White House

 We are the owners of the White House, whether I ever see it in person or walk it's halls. I, as an American citizen am a partial owner of that house. And as an owner I was thrilled to hear that the Obama's wanted to open the White House up to everyone, hold events where different people of different experiences and cultures can come together and learn from each other. They wanted to make this White House the people's house again.
  When people hear the White House, I think they forget that it's actually a house. Yes, it's an office building, newroom, banquet hall, restaurant and museam too, but first and foremost it's a house. It's our house! America's House! The People's House! And the US is our Melting Pot. We aren't a country made up of one type of people, so even though up until 2 years ago our "House" was represented by one certain type of people, we now can see something different respresented. This "difference" has embraced the fact that we are all different and that our differences should celebrated and learned from.


   So yesterday, when scrolling yahoo's homepage I saw an article about Common (rapper, activist, poet, actor) being invited to the White House for a poetry slam being held this week. He was invited to preform. Of course the article insinuated that Common is a gangsta rapper (which he's not) and that he's filthy and not fit to walk through the halls of the Great House. Really? I went on to read the comments, half of which were positive, the other half were not. But the funniest comments were the ones pointing out that George H.W. Bush invited Easy E to the White House...Easy E who by many standards is one of the worst gangsta rappers ever. But people are afraid of someone more know for spoken word? Or is it that he's black and the President inviting him is black?
   CommentS stating that the Obamas were trash inviting trash into the White House is terrible and unnessecary. The truth is that Presidents have invited many different people to the White House over the years and some of those people didn't have the most idyllic backgrounds (and let's not forget the President that had women brought in for him to shag while he's wife was down the hall).

   So is it the fact that Common is a rapper or that he's black, that has these people up in arms? Or is it the fact that he bad mouthed President Bush (cause if that's so...most people can't go to the White House). Or is it simply the fact that rap music and "urban" poetry is still considered less than by a public of people who try to plead that their children are lacking the education of the arts but refuse to see just how diverse the arts have become? Anyway you put it, people are up in arms for the wrong reasons and ready to critize on the drop of a dime.
   I criticized Bush all the time, but not for his White House guests...more for he's lies, fabrications and willingness to get us into 2 wars while saying we're looking for a mass murdered when all the while he's been in an entirely different country. Yes, I criticized Bush for being a war criminal, for profiting from thieves and for sitting back at his ranch while watching people in the south die. Yes, I criticized him...but not for trivial things like inviting a rapper to the White House.