The Politics of 2Pac

There are many contradictions that surround 2Pac's worldview that weren't addressed in his biographical movie, 2Pac Resurrection. But he has provided me with a lot of things to think about. For instance, this snippet from his song, "Dear Mama":

They say I'm wrong and I'm heartless, but all along
I was lookin for a father he was gone
I hung around with the Thugs, and even though they sold drugs
They showed a young brother love
I moved out and started really hangin
I needed money of my own so I started slangin
I ain't guilty cause, even though I sell rocks
It feels good puttin money in your mailbox
I love payin rent when the rent's due
I hope ya got the diamond necklace that I sent to you

There is so much in there when you take a close look at it. Not every child is lucky enough to have loving parents and that, as Hillary Clinton would say, "it takes a village" to make sure that our children have enough support and love.

I don't agree with his justification for selling drugs, but there is definitely something wrong with our society when a lot of young people feel that the only way to "pay rent when the rent's due" is by selling drugs. No young child should ever feel that way and its our failure. I know there are some who will talk about personal responsibility--and I agree that we are all responsible for ourselves--but when young Americans no longer have the ability to dream of a promising future, we are failing miserably.

Not sure if it's kosher to post 2Pac on a political website, but here I go anyway: