Anybody home? Does anybody know the power of the hip-hop community? The problem with campaign 2G is the lack of respect that politicians have been showing the community. Do these "big-wigs" not know that we as a community are a force to be reckoned with. Many headz want to be involved. We are tired of being brutalized by cops and having a prison thrown up instead of a school. We are tired of them spending more dough locking us up and profiling us for crimes, than educating us!
I know I am not the only one who has noticed the lack of political presence in the hip-hop community. Not on our parts but more on the parts of the candidates for office. Do they think that we care that little about how our money is being spent and how our elders are being treated? Do they really beleive that we do not care enough? Many of the online sites have had extensive coverage of the election. Everything from candidates agendas to opinion polls, the ones with political pull have tried to keep us informed, even when the candidates fail to do the same. I haven't personally received anything from any candidates and I am a registered voter. I would think that my vote would count to them just as well as any other vote in America. Now they know I am black and they know my age, so why haven't I recieved any attention from the candidates. Many of my peeps feel the same way. 
One candidate in particular has shown little or no interest in the votes available in the community. The most suprising of them all is Al Gore, someon who you think would definitely make us one of his target audiences. Democrats and blacks have sat trunk tight for years, and I am not limiting the hip hop community to those of us who are of African-American descent, I am speaking on all of us. Why has there been an apparent lack of interest by his camp to our community? Even George Bush, a man who would rather fry us than educate us has reached out a little to our community. His camp has done interviews and did little talks with radio djs and such. Even the independents have artists in our communtiy standing by their sides, but does Gore not realize the lack of attention we are receiving. Now, I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I am spoiled. I like to be wined and dined before I give up anything to anyone. I don't want anyone to think that they just have it like that, where they can ignore me, when they want and then just come around when they need me. Now, it's a shame that Gore is still running a neck and neck race with that bumbling idiot Bush. He should have this whole race on lock down, but he doesn't. It has been noted in the recent weeks that the votes that Ralph Nader has could swing the race in favor of Gore, if he would only utilize the infromation. Al Gore is hurting himself.
So what should we do? We really have no choices this year, voting for Bush is voting for more prisons and less money towards education, tax cuts for the rich and tax burden for the not so rich. You could vote independent, chose a candidate who reflects what you think are the most important issues. Someone who gives the best solution to the problem and won't be afraid to say what needs to be said. Independent candidates most often address the issues that the major party candidates won't touch. I say we make them touch these issues, as a community and as individuals. We shouldn't let Gore think that just because historically blacks have sat with the Democrats that we do not and would not vote for someone else. If Gore does win this race we should ride his ass the entire time. Make sure he knows that in 2004, it won't be the same way, he won't be able to diss us and then try to kiss ass towards the end to swing a few votes. 
Let's get registered to vote and at least pose the threat to candidates. If we do not begin to become a political force, the powers that be will continue to bend us over. They will continue to build prisons for us instead of educate us, they will continue to take money from our grandparents who worked hard as hell and they will continue to treat us like the bad kids of America. Get involved in your communities by writing to your local politicians to let them now that you are watching and keeping tally. Let's make these people work for their paycheck the same way we work for ours.
