i remember my mom using the term "poor white trash" a lot when i was a child, and one day i made a comment about "poor black trash" - thinking it was funny/following her lead - and she slapped me.

anyway, jerry springer commented in some random interview years ago that the people on his show represent the amercia "affluent white america" does not want anyone to know exists. race is the #1 divide in this country at most because of slavery, at least because there is more than one race... in countries like china they piddle over class and politics (or in the middle east where religion divides) because everyone basically looks the same. it seems even the poorest, dumbest white person will think they are better than the most intelligent, affluent, attractive black person just because he/she has that skin. slavery here would not have "worked" otherwise... without going into the sexual dynamics of the divide, lower class white people need to look down on someone so the upper white class say, "here are the black people, look down on them. just don't come asking us for money..."

what hip hop does, well it brings in those class factors, deals with conditions of living that cross the racial divide. so the projects = the trailer parks, and so on.

i think the biggest general divide amongst all peoples is education. which i guess could go along with class...


______

"you came and opened me, now there's so much more i see"
stevie wonder verse / that's what friends are for

"...sell crazy somewhere else, lady. we're all stocked up here."
jack nicholson line / as good as it gets

"it took a while to get me here and i'm gonna take my time"
gwen stefani / eve's -let me blow ya mind-