
I remember when the Columbine shootings happened and everyone wanted to ban kids from wearing "goth" clothes because they thought it somehow created evil. As a former goth/punk kid I thought it was very sad. I wanted to call into every radio show and defend the rest of the kids that dressed like that. It seems to be a natural inclination of the close-minded to hate everyone different. They almost rejoice when someone unlike them commits a crime b/c then they can say that their way of life is the "right way" and try to change others in the name of safety or righteousness. It is like in the 80's when they said that being gay caused aids. It was an excuse to hate and try to change people.
As far as the Bible- I totally agree with Morgan. The Bible hs been so misinterpreted in more ways than I can count. In medieval times, people used it as an excuse to abuse their wives (check out st jerome). Now, they use it as an excuse to abuse gays. Isn't it strange that Mary Magdelene was taken down from a disciple to just a friend of Jesus? She is described as his closest follower and the one person he chose to witness his rebirth, yet she was somehow left out the mix and called a prostitute (although the Bible never calls her one.) You would think a mistake like that would have been caught by now, but I suppose that would mean great changes to the church and ackowledging that women are equal...women as priests instead of nuns and the like...oh the shame!
I suppose just as our parents lived through the real race wars, our generation will push the envelope further. I have hope for the future as long as there are intelligent ladies out there who keep their voices heard.
Now if we could just get all the bigots out of office...
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
Wise beyond your years Dianna!
Hey Morgan, I think people make up their minds about the Bible before they read it and then it becomes a lot easier to twist its words to suit their world view.
Hi Natalie, I agree the song has a great message. Also, the thing that always strikes me most about fundamentalist Christians is they they seem more focused on the Old testament then they do on the new. I find it a little strange to say the least.
Optomistic i do like your style, thanks for the laugh. It's true, i do need to learn not to let things upset me so much. It's just it seems to be everywhere lately, people calling women horrible names, claiming that gays are sick and don't have a right to get married. i just don't understand it.
Hey Josie, thanks for dropping and thanks for the very articulate comment. I agree, its the hatred of things people don't understand that leads to such misery. And its the tendancy to quickly lay blame rather than analyse why things really happen. Blame the big black trenchcoat and the metal music rather then sit down and try to work out why the boys were so angry and unhappy that they just snapped. It's almost like people think that trying to understand them, somehow excuses their behaviour. It doesn't, but it may help to prevent another similar incident from happening again.
And yeah, it's vital that us women keep fighting the good fight, so to speak.
Comment by Dianna G
I Wish This Was 42
Fictional Worlds
~Dianna
Comment by Summer Minor
Kitten Politics
People like SL are already being seen for the laughing stocks that they really are, someday they'll be no more than the crazies on the street corners waving homemade signs warning that "The End Is Nigh".
Comment by Winston
Small Thoughts on Big Questions