Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Class is In Session Muthafuckas, pt.2


"Slacked for a second,
but I'm back-no question.
Like I walk with a cane,
aint no half steppin"

Ok. Ok. I said that quote to say this- I know I've been meaning to post this for like 2 weeks, but better late than never, right? This will be written and broken down the same way I wrote part 1. This class is amazing [for those who won't look back at the first post- this post is about the things I learn in my Hip-Hop class]. Read on:

Didya know?
Initially, marijuana was used in Mexico for medicinal reasons (most people know that) and to help increase the grade of paper being made (for newspapers). William Hearst produced papers, and marijuana was cutting into his profits. Because of this, he used his influence to see to it that marijuana became illegal. As a result, this law is considered 'Malum in Se' or 'Malum Prohibitum'. This means that the product is bad in itself because it is said to be bad, not because there is a logical reason or because it lacks benefit to the people. Furthermore, alcohol and tobacco are legal but they aren't the least bit beneficial. Height of American hypocrisy, maybe?'

The fun facts continue.

Missionary position. Most people know that the name came from the church, but what was its' exact origin? When Christian missionaries went overseas, they witnessed people having sex in various positions. They didn't believe sex was a recreational act. It was only intended for procreation. Therefore, all that was necessary was laying on top of a woman and impregnating her. Hence, the name.

Ok-almost done.
Let me tell ya'll a story.

The professor for this class has some Rastafarian friends, and they had decided that they would all go smoke weed by the Liberty Bell to protest weed being illegal. Of course, the head of the group, a Rastafarian priest, was wearing a shirt that said 'Fuck the Police'. While out there, the police come over to them because they had heard the event would take place. Some of the Rastafarian's chewed and swallowed the weed to get rid of the 'evidence'. The police decided that they were going to press charges for obtaining an illegal substance, destruction of evidence, and verbal assault.

Here's how it played out: Our professor (whose also a lawyer) argued that the shirt saying 'Fuck the Police' was not an assault because fuck is only considered an obscenity if referring to sex. If it is being used politically, it's protected under the 1st amendment. So, to say to that he was assaulting the cop would imply that he meant fuck him physically. No go.

Secondly, swallowing the weed was not destruction of evidence because whether they smoked the weed or ate the weed, it would have been ingested-therefore, destroyed.

Lastly, Indians are allowed to smoke peyote in their reservations because the government has granted them a place and sanctioned their union. The government should not be able to determine what religious practices (i.e. Rastafarian's smoking weed) are not considered valid. This argument did not hold up, however.

Ok, I'm done.

Wait-one more (random) thing: the concept for race car driving came from when alcohol was illegal and bootleggers drove fancy/souped up cars to outrun the police.

Don't Let it Go To Waste,
B

3 comments:

  1. Can I even roll a blunt to this? lol
    ::Schooled::

    P.S. Hip Hop is very much alive.
    Nas-"Untitled" aka NIGGER, very deep cd.
    Q-Tip's comin' out with a cd. Uber excited, nothin' like a Tribe feel.

    But we do have a minor set back. Lil' Wayne is crowned Lyricist of the Year. Wowzers.

    (long p.s. short)
    I heart you.

    Chucked Deuce,
    Be

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  2. I really just liked the picture, hip-hop is transforming NOT dying.

    much agreed.

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  3. good, good post. hip hop is not dead. like mos def said, 'hip hop is going where the people are going; so the next time you wonder where hip hop is going, ask yourself, 'where am i going', and there you go.'

    :)

    is this class a gen ed?! i`d LOVE to take it next semester, give me the digs, B! lol.

    i found you through my journalism teacher's J111 blogroll I believe, and i fell in love. :)

    ReplyDelete