Kendrick Lamar killed it at the Grammys. Critics applauded the 28 year old Compton Native's artistic chops brilliantly displayed as he expertly melded the civil issues of our times into his performance. What issue did Lamar use to kick in the door during his politically loaded powerhouse performance? Can you say "Mass Incarceration"?
What does Lamar’s musical performance have to do with the Democratic race for the nomination? It just does. See, President Clinton’s 1994 Crime Bill has been touted as:
“the single biggest legislative victory for the tough-on-crime movement”
The Crime Bill included "Mandatory Sentencing" and the "Three Strikes Law". Black teens were disproportionately affected as America looked for fresh meat to feed it’s mostly unaffected “White Voters’ watching the boob tube seeing how “Those People” were running wild high off drugs (mind you, drugs they don’t fly in and shooting guns they neither manufacture or sell in large numbers, but hey no need to trouble yourselves with silly root causes). Good smart white folks put their heads together and came up with a term to define these young out of control feral beasts, that term was "Super Predators".
Some Clinton supporters dismiss the Federal Laws impact pointing to State Laws as being the real problem as it relates to gargantuan prison numbers, but I and many others believe it was Federal Law that influenced the Draconian State Laws, that and the serviceable handy work of Hillary Clinton stumping for the legislation to great effect. You go girl.
Old Black Folks and the Clintons
It seems, particularly older black voters have short memories. I mean those of us who do not have family members still mangled, forever wounded by the lashes of the Prison Industrial Complex can afford to be trapped in a bad “Memento” remake. Real talk, I was recently virtually grabbed up by an older Hillary supporter. She laid virtual hands on me testifying how the 90’s were a different time. As if the Clinton Presidency was 170 years ago in a time better forgotten in a world far, far away...
“Hogwash! Us black folks be knowing the Clinton’s is good white folks at least gooder than most white folks. Be’s happy. Leastin’ we know what we’s getting when we’s gets a Clinton. Heck, Master Bill be letting us go to church on Sundays. Hillary even lets us claps and Master Bill sometime he claps with us while we sangs. Now you get outta heah talkin bad about The Clintons! Get from heah!”
Black Hillary-ites, (that’s what I like to call them) often ask what do I want from The Clintons? Bill Clinton already apologized admitting to the flaws in his Crime Act. Not only that, but Hillary herself descended from above and very delicately expressed the slightest remorse to the adverse effects on the black community. Honestly, I don’t know what I want. Wait. Yes, I do. I want all you Hillary supporters to close your eyes. Imagine you never met the Clinton’s because the Clinton’s aren’t The Clintons. Nope. The Clinton’s are some other power couple: The Young’s from Pennsylvania. They have the same story as The Clinton’s, but they’re not the same. Same daughter. Same poofy 90’s hairdo. Same “aw shucks” stoned white guy, but I’m cool Southern drawl thing happening, but they ARE NOT THE CLINTONS. Can you see that? Good. Now, go watch Kendrick Lamar’s first act in his Grammy Performance highlighting the pains of “Mass Incarceration”. After you watch Lamar’s video imagine President Young was not a Democrat, he was a Republican and he had something majorly to do with that “Mass Incarceration” Lamar raps about. One more thing: Imagine his wife wants to be President and she expects your vote.
Open your eyes.
Watch my video: