Thank you, Donald Trump!
Oh, relax! Don’t blow your top before reading what I have to say! Finally, it took Mr. Trump to say something that brings to light the verbal abuse women have been subjected to for many decades.
There have been so many comments over the past week regarding Donald Trump’s language in a video released by NBC and Access Hollywood calling into play whether he’s capable to stand up and be the next leader of this country. They call him “sexist,” “misogynist,” “womanizer,” etc.
But yet out of the blue people come out bashing Trump for that type of language, when in reality we live in a world where it’s happening every day, not just in the men’s or women’s (let’s be real, it’s there, too) locker rooms, but coming from the music written and recorded by various artists and blasted out on car stereos here in the city streets.
Let’s take for example Kanye West’s lyrics on his most recent album, The Life of Pablo.
“For all my n****s with babies by bitches/That use they kids as meal tickets.”
This is a common theme in West’s lyrics and other rap artists and we have to ask ourselves what this says to our society when we think of our women as bitches and kids as meal tickets and not as partners and friends.
It’s misogynistic and cruel, yet this is a person who is invited to The White House and other top events and we pay to hear this trash: “Bitches ain’t sh*t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d*ck.” – Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg gets straight to the point in the golden era of rap misogyny.
“You ain’t no better because you don’t be f*cking rappers / You only f*ck with actors / You’re still getting f*cked backwards” – Jay Z.
Again, another musician who misogynizes women yet the public, including President Obama puts him on a pedestal and we don’t acknowledge that these lyrics that our children listen to are the same ones that are shaping their minds into thinking that this is the way women should be treated.
Jay Z is married to Beyonce who has been criticized for producing music that is a poor role model for young women. In order to compete with male rappers, women have had to use the same subject matter and vocabulary without concern for the social damage they are causing.
Yet by the same means we also have female celebrities in society who make disgusting, rude gestures such as Miley Cyrus, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, just to name a few, and yet again, we as a society allow it to continue, selling out their concerts, allowing our children to attend.
And this phenomenon is not exclusive of this culture. Spanish-language music is plague with the same insults. Anthony Santos has a bachata saying: “I have 7 crazy ladies with me in the swimming pool; 6 of them pour water all over me while one enjoys me.”
Denbow is a mix of Reggaeton and rap, usually in Spanish and Don Miguelo has this tune: “She’s not in love with me but enjoys how I bang her. She flies when I give it to her.”
I’m sorry if the translation is not perfect but I had a hard time finding the right words.
Is this all in the name of entertainment or is this what society has become? And if so, we have to ask ourselves what type of example are we setting for our children and our children’s children when we condone this type of behavior when we allow it one setting but not the other. Are we showing that it’s okay to be hypocrites when it’s beneficial to us?
Apparently that’s the case here. So, we must thank Donald Trump for putting this issue on the front burner and stop the hypocrisy so prevalent in this society.
Back to local issues
With the recent developments at the Veterans Stadium and the case of Theodoro Rosario, all the other problems affecting the city have taken a back seat. The matter of Breda Daou is still pending. She is the assessor, a model employee that Mayor Daniel Rivera wants to fire for not being a Lawrence resident. The first assessor to be fired for not being able to pass a state test was Belkis Jimenez. We later found out that she lives in North Andover although it was not brought up at the time of her discharge. City residency is a requirement for city assessors and it is being debated at the city council for discrepancies between the City Charter, city ordinances and job descriptions.
Since one position for assessor was vacant, the mayor offered it to Laiza Lizardo St. Onge. She is the one responsible for the stadium fiasco. When the case of Breda Daou was brought before the council for non-residency, she announced to the mayor that she is not willing to move from Salem, New Hampshire and refused to accept it. She is currently earning $50,000 including the $10,000 stipend the mayor gave her a while back. The assessor’s position pays $58,000.
Next, Jennelle Graziano, a well-known realtor in the city and local resident was to take the position but refused because she would have to give up her real estate license.
Things are not working for the mayor and the job remains open. It was offered to Maria Halloran, a very nice lady who has been with the city for many years, only to find that she lives in Salem, New Hampshire. She had received the offer letter and was ready to start when it was discovered.
Mayor Rivera is striking out all over the place!
