Sharpton Complains to FCC About Violence in Rap, Asks Penalties

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Rev. Al Sharpton, upset about violence in rap music, asked the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to punish artists and radio stations connected with violent acts.
Artists connected to such acts should be denied airplay on radio and television for 90 days, he told reporters after meeting with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and two other commissioners.

He also urged the agency to fine and review the licenses of radio stations "that encourage a pattern of this, including allowing employees to do on-the-air inciting of violence."

"The outrage of the pattern of violence that has occurred at radio stations requires some action," Sharpton said. "What has been absent is some kind of government move to stop these actions happening on federally regulated radio stations."

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBJ4Q7KP6E.html

And anyone who dosen't like it can kiss my white ass. :7

I agree .

what a turn around 360 degrees. The man himself became famous of hate speech. What a joke!

Tawana Brawley, Stephen Pagones, inciting a crowd to trash a jewish store (which resulted in sveral deaths as I recall). The man justified the latter as being an attack on "white interlopers". Why is that OK, but when David Duke says the same with the race roles reversed we condemn him?

Al Sharpton is an embarassment to progressives. Until he's foresworn by the left, we're going to continue to lose elections.

Sharpton to Duke, the former head of the KKK, a white supremacist organization whose members have lynched thousands of African Americans and even today attempts to intimidate blacks. Sharpton is no black supremacist, and does not advocate violence against whites. As far as the Brawley case is concerned, he has not apologized because he really believed her story as did many other people. There are people who still believe her. As far as inciting an attack, Sharpton did no such thing. His speech was given well before the attack, done by a man with mental problems, occurred. Sharpton is no David Duke, a man who still supports white supremacy and thinks blacks are inferior.

And he doesn't embarrass me.

It's also funny who keeps spouting the tired old line about losing elections. That's the real embarrassment.

popular among new demographics. But. He needs to be careful because for some rappers the violence is there because they are singing about what they are observing that is going on in America's ghettos every single day. It would be bad to suppress that accurate portrayal of their observations.

Rev. Al speaking out of RAP music and the violence it promotes, rather he's using this issue as step-out of his past hate speeches, to the main stream political acceptance. My thinking is that he will never go on television and be crusader on this issue...the media will nail him to his coffin

studio. and I must admit he is very talented. the technical part of what he does is very good. but the lyrics are some of the most asinine bullshit I have ever heard.

Obama has rendered this man a joke.

A lot of people still like Sharpton. During the primaries, he was forceful in his support for the working people of this country and gained a lot of respect. You need to take a look at the footage from Tavis Smiley's forum on the status of the black community. The audience of mostly African Americans did not treat Sharpton as if he was a joke;he was treated with great respect.

I don't see Obama 'winning control of the African American community'.

I don't see Al 'winning control of the African American community' either.

In fact, I don't know of anyone who ever 'won the control of the African American community'.

I know of people such as President Clinton who have earned widespread respect of black people through their actions, policies and service.

I'm not even sure what 'winning control' means, but it implies that the african american community is out of control and is something that needs to be won.

...hmmm

Obama is probably more palatable for white people; that's ok but it doesn't and shouldn't discount other leaders.

comes across as a demagogue and an opportunist. Maybe he's an honorable guy, I don't really know, but in politics it's what one APPEARS to be that is important. He's not a face I like to see associated with progressive causes. In the grand scheme of things he's a net negative. Same goes for Jerry Springer, IMO.

what speech brought the house down and was attacked by the wingscum "journalists " ? forget it ,minds get made up and shutdown.

If I decide to use rap lyrics- JUST the lyrics, mind you; no beats or rhythms or any of that- and rewrite them in a lyrical choral piece with different rhythms and a different melody, perhaps accompanied by two pianos and percussion ensemble, with an eight part SSAATTBB chorus.... will you come and arrest me for it?

I could crank one out over a weekend, if you like, Al. Let me know!

:D

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Rev. Al Sharpton, upset about violence in rap music, asked the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to punish artists and radio stations connected with violent acts.

Artists connected to such acts should be denied airplay on radio and television for 90 days, he told reporters after meeting with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and two other commissioners.

