Bravo!!!!! I am glad to see some real thought provoking comments across the board here. This is the type of Dialogue that i dig. I would just like to add that, first, on the use of the word nigga....I dont know where i stand in the end...because im on the fence...i do believe in "reclaiming the word"...though many call that a weak attempt to justify the use....I believe that words are just that...words....whether they come from Black people...white people...yellow people...we as people are far too advanced to be squabbling over words.. I believe that true power belongs to he/she that can accept all of these words, without taking offense...the same way we take ownership over fuck, shit, damn, we should take ownership over the word nigga...we know of its disgusting meaning in the past, but it is 2001, and i believe it is now a testament to our survival. Weve taken the worst and most derogative thing that THEY had against us, and flipped it on them. How strong are we? No weapon formed against us shall prosper. and i know this is the age old defense, but, lets not forget, the word Nigga does not mean black, and quite frankly, we have taken plenty other words and transformed them to mean something that we can embrace (i.e. dope, fresh, hype, phat)...we are our own people, and we should hold ourselves to our standards, no one elses...

now...the gun issue....neva mind...im undecided on that issue...hmmm...what else did i notice while reading the posts...oh yeah, white people at DP shows, i went to the OKP tour in NYC, and it was filled with white people....they were nodding and jumping to DP's as if they were just any other rap group...as for feeling welcome, the vibe i got was that a lot of people didnt know them, or really know what they are about, and those that do, are trying to identify with the culture so why would they be in objectivity....i think that the young white kids today (okayplayers and others) are somehow emphasizing with the struggle of black people, and somehow are relating our lifelong struggle, our age-old struggle, to their own personal struggles, (i.e. being different than their parents,)...i know that their struggles pale in comparison to that of us as Africans in america, but i think this is how they relate, and this is why they can listen to a dead prez without being in objection...aight...ive said enough...one love, to Everybody, especially my "Brothers and Sisters" out there..oh yeah, another thing, why does saying that (above) have to mean or lead someone to believe that someone is on some "fake black panther shit"...again, take ownership...Does anybody wanna start an African school in Jer Z...e me @ abbstrack@yahoo.com , or if you just wanna do something positive for our people in General. let me know


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-Robert Nesta Marley

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