I am writing in response to Sovereigna Jun’s column on Aug.13 (“Rap music dishonors the police”), in which there are many judgmental statements made.

First of all, I would like to say that no man, let alone a police officer, should have to die because of another man’s will. Rest in peace to officer Patrick Maher.

Secondly, I would like to state that in every profession, in every type of music, there is “good” and “evil.” In reference to the N.W.A song, “F___ tha Police”, the reason the song was written was because of a personal experience that Ice Cube had been through when he had been severely harassed by the Los Angeles Police Department. It is true that the song was taken to the extreme, but there were many people who identified with the song because of personal experiences. Look at the Rodney King and Amadou Diallo incidents.

In the world we live in, there is bad as well as good, and extremes are seen in everything. To say that rap music in general promotes sex, promiscuity and violence is very much a stereotype. For instance, here we have pop idol Britney Spears almost completely naked on magazine covers (Esquire) singing about being a slave for a man. Meanwhile, her targeted audience is girls at the age of 9.

The problem is mainstream music, period. How often do you hear a really good song with a really good message in the top 40? How often do we hear about love versus sex? Just like commercials and television shows, there are certain types of entertainment being fed to us. To link rap music to Patrick Maher’s death is horrible.

For me, it is easy to see the number of misguided children. There needs to be positive influences, and when I look at hip hop and its various artists (given, I don’t like or agree with all of them), I see it as a culture that is bringing people together. Music and hip hop specifically are a big part of my life, and anyone who has a love for the music feels the same.

When reading that freedom of speech should be limited, it makes me cringe. Look at the Patriot Act, for instance, as well as other freedoms that have been limited. Music is one of the only things we have left to fully express ourselves. Hip hop music is bridging a gap between other genres of music and keeping people of a common soul united instead of crushing them.

Jessica Bogaards

Bellingham

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