GUNS AND MIRRORS
Posted in Uncategorized on April 25th, 2006
Rap and Hip-Hop, they’ll tell you, is not the problem. The problem is, according to those who enjoy that culture, the streets themselves. Ask them what the problem with the streets is, and you’ll get a variety of theories from bad parenting to not enough money spent on schools. The one thing they’re sure of though, it’s not Hip-Hop culture causing the problems that would make it part their fault. Art, they’ll tell you, only mirrors society.
Those that dislike what they feel is the corruption of youth by Hip-Hop culture, have a different view. They’ll tell you rap stars glorify the criminal life by painting stories of defending honor through guns and violence, that they sexualize women and encourage young minds to play out unhealthy fantasies. In their minds, it is the streets that are mirroring Hip-Hop culture, that the kids are emulating their heroes.
One thing is for sure, everyday, young people, black, white, and brown, are shooting each other for stupid, senseless reasons.
The most recent casualty of this stupidity played itself out in Detroit, Michigan, sometimes referred to as Murder City. A rap star, DeShaun Holton, known as “Proof” and a soldier of the U.S. Army, Keith Bender Jr., both ended up dead.
I’m not going to pretend to know much about Hip-Hop culture, but I do know about guns. I’ve shot guns since I was about 12 years old. I could not wait to turn 12 so I could legally hunt here in Michigan. My family didn’t hunt, being from the north end of Flint, not a big area for hunting, but one of my brother’s friends did. Lloyd was nearly pure Native American and viewed hunting as part of his heritage. So, borrowed gun in hand, Lloyd took me out to a range. From day one, Lloyd explained to me the dangers of a gun. The rules were laid down to me with the threat of an ass-whooping if I violated any of them. #1 Never point a gun at anything you don’t intend to kill. #2 always respect your gun as something that kills. #3 always treat your gun as if it’s loaded.
In the years that followed, I watched a lot of animals die at the end of my gun. I ate every animal I killed, it was the only reason I was taught to use it. The streets I grew up on were as mean as any streets in America, but I never used my guns in anger. Cowards, I was taught, use guns in anger because they’re afraid to fight someone fairly. Twice in my life I used a gun to defend myself, once to stop a man breaking into my house, and once to stop a robbery at the liquor store I worked at. Both times I did not need to shoot, but I could have.
The big difference between Keith Bender and Proof was that Keith, like me, had been taught to respect a gun. Keith was a 15 year Army veteran who had served in Iraq during Desert Storm as a combat medic. He had seen what a gun can do. Proof on the other hand, grew up thinking that a gun was a way to get respect. Hip-Hop culture glorifies people, Like 50 cent, as soldiers of the street who take bullets to prove their street creds. They have no respect for the guns they carry or the lives they take.
The sad part of this whole story is that Keith Bender didn’t carry a gun that night, despite the fact that he could have legally, being military. He was celebrating that he no longer needed a defibrillator for a heart condition that had got him discharged from the Army, and probably could see no reason to carry one. Proof on the hand, did see a reason. Fearing the very culture he glorifies, Proof brought his gun to the C.C.C. Club that night to protect the respect that was so important to him.
No one seems to know what caused the argument that lead to the two men fighting, but this much is known. Proof pistol-whipped and then shot the unarmed Keith Bender in the head. He then stood over him and by all accounts, appeared ready to finish him off when the bouncer of the club, Mario Etheridge, a cousin of Keith’s, shot him three times. Mr. Etheridge claims he shot Proof to prevent further bloodshed. The end result was, Proof lie dead and Keith Bender would die days later.
I’m going to piss a few people off here, but I only feel sympathy for one man here, Keith Bender. DeShaun Holton, know as Proof, was a murderer no matter how you slice it. He showed no respect for the gun he held or the life he took. He fought an unarmed man with an unfair advantage, in my world, that makes him coward. I sympathize with his wife and children, I wish them peace, but this was no act to be justified. Proof robbed a man of his life for no good reason and should be seen for what he was, a murderer and a coward. Keith Bender spent his life caring about others and should be the one respected and mourned. The crowds that are showing up at Proof’s tributes and his funeral should be at Keith’s Benders’.
Keith Bender quietly, without fans, without money, without fame, took care of his wife and step-children and pledged his life to his country. He tried to help people while Proof led young people down the path of more killings, more pain, while filling his wallet and his ego.
This brings me to the heart of the problem. Hip-Hop supporters claim they’re just mirroring society, while they’re detractors claim it’s the other way around. Who’s right here H.C.? Well, when I was a kid, I loved taking our living room mirror into my parent’s room where they had a full length mirror. Facing one mirror at the other, I was fascinated by the seemingly endless cascade of reflections. Maybe both camps are right, and Hip-Hop and society are reflecting each other endlessly. The only solution then would be to set one mirror down. For the sake of Proof’s wife and children, for the sake of Keith Bender Jr.’s wife and children, please Hip-Hop, put down the mirror, we’ve seen enough. H.C.
