izmir

This is the letter I wrote this in response to the Westword (a local Denver paper) article , "Where the Wildings Are."

"In time of crisis, people look for a group to isolate and point fingers at in a desperate attempt to rationalize it. The wildings are a perfect example. Throughout the article a multitude of claims were made stating that Hip Hop is to blame as one of the factors for increased violence in Lodo. Hip hop is a multi-dimensional expression of urban music. If the majority of Denvers aging population is afraid that Hip Hop is turning Lodo into a violent ghetto with increased presence of minorities, I am ashamed and appalled to live in this city. One may say its not all Hip Hop; its just the Gangsta Rap that caused the rise in violence. What ethnicity listens to Gangsta Rap in droves? What ethnic group is the majority in Colorado? Both questions have the same answer and its not the minority groups being targeted by cops, club owners, and the Westword for the wildings. The increased popularity in Hip Hop is due to a musical evolution in taste. Instead of resorting to blaming the music, lets take a closer look at alcohol the drug lubricating this chaos. "