What music are you listening to?

[Zet]

I'm just getting back to this :redface: .

Well first off, I'll have to say thanks for not blowing up, because I know I have a tendency to get defensive over some things and can say things that might offend some people...

But I think I'll stick to my guns on this one. You bring up some very good and real points, but in the end, I guess you wouldn't truely understand from my perspective, no offense.

It's literally a part of me. You look down, you see that your skin is white, so you say "I must be a white person". It's the same for me, albeit differently, when I hear the music, something in me just feels natural and it feels right. It helps me identify with my culture. Especially because I don't identify with being either White or Black[I put mixed or biracial on forms/papers], but that's a different story.

I don't think Hitler's Regime and Reggae Music can be equivalated in the sense that you put it in.

Hitler took the Jews [and others] and actually killed them. He took his opinions and thoughts and turned it into action and without the influence of others[as far as I know].

Reggae music, does have messages of hate or a sembelance of hate in it[like almost all musical genres and everything else for that matter], but it's just that. A message. Like a text message, you can choose to open it and read it, or you can leave it closed.

If you open it and read it, it's up to whoever, to take it and do with it what they will. Some will look at it and pity it or disagree with it and close it out. And some may take it and agree with it and may even perform the acts they believe the message is trying to convey[I.e Murder], but in the end, it's the person[s] who reads the message who holds the power.

Sure, advocating murder, of anything, is bad, but if you listen to it and actually perform the acts, then that's where the ticket is. Unlike Hitler, Reggae music is not an automatic death sentence for those of which they discriminate against.

And I'm not being Silent per se, but I'm not putting too much into something, that's really nothing. Words only have a meaning, if you give them one. If someone calls you a fag or a bitch, and you react to that, you're giving the words a meaning.

If someone sings about murdering gays, and you take it to heart, then you've given it a meaning and thus made it real.

I simply just don't read into it.

Not because I'm being blatantly ignorant or oblivious, but because it's not something that should be given a meaning. Attention is what they want, and you're giving it to them, if you take it to heart.

It's like Blacks. People called them big dumb monkeys, and because people believed that and gave it a meaning, then it became a reality, even though it's not.

Now people wonder why Blacks are considered to be the most underpriviledged and dangerous race, being racially profiled, just because they are black. People called them Dumb/etc, for so long, that they acted on it, because it was given a meaning and in time had come to be accepted, even though it shouldn't have been.

Black people steal cars and shoot people, because that's what society tells them that's all they are and will ever be good at. Black people gave it a meaning, and so made it real. And now it's furthered by every other race, because of racism and the names they were/are called, giving them a meaning.

So if it's something you don't agree with, don't give it a meaning. It's simple.

Those that give it a meaning, must on some systemic level agree or atleast see reason within the topic and either accept and perform it or choose to defy it[which is still seeing reason].

If people had refused to agree [and therefore not give a meaning to] with Hitler's ideals of the perfect race, then I'm sure he wouldn't have even came to power.

In the end, I only stress this, because it's practically a part of my skin, and I don't think that anything, wether it be music or people or animals, should be generalized and/or discriminated against, based on one bad experience.

That could be said and has been and is said, about Gays. They[society] think we're all queeny fem guys, who can't even lift a pencil and because we've given it a meaning, it's become real. Although now, some gays refuse to be fit into that image, but are still giving it a meaning by trying to defy it.

Why does it matter if people think your a queeny guy? As long as you are you and the best you you can be, then it shouldn't matter what they think. Same for blacks. And everyone else.

There's beauty in all things, and should you choose to look at the ugly, then you are missing out and giving the ugly a reason to outshine the beautiful. mile:

My mother taught me to find the good and beauty in all people... no matter how bad they may be. ... Blame her

But again, I don't want it to seem like I'm arguing with you. Just merely having an intellectual conversation .

My opinion... Music is art... I love reggae to, and not all Rastafarian's are gay hating buffoons. As Bob Marley once sang "one love" which basically mean the united love between all humans no matter color, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation (Or just me who took the message in the wrong way).

Its not the music who makes the hate, some songs (no matter genre) might express discrimination and other negative things and obviously you should not support it, but like anything why judge the dog by its color? Not every song of a genre is obviously alike. But also after all hate only generates more hate, only cause one hip hop, country, reggae, pop or what ever demeans the LGBT society and support criminality doesn't it mean that every song demeans and supports criminality. Just ignore those who do.