No, I’m not going to prison. Nor have I ever been. Though I’ve been in handcuffs a few times and have spent more time than I’d like in a cell, sleeping on a bench, staying on point with who to befriend and who to keep an eye on, etc… My run ins are NOTHING compared to what others go through and have gone through. What I want to talk about today is a word called RESPECT.
There once was a time when a person would be ashamed of getting locked up. There once was a time when parents would hide the fact that their child was locked up by saying, “Oh, he went away to boarding school” or “He’s down south with family.” There once was a time when you didn’t want to be associated with a person who got locked up if you didn’t have to. I’m not saying that viewing incarceration that way is right or wrong but it does make me scratch my head as to how it’s the complete opposite today. There are certain industries in which a prison background (or having been shot) gives you an advantage. There are people who boast about how much time they’ve done and/or how much time their loved one has done. There are “Free Johnny” T-Shirts printed all the time, celebrating a loved one who’s locked up even if they’re guilty. There are even times when a person’s criminal history can give them the one-up over a person who might be better suited for that slot. How did this happen? And is this ok?
I mean… I can’t front, I watch First 48 and Locked up Abroad and Gangland and all of these other crime/prison based shows as often as I can. And I am intrigued by it all, I shalln’t tell a lie. There’s even a rapper named Maino, who may never be on anyone’s Top 10 Talented List and isn’t the most lyrical but to respect and admire his story, his past and what he attempts to symbolize today is very understandable. He celebrates the transformation from what he was to what he is and hopes to become, nothing wrong with that, Right? I even know females who squirm in their seats at the thought of a “Rough Neck” or a man who is or once was in prison, “Just as long as it wasn’t rape or child molestation…” according to them. So, is it safe to say that society in general is intrigued by the crime side of things hence our new found love and endorsement of it? And if so… WHY?!? Or are we all a bit twisted in our thinking and should none of the criminal side of things be celebrated or glorified? Break it down for me. Lemme know…
Oh, and let’s not talk about the females in prison. That’s a whole different topic that I actually address on the Salon Stories album… (via itunes or have one delivered to you via Amazon) You can watch a small clip ~>HERE<~ (7:28 mark)
Talk to me, Family…
-Kel Spencer
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