Lol, I wouldn't sentence anyone to the unenviable task of trying to comprehend what was going through Kanye's mind at the time. However, I still find it hard for me to applaud what he said, even if it did come from his heart. The inappropriateness of the time and place and the accusatory tone he took in voicing his "concerns" make the whole thing a turn off. I do agree with you that Hip Hop could use more artists who speak their minds. My only wish would be that they use the forums they have responsibly and effectively. I know, we're all thinking... anything is better than what we have now, but I think we leave the door open for other rappers to make even more divisive and uninformed statements.
I guess we'll have to agree to not agree on everything (I can't say "disagree" because we do agree on many points).
Fair enough. I'll give you some leeway, and I can agree that racism itself is embedded in the fabric of our society. However, I'm not sure we've been grouping the criminals with those who are suffering, nor do I agree with anyone who would make any statement similar to the last three you listed. There are undoubtably people who are racist or prejudice in our midst who would think this way, but I think the discussion was centered around whether the government's slow reaction (both local and federal), was a result of racism. I don't think the government was thinking along the lines of those last three statements. That's what many here have boldly alleged. That's what Kanye's statement focused on. That's where I think he falls short.