The Sharp on Sharpton: The Bully Within

Recently Al Sharpton has been in the news a lot. Not more than Don Imus, but he is tailing him in the polls. Sharpton was the main reason that Imus got fired over his piggish remark about the ladies at Rutgers. He put Imus and America in their place for the horrible sarcastic racial slur Imus sputtered out on live radio (was him losing his job too much?). Now I am not a Sharpton basher, but it's not like Al himself hasn't said anything racist and controversial in the past. But controversy makes headlines (proof is in the pudding). But Sharpton has a new person to attack; well not a person, more so a culture.

The reverend Al Sharpton bull headed Imus (rightfully so), and is now headed for Hip Hop. That's right; Sharpy is going to take on 'music lyrics' that he has in the past supported (Black Owned Businesses etc...). But so that he doesn't look like a bigot, it's only fair that Hip Hop gets a taste of Al as well. Although Al Sharpton has worked hand and hand in the past with hip hop record labels, artists, and CEO's, he has now decided to go after these same people for their abusive lyrics to women and race relations.

Recently he fired shots at Def Jam head, Russell Simmons, for allegedly not purchasing two tables at Sharpton's National Action Network dinner. The beef was stirred due to Sharpton thinking Simmons wasn't going to purchase tickets. Sharpton expressed his view on the negative lyrics in hip hop (maybe even Def Jam), and felt that Russell Simmons would only buy the tickets if he [Sharpton] supported Def Jam entirely.

"Oh, you only bought tickets if he would agree with us on lyrics?"Sharpton said. "You weren't supporting the civil-rights cause, you weren't supporting the fight against police brutality? I've been against the lyrics all along." -nypost.com

Give it up Sharpton, you can take Don Imus (who cares for Imus anyway) but you can't take music and expression away. Of course there is good and bad hip hop, but once you censor some, you have to censor it all. Forgive the preaching, but once you take the first amendment rights away people aren't truly free anymore. Think about the lengths people have to go for freedom...We almost get buck naked to fly nowadays, imagine if our expression was censored. Think about that Sharpton...