Tamding Sherpa
A song is a story and to write and sing it, is a way of expressing ones story. Paul Butler in his article, ‘Let’s Get Free’ brings us into the hip hop world, where every ‘nobody’ has a story of its own to share. One of the messages Butler tires to convey, of the hip hop singers, that despite the controversial music, the ‘thuggish art’ is crying out a stance against injustice and a passionate call to its fellow prisoners.
Butler uses hip hop as his channel to voice the criminal injustice against American African and Latino men. He tries to unwind the fact and effect of what happens when an American African is sent to prison. He fulminates on the fact that, while the white rich gets away for their crimes, even the smallest of crimes, sends the black man to prison. This not only causes an impartial and bias justice system, but a devastating aftermath. The ‘entire ethnic group’ is affected; the innocent face the consequences as well. Therefore Butler suggests that instead of incarceration, the criminals should be sent to ‘probation or community service.’ Butler also supports his argument by stating that half of the prisoners in the U.S. prisons are all American African, while they make up only 12% of the population. We also learn how every American African understands the injustice they have been laid upon and therefore are sympathetic of those in prison. Apparently most of them or their loved ones have been in prison, leading them to send ‘shout outs’ through songs.
It is a common belief and fact that no body is born evil. Therefore it is completely impossible and foolish for the justice system to carefully scrutinize only one group and send its people to prison for the smallest of crimes. We learn from the article and through hip hop that ‘incarceration is being driven through profit and not public safety’ and that this should be stopped.
