A Dickensian Tragedy.m4v

from the album VBH Presents: A Spoken-Word Christmas. Available for download on the Hauler Nation website: http://twitter.com/haulercrew.

http://twitter.com/haulercrew
lyrics:

Scuba Steve is a man of humble origins. Born with few opportunities, he proceeded to do little with the opportunities that he had. He is a living testament to the bankruptcy of the American dream, to the failure of the American education system, and to the plight of the American slum-dwellers. Scuba was born in a dirt poor barrio in Los Angeles, during the height of the crack and methamphetamine epidemics. He never knew his mother; in all likelihood, she was killed in gang violence long before his birth. His father was on welfare, and was in and out of rehab for the entirety of Scuba's childhood. His friends were ruffians and hooligans, children born with no future in the most prosperous nation in the world. The rest of Los Angeles was too busy enjoying the imperial decadence of a nation atop the geopolitical totem poll to realize that in their own backyard, a Dickensian tragedy was unfolding. And Scuba Steve was not the only victim of the cycle of violence and urban decay that gripped many parts of the nation during that time period, he is but a figurehead. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thus begins the declaration of independence of the united states of america. It speaks of a noble dream, a dream never before pursued by any nation; a dream of equality and opportunity for all, of justice before the law, of clean and safe streets and universal prosperity. But this dream has never been fulfilled. Ask Water Polo Willy, Scuba Steve's half-brother and earliest mentor. At the age of 19, the LAPD put 15 bullets in his brain, after a botched robbery at a liquor store. Had the robbery occurred in Bell Air, had it been carried out by prosperous white suburbanite teens, the police would have issued a warning, at most. But in Compton, the police shoot first and ask questions later. The police officers who shot Water Polo Willy dead were never tried in a court of law. They weren't even suspended from the force. They could be policing the streets today. Meanwhile, White America watched American Idol, in the comfort and safety of their own homes. Homes built on land stolen from the Indians, the original and rightful inhabitants of this once great continent, now covered with industrial cancer, miles and miles of shopping malls. If Water Polo Willy's testimony is not enough to convince you of the hypocrisy and viciousness at the heart of Reagan's America and the bankruptcy of the promise set forth in the Declaration of Independence, you need look no farther than Scuba Steve's uncle, Fisherman Freddy. Fisherman Freddy enlisted in the marines during the 1960s. He put his life on the line to defend a nation that had abused and discriminated against his people for nearly two centuries. He knew the nation he fought for was deeply and perhaps irreparably flawed, but he felt that perhaps he could prove his worth to white america by answering the call to defend it. he didn't understand who was threatening america or what his role in protecting it was; he put his life in the hands of the white generals, the white businessmen, and the white politicians. all he wanted was to be valued and taken seriously, to feel a sense of self-worth. when he lost his arms and legs in vietnam, he was flown back to america and released onto the street. uncle sam never checked on him again. never a dime in thanks from the government he risked his life to protect. he died in a back ally in harlem, new york, where he spent the last years of his life begging. people would pass him and look at him in disgust, sometimes crossing the street to avoid walking past him. perhaps they were ashamed to look upon the life of a man who was destroyed by the very system they support and participate in on a daily basis

Category:

Education

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• fitter happier
• Dickensian tragedy
• reagan's america
• scuba steve
• waterpolo willy
• volga barge haulers
• barge
• haulers
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• barrack obizama