Stabbings (Black on Black violence) - racist or fair?

[Mostyn6]

I've had a theory for a long time that popular ethnic culture promotes violence and rarely, very very rarely, encourages hard work, honesty, loyalty, family, monogamy etc.

I have a theory that if handguns/pistols were easier to acquire, we would have a shooting epidemic amongst mainly black youths, and not a knife-crime culture, as they try to emulate the glorified gangs, drug dealers, players, pimps and thugs played out in the good old US of A.

I find myself conflicted between freedom of speech, expressionism and being able to tell your story, and the good old days of censoring the kind of stuff to perpetuates this horrific way of living as a glamourous and acceptable lifestyle.

[Anon]

I can't agree with any argument for censorship. If it weren't music being targeted as the root cause it would be something else. Catcher In The Rye, Satanic panic, a whole multitude of things Mary Whitehouse wanted banned, Pepe The Frog, the list of scapegoats is endless.

[Rev]

6 hours ago, Moist One said:

I've had a theory for a long time that popular ethnic culture promotes violence and rarely, very very rarely, encourages hard work, honesty, loyalty, family, monogamy etc.

I have a theory that if handguns/pistols were easier to acquire, we would have a shooting epidemic amongst mainly black youths, and not a knife-crime culture, as they try to emulate the glorified gangs, drug dealers, players, pimps and thugs played out in the good old US of A.

I find myself conflicted between freedom of speech, expressionism and being able to tell your story, and the good old days of censoring the kind of stuff to perpetuates this horrific way of living as a glamourous and acceptable lifestyle.

What popular black culture have you been exposed to recently that has led you to this conclusion?

 

[Comrade 86]

 

[Mostyn6]

9 hours ago, reveldevil said:

What popular black culture have you been exposed to recently that has led you to this conclusion?

 

Listened/heard some quite dark lyrics that literally described slicing someone open. ?

[BaaLocks]

10 hours ago, 86 points said:

 

I find this guy amazing to listen to - he just lays it out there in such an understandable manner. Oh for some cogency like this in some of our more immediate political issues - if we had more people like this stalking the corridors of Westminster rather than the (largely) male, pale and stale old boys clubs we might actually get somewhere.

@Moist One - I think this video does lay out large elements of the discussion. I don't agree with your original stance but I totally understand your need to ask the questions. There is an apparent correlation, same as the one that connects things like video games, but without wanting to steal the theme of the video it is more endemic and long running issues that fuel the problem (none less so than our continued need of red top media to sell copy through dramatic headlines). Should we censor music lyrics? If they are specific in their hatred and accusations then yes - indeed we have the moral code in the country to guide us on that. But banning certain music or literature because we believe it incites certain ethnic groups to violence cannot be a good way forward. But, as John Barnes says, we need to talk about these things so thank you for doing so - even if I totally disagree with your supposition.

[Stive Pesley]

17 hours ago, Moist One said:

I've had a theory for a long time that popular ethnic culture promotes violence and rarely, very very rarely, encourages hard work, honesty, loyalty, family, monogamy etc.

Of the hip-hop you listen to, how much of it follows this theory?

I'm being slightly facetious of course - there is plenty of "black music" out there which doesn't follow this stereotype, but is it as popular with knife-wielding kids in gangs? Of course not

So the question isn't really about blaming the music culture (which is just another person's freedom of expression - to describe the world they see) - but trying to look at the root causes as to why it proliferates. I suspect that is best discussed in the politics thread!

 

[Parsnip]

On 02/04/2019 at 15:02, Moist One said:

I've had a theory for a long time that popular ethnic culture promotes violence and rarely, very very rarely, encourages hard work, honesty, loyalty, family, monogamy etc.

I have a theory that if handguns/pistols were easier to acquire, we would have a shooting epidemic amongst mainly black youths, and not a knife-crime culture, as they try to emulate the glorified gangs, drug dealers, players, pimps and thugs played out in the good old US of A.

I find myself conflicted between freedom of speech, expressionism and being able to tell your story, and the good old days of censoring the kind of stuff to perpetuates this horrific way of living as a glamourous and acceptable lifestyle.

If you send that in to the Daily Mail they'll print it on the 'reader's letters' page.

[Rev]

13 hours ago, Moist One said:

Listened/heard some quite dark lyrics that literally described slicing someone open. ?

I've listened to a lot of British Urban music too recently, not always through choice but from living with a young man who listens to it, and often asks me to listen with him.

I'd guess as a white man, the music I've heard would be at the popular end of the market, but I honestly think 'Grime', if that's what you'd label it, is the most significant musical movement since Punk, and probably a lot more honest.

These are real people living real lives and opening up a window to their world that we would do well to listen to, if we really want to live in an equal society with opportunity for all.

I certainly wouldn't have heard their voices otherwise.

For every song talking about Rolexs and aspiration, I've heard another talking about the lack of role models, the poverty and hopelessness they've grown up in, and their aspiration for a better tomorrow.

On top of that, they're literally the only musicians questioning those in positions of power, and trying to hold them to account.

[Inglorius]

This without doubt is the weirdest thread title I've come across on here which is no mean feat.