Rev. Sharpton backs idea on rap lyrics

[The Straight Story]

Rev. Sharpton backs idea on rap lyrics

By CAROLYN THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer Tue Jul 24, 1:24 AM ET

BUFFALO, N.Y. - The Rev. Al Sharpton, who has challenged the entertainment industry on denigrating lyrics, on Monday supported a state senator's idea to pull public investments from companies that won't clean up their act.

Holding the entertainment industry accountable will be a primary goal of the newest chapter of Sharpton's National Action Network, said the activist minister, who announced the formation of the Buffalo-Niagara branch while in town to address a convention of black criminal justice professionals.

Roughly $3 billion from New York's state pension fund is invested in the entertainment industry, according to state Sen. Antoine Thompson, who requested an inventory of entertainment industry investments from the state comptroller earlier this year.

Thompson suggested leveraging the investments to open dialogue with industry executives.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070724/ap_on_el_st_lo/sharpton_buffalo;_ylt=Aiclybunl9TYQbOMCZUOcrqyFz4D

[LeftNYC]

1. Government shouldnt mess with art...nt

[mzmolly]

2. But it should "mess with hate speech."

eom

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

6. Whoever said it should mess with hate speech?

[mzmolly]

8. Me and Al Sharpton, to name a few.

Read the OP?

[dorkulon]

3. Rappers don't invent slang, the kids do.

The kids buy the music they like. If a record company "cleans up its act," the kids will buy from another company.

[The Straight Story]

4. They have been trying to clean up music since rock and roll :)

It just ain't gonna happen.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. What a load of bullshit.

What's next? Pulling Harry Potter books from libraries?

[cynatnite]

I support boycotting...

but not using government resources in hopes of changing what is considered art.

[Solo_in_MD]

9. Pensions funds should not be under state control...

[pitohui]

13. so they should be under private control and the individual worker is fucked w/ no voice?

read it again, we are talking about PENSIONS, not private IRAs

yes, it is right and proper for there to be state oversight, otherwise the pension fund will be completely pwned by private interest and the person who worked all their life, hoping to have a decent retirement, could very well end up fucked!

[Solo_in_MD]

14. No, it should be run by representatives of the members, not by the employer/Government

its too easy otherwise for the state to pillage it. Just look at the Gropenator and California PERS.

[cynatnite]

7. n/t

[MrSlayer]

10. Censorship sucks.

Don't like it? Don't listen to it.

[ljm2002]

11. Don't like it? Don't invest in it... n/t

[pitohui]

12. if it's your pension you don't decide what you're invested in, the management group does

i think it is fair for some groups, say teachers, who feel beleaguered, attacked, and even marginalized by the ideas put forward in the more gangsta oriented hip hop not to have their retirement $$$ invested in it

promoting thuglife is destructive to the community and to the future, and i don't think sharpton is out of line to suggest that pension groups divest of such funds

who objected when we asked for pension funds to divest south african funds during the apartheid era? it wasn't censorship then to ask that funds not be invested in companies supporting ideas that most of the investors found hateful, why is it censorship now?