He also urged the agency to fine and review the licenses of radio stations "that encourage a pattern of this, including allowing employees to do on-the-air inciting of violence."

"The outrage of the pattern of violence that has occurred at radio stations requires some action," Sharpton said. "What has been absent is some kind of government move to stop these actions happening on federally regulated radio stations."

Continued at: http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/03/24/sharpton.fcc.ap/index.html

Bash the Rap and close black owned stations. Mild handwringing for hate radio.

Good try but I think trying to get them to do something good because it is consistent with doing something bad does not even budge them into play. You've broadened your focus, but the other side keeps the laser on destroying civil rights. Which will burn through first?

On the other hand I see Clark(the censorship of "Saving Private Ryan") and Sharpton making pointed moves toward the FCC, so I must assume they think there is something to be accomplished here, something way beyond the meager publicity.

unless there is a violation on the airwaves. The first amendment should be the rule-the cds are labelled and stores are not supposed to sell them to minors. Adults are allowed to listen to whatever they want. If rap gets censored, so does rock.

I do think Al is right to preach to america's youth against the values that are at the heart of violent and/or crude rap.

Id like nothing better than for Al Sharpton to be the next Malcolm X, but Al is wearing chains that no one sees, and performs for people who I think we would all rather he wasnt beholden to. If you think Nader is compromised, you can be sure that Al is (who'$ your daddy Al?). There apparently is some serious gangster rap stuff going on over the airwaves, but calling for FCC retribution in this day and age is like calling for the bombing of Iraq to retaliate against the WTC attacks.


uh oh.

but I have to wonder what he's thinking here. The FCC already has too much control over what Americans see and hear - we don't need a progressive calling for them to clamp down on even more.

I'm not even convinced that these rap beefs are such a big problem; if it wasn't happening in the industry, it'd be happening out on the streets. If my neighbor gets pissed off at me over the height of my fence and shoots me, is it okay for the government to fine the homeowner's assocation?

I don't know, there just seems to be a lot more pressing problems for us to deal with.

Still like ya' Al but your dancin' w/ the devil on this one.

We need cures, not band-aids.

I always knew Al Sharpton was a jackass.

Sharpton To FCC: Fine Violent Rap

WASHINGTON, March 25, 2005

(AP) The Rev. Al Sharpton, upset about violence in rap music, asked the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to punish artists and radio stations connected with violent acts.

Artists connected to such acts should be denied airplay on radio and television for 90 days, he told reporters after meeting with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and two other commissioners.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/03/25/entertainment/main683115.shtml

um.....ok I give up. How is he going to prove connections with the acts of violence when the police rarely do it? I mean, to be honest, it's not entirely a bad idea, but I don't think censoring music is the way to do it.

Maybe they should just send all rappers of violent music to anger management courses. That way they can continue to rap violent, mysogynistic music, but the rappers targeted by the music won't retaliate.

You have to PROVE a 'fire in a theater' condition before you can circumvent free speech. Oh never mind, it is just an inalienable right, one of many that we have alientated.

is a good idea, but do not agree with infringing on freedom of speech through censoring what radio stations can air.

I had just woke up and am not very detailed at that time. :toast:

we certainly don't need any more laws in this area. Sharpton, directly or indirectly, is promoting censorship based on some perceived link between 'rap' and 'violence'. I'm against censorship. I really hate it when progressive and liberals get all nanny-state over this sort of crap. Tipper Gore.

we need to look at the social issues that cause the violence. The 'acts' of violence occuring among rappers is a direct product of those environments.

Mel Gibson for "Passion of the Christ" (Although perhaps that wouldn't be so bad!), the NFL for violent tackles on the football field, George Lucas for violent aliens on Star Wars, your local Pet Store for selling fighting fish? Where does it end?
Al needs to get back to dealing with real issues. He sounds real Moral Majority on this one.

are not paying.

In this case, the competitive market fails because the all of the true costs of producing violent rap music are not included.

Taxing (or fining) the production of rap music is the best (economic) solution.

If violent rap music resulted in the murder of police officers we'd see immediate federal regulation along with a host of U.S. Senate resolutions and Congressional laws banning violent rap.