January 14, 2010 — vol. 45, no 23
Letters to the Editor
Bad Rap?
If rappers are our children’s role models and more influential in their lives than the men and women in their family and community then it is us that is to blame not the less than 1% that have found fame and fortune through entertainment. There are men and women who demean and denigrate themselves on the corner of every urban area in America. The governor of California made his fortune by acting out violence. We need to take responsibility and stop asking everyone else to do it.
When is the last time you listened to rap, understood it and then had a critical conversation about it’s content with young men and women who listen to it ?
ps. I grew up on Hip-Hop. And I am 32, wear my pants around my waist, have no criminal record and speak slang and “good” english.
Carlos “Tony” Henriquez
A need for clean energy
I urge Senator Kerry to fight for a stronger clean energy bill that calls for dramatic increases in wind and solar power and greater investments in energy efficiency that will create millions of good-paying jobs and save Bay Staters thousands on their energy bills.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed historic legislation earlier this summer (the American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454) that brings us closer to clean energy economy, but the senate needs to follow suit. As a young person living in Massachusetts I believe that America can unleash the power of clean energy to rebuild our struggling economy, create good-paying jobs that can’t be outsourced, and save billions of dollars in energy costs. And with the way our economy is, those type of jobs are a good idea.
Denise Mitchell
Via email
