The History of Rapping

I can remember when 'rapping' meant making a fist and tapping your knuckles against a pane of glass, a door, a table top or even a noggin. Remember what a 'noggin' is?

In the 1960s rapping became 'sitting around talking with your friends'. It is also sometimes known as "shooting the breeze". But, the Conservatives didn't like those people because many had long hair, smoked pot (or used other drugs), and didn't conform to 'normal' rules of society. I guess they didn't like Freedom and Liberty when it meant someone could be different than them.

So, in the 1970s they made up the "War on Drugs". This enabled them to put a lot of those people they didn't like, and those who voted against them, in jail. Thus began the long 'rap sheets' of people in and out of jail. It also enabled the Conservatives to win a lot of elections.

The Conservatives were on the up-swing and they continued this program, but in the music world the people who didn't like this trend and those who were being locked-up began to 'rap' and they told stories of failed families, communities, and lives. They rapped about violence in their lives and how they had to do "what had to be done" to survive and get "bling bling".

The Conservatives thought they had a lot of power and the "silent majority" to back them. They thought they would control government for ever. They tried to impeach Pres. Clinton and narrowly failed. It was a bad rap! To ensure they didn't end up with rap sheets they changed the laws on contributing to political campaigns. They even sought campaign funds overseas. In 1996 it was the Dole campaign which did this first (as far as I know),

The Citizens United decision erased laws restraining the flow of money in politics. Then Barack H. Obama won the presidency twice. Boy could he hold the audience in rapt attention. The Conservatives decided they had to take more risks and get the "unified government" (control of the Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court).

This brings us to Donald H. Trump of the great state of New York. He changed all the rules by telling the audiences what they wanted to hear (he rapped like no politician ever had) about misogyny, racism, hate, fear, and how they had to forget the old ways and TAKE BACK what was theirs and "Make America Great Again". Trump had been sued many times over the years and fined by the federal government for many crimes, but he had always avoided admitting guilt. He didn't have a rap sheet, though he was clearly a bad dude. His voters simply didn't care. They admitted he was unfit for the presidency, but they liked his message. Though he lost the national popularity vote he won the electoral college and that made him president. To the Conservatives that was all that mattered.

So, what has this election brought us? AG Sessions is upping the ante on the War on Drugs. DHS is exporting a lot of people of color (POC). Conservatives are using Crosscheck, gerrymandering, voter ID laws, and other means to kick even more Democratic voters off the voting rolls. If it worked in the past, then it should work again in spades.

Then it was discovered nearly all of Trump's associates had strong connections to Russians. This is plainly bizarre and not traditional. What does it mean for America, for Democracy? How many of these people will eventually go to jail and end up with real rap sheets? Even Trump's family members are part of this.

In the history books the rap on the Trump era will have to be that the Conservative movement became so dissatisfied with what America had become that they were willing to do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to get power and restore their country to what they thought was good. They didn't care about Democracy any more. They didn't want consensus government or compromise. They began to believe a foreign leader (Vladimir Putin of Russia) was a great guy despite Putin's efforts to harm America. They will have to write the historical rap sheet of how the Republican party leaders, pundits, etc. worked together and with Putin to undermine our nation and to throw America into chaos. Though they were following the lead of their voters they didn't try to restrain the voter's worst instincts. They became like Putin: powerful, kleptocratic, destructive, horrible.

That's my rap and I'm sticking to it.