Posted in Uncategorized on April 25th, 2006
Rap and Hip-Hop, they’ll tell you, is not the problem. The problem is, according to those who enjoy that culture, the streets themselves. Ask them what the problem with the streets is, and you’ll get a variety of theories from bad parenting to not enough money spent on schools. The one thing they’re sure of though, it’s not Hip-Hop culture causing the problems that would make it part their fault. Art, they’ll tell you, only mirrors society.
Those that dislike what they feel is the corruption of youth by Hip-Hop culture, have a different view. They’ll tell you rap stars glorify the criminal life by painting stories of defending honor through guns and violence, that they sexualize women and encourage young minds to play out unhealthy fantasies. In their minds, it is the streets that are mirroring Hip-Hop culture, that the kids are emulating their heroes.
One thing is for sure, everyday, young people, black, white, and brown, are shooting each other for stupid, senseless reasons.
The most recent casualty of this stupidity played itself out in Detroit, Michigan, sometimes referred to as Murder City. A rap star, DeShaun Holton, known as “Proof” and a soldier of the U.S. Army, Keith Bender Jr., both ended up dead.
I’m not going to pretend to know much about Hip-Hop culture, but I do know about guns. I’ve shot guns since I was about 12 years old. I could not wait to turn 12 so I could legally hunt here in Michigan. My family didn’t hunt, being from the north end of Flint, not a big area for hunting, but one of my brother’s friends did. Lloyd was nearly pure Native American and viewed hunting as part of his heritage. So, borrowed gun in hand, Lloyd took me out to a range. From day one, Lloyd explained to me the dangers of a gun. The rules were laid down to me with the threat of an ass-whooping if I violated any of them. #1 Never point a gun at anything you don’t intend to kill. #2 always respect your gun as something that kills. #3 always treat your gun as if it’s loaded.
In the years that followed, I watched a lot of animals die at the end of my gun. I ate every animal I killed, it was the only reason I was taught to use it. The streets I grew up on were as mean as any streets in America, but I never used my guns in anger. Cowards, I was taught, use guns in anger because they’re afraid to fight someone fairly. Twice in my life I used a gun to defend myself, once to stop a man breaking into my house, and once to stop a robbery at the liquor store I worked at. Both times I did not need to shoot, but I could have.
The big difference between Keith Bender and Proof was that Keith, like me, had been taught to respect a gun. Keith was a 15 year Army veteran who had served in Iraq during Desert Storm as a combat medic. He had seen what a gun can do. Proof on the other hand, grew up thinking that a gun was a way to get respect. Hip-Hop culture glorifies people, Like 50 cent, as soldiers of the street who take bullets to prove their street creds. They have no respect for the guns they carry or the lives they take.
The sad part of this whole story is that Keith Bender didn’t carry a gun that night, despite the fact that he could have legally, being military. He was celebrating that he no longer needed a defibrillator for a heart condition that had got him discharged from the Army, and probably could see no reason to carry one. Proof on the hand, did see a reason. Fearing the very culture he glorifies, Proof brought his gun to the C.C.C. Club that night to protect the respect that was so important to him.
No one seems to know what caused the argument that lead to the two men fighting, but this much is known. Proof pistol-whipped and then shot the unarmed Keith Bender in the head. He then stood over him and by all accounts, appeared ready to finish him off when the bouncer of the club, Mario Etheridge, a cousin of Keith’s, shot him three times. Mr. Etheridge claims he shot Proof to prevent further bloodshed. The end result was, Proof lie dead and Keith Bender would die days later.
I’m going to piss a few people off here, but I only feel sympathy for one man here, Keith Bender. DeShaun Holton, know as Proof, was a murderer no matter how you slice it. He showed no respect for the gun he held or the life he took. He fought an unarmed man with an unfair advantage, in my world, that makes him coward. I sympathize with his wife and children, I wish them peace, but this was no act to be justified. Proof robbed a man of his life for no good reason and should be seen for what he was, a murderer and a coward. Keith Bender spent his life caring about others and should be the one respected and mourned. The crowds that are showing up at Proof’s tributes and his funeral should be at Keith’s Benders’.
Keith Bender quietly, without fans, without money, without fame, took care of his wife and step-children and pledged his life to his country. He tried to help people while Proof led young people down the path of more killings, more pain, while filling his wallet and his ego.
This brings me to the heart of the problem. Hip-Hop supporters claim they’re just mirroring society, while they’re detractors claim it’s the other way around. Who’s right here H.C.? Well, when I was a kid, I loved taking our living room mirror into my parent’s room where they had a full length mirror. Facing one mirror at the other, I was fascinated by the seemingly endless cascade of reflections. Maybe both camps are right, and Hip-Hop and society are reflecting each other endlessly. The only solution then would be to set one mirror down. For the sake of Proof’s wife and children, for the sake of Keith Bender Jr.’s wife and children, please Hip-Hop, put down the mirror, we’ve seen enough. H.C.
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