All About The Benjamins by Kerry L Marsala (8/16/04)

The Land of the Free - A Conservative Politics Web Site

Books of Interest

"Laws have been often abused to the oppression and subversion of that order they were intended to preserve."
-- Rogers

Kerry L Marsala

Where are the parents, where is the outrage from society and why are we all letting the entertainment industry overthrow our children? Many studies have been conducted on the influence of certain Rap/ Hip-Hop music, music videos, and video games on our youth.

With soft porn, drugs and violence being peddled faster than the Wicked Witch of the West, the Pandoras Box of encouraging our youth to have sex, use drugs and violently act out is flooding its contents quickly upon our societies youth. Why do those who control our 'pop' culture continue to defend this peddling of smut, all under the guise of free speech rights? Money honey, that’s right "It's All About the Benjamins" (Puff Daddy). The industry moguls may sit there in their three thousand dollar suits and multiple gold rings and say its all about my artists right to say, play, perform, and create whatever they want cause its their First Amendment right. Well, I must ask them- if it's all about the freedom of expression then why are you dripping with the jewels, and the cars, and the mansions, and the bread baby? Seems to me that old devil called greed at any cost has bitten and hooked you in the soul-line and sinker.

Available to every kid now 24/7/365 and packaged under the Freedom of Speech for your kiddies comes, song lyrics that express having sex with whom, what, and where ever makes you feel good, along with cap'n someone cause they looked at you funny (This includes both artists genders). But wait we have more for you, music videos that have orgies performed for you (the Black Entertainment Television runs many horribly lewd videos on Saturday daytime). That's not all folks, act quickly to change that dial on the radio. Shows that are touted as entertainment will be blaring from your car speaker's epithets of unknown body parts. Lastly for all the little tikes comes a multiple helping of various video games to plug into your idiot box that may contain excessive violent acts, cursing, witchcraft, Satanic references, and nudity.

One might ask, what law is being broken under the umbrella of Freedom of Speech? There isn't a law specifically when it comes to filth or putrescence, whether its form is in print, verbal, or visual. But might I ask you to think, what law is being abused to the point of oppression and subversion? Do we really have to think on this one?

When we tout in song or celluloid the praise of raping, killing, and abusing women are we not creating a generation that will be desensitized to the respect of womankind, perhaps all kind? When the acts of murder, disrespect for authority, policemen, government in a way that is full of subversion and hate what are we creating within the cranium of an easily influenced child?

Ah, but you say, it’s the parents responsibility to keep their children from these harmful forms of entertainment. Yes, it's true. Parents are the first to be responsible and should be a held accountable for such disregard and lack of guidance of their young. We as parents have the right of remote, purchasing power, and the off/on switch. But you know as a parent, speaking here, how hard it is to keep my kids out of this filth all the time? You can't even walk into a video store without a movie filled with sex scenes and language blaring around the store as you quickly try and find a family film to watch. For that matter you can't even walk down the video aisle with your child and not have to shield their eyes from breasts, butts and other body items.

Ever try taking you kid with you to a music store? The music is pump'n, the beat is thump'n to Tool's song Jerk-off- "Consequences dictate our course of action and it doesn't matter what's right/ It's only wrong if you get caught/ If consequences dictate my course of action I should play GOD and shoot you myself." Or perhaps another store might be showing the video to the heart warming tune of We All Die Someday performed by DJ Muggs, 50-Cent, Eminem, G-Unit and Lloyd Banks. With lyrical stanza sung by Eminem like this; "I'm an OG, your (expletive) with GI Joe." I am not kidding here either. Yes, I can cover my kids' ears/eyes and run from the store, but why am I a hard working taxpayer being denied the right not to have my kids eyes and ears assaulted? Why are the rights only given to those who have the agents, managers, and labels?

In May of 2003 a study appeared in Journal of Personality and Social Psychology stating, "Anything that increases the extent to which a person is thinking in aggressive terms will tend to increase aggressive behavior," says study author Craig Anderson, a professor and chairman of the department of psychology at Iowa State University. "Lyrics are just one piece of the social environment that will have some impact."

Some impact, huh? Do we really buy into the lie fed to us by the entertainment industry, that the use of profanity, nudity, and violence really doesn't impact our society? Watch the evening news, read a newspaper, pick up a news magazine, go to your local playground, walk around the shopping mall, head into a fast food joint and listen, watch and become aware of the attitude change breeding under the skin of our fair youth.

It is the parent’s responsibility to raise, discipline and monitor their children, but what is society made up of? Parents, Grand parents, Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Nephews, god Parents and the like, these are the ones perpetuating this filth and indoctrinating the minds of our next generation. They all have a responsibility not only to there own kin, brother, or sisterhood-but to yours and mine as well. This is why all aforementioned forms of relatives need to help individuals raise their children in a safe and proper environment that promotes the well being of all mankind. These make up the village that help us raise our children, individually and together co-responsible for one another.

If we continue down the path we are heading, are we intended to preserve? I think not.

(Sites to visit for studies: http://www.mediascope.org/pubs/ibriefs/yvm.htm; http://www.hon.ch/News/HSN/513029.html; http://www.mentalhealth.org/youthviolence/surgeongeneral

Website: http://www.Right2Think.8m.com

Contact Kerry L Marsala cnuseeme@cox.net

Bio:
Ms. Marsala writes for OpEds, and conducts interviews for Opinion Editorials; The Rant; Canada Free Press; Independent Newspapers; EV Tribune; ACU Foundation; Canadian Free Press; Sarah's Seed Woman's Journal; A. M. Siriano; Men's News Daily; Lady Liberty; NZ Herald; Citizen Newspaper; amgoodnews.com; Americonservative; TAC; PHX News; Enter Stage Right; The Right Guys; Conservababes; The Alberta Weekly; Free Republic; Conservative Battle Line; Focus Magazine; Insight Online; GOPUSA/Arizona; and The Truth Magazine.

Writing about cultural, social and political ideologies by using a bit of satire every now and again helps keep her grey cells stirring. Her philosophy remains that no matter the event, you can always find a bit of humor or the human element of hope somewhere amongst the cracks. Arizona is where she currently corrals her posse, although she's a beach bum'n girl at heart. When she isn't espousing, she enjoys painting abstract art, photography, and music of all genres.

Return to Land of the Free Conservative Op/Ed & Discussion