"Selma" Common & John Legend Speech

I actually had to look this up, because I knew it was going to be blow-hard and switched to another station. Here's an exerpt:

"There are more black men under correctional control than there were under slavery in 1850," Legend said. "When people are marching with our song, we want to tell you we see you, we love you and march on."

So you support criminals and criminal behavior?

Brothers, this is NOT a cop on Black issue. This is not a society on Black issue. This is a Black perception issue. They perceive to always be under the radar of the authorities. Dudes...cops hate EVERYONE. Because a small percentage of morons in this world created this. So now the police have to fight you, me, racism and crime?

Crime isn't because they want to throw Black folk in jail. You don't pull shit, you don't get shit. It's that simple. The case of Michael Brown wouldn't have been on the radar had the kid NOT been harassing a shop owner and stealing. Is that ever brought up? Nope. Never addressed in the Black community because that would be weakening their stance of having YOU change and not the other way around.

The Japanese were once seen as enemies of the state. They were interred in concentration camps ON AMERICAN soil. If you were to ask George Takei (yes, "Star Trek" Takei) who was interred there what it was like. He only has grim memories. They took land from Japanese-Americans and re-distributed it. Unbelievable gall. To which the Japanese eventually rose above it, and now thrive. The "perception" of Japanese has changed dramatically over the course of 50 years. The same 50 and more that black African slaves were allocated. Yet, they still wallow in this pity. Fuck you, Common and Legend. YOU are basically giving all young Blacks an excuse if something doesn't go your way. "Oh, it's the incarceration system that keeps you down." You are the WORST. Because you've essentially crippled their minds while leaving a smoke screen of philosophy of the down trodden. This is all while you accept The Man's golden statue in a tuxedo. FUCK YOU BOTH. Moments like these are what keep Black Americans down. But don't let me say these things, less I be labeled a bigot.

Never mind the statistics of a lack of need and want for an education to further your life in more positive ways. The message should be this:"There are more black men under correctional control than there were under slavery in 1850," Legend said. "This is OUR fault. And I'm ashamed of y'all. We did this to ourselves because we can't recognize the wretchedness of our own actions. We can't blame society because our education system is broken. WE are broken people. Rise up against our own pride and anger. Use it to fuel our desire to do better in life. NEVER say we don't get opportunities when I stand here with this award and have overcome." It's not a popular sentiment amongst angry young Black men. But the truth has to sink in somewhere.