A couple of weeks ago, someone gave the link to a Time Magazine article entitled "A Tale of Two Mothers" that discussed both Afeni Shakur and Voletta Wallace and their efforts to keep their son's legacies alive. I thought it was a decent article, however, I pointed out that I didn't like how the writer made some brief statements about Tupac being a "troublemaker" and outlined some of his run-in's with authorities while not taking the time to explain anything about them. For instance, I posted that I disliked how the writer wrote something to the effect of, "Tupac was involved in the shooting of two Atlanta police officers," and then going off to list another "crime." I explained how to fans, particularly diehard fans like many on this board, we read that statement with the knowledge that the two cops were off duty and drinking at the time of the incident. That they had been harrassing a black man and when Tupac went to intervene, they shot at him and he acted in self-defense. And yet, when a virtually ignorant reader comes across such a statement, it leaves the impression that Tupac was one of the worst kinds of criminals. If I remember correctly, a few people agreed with me that the article wasn't entirely fair. Another member posted that although they agreed with me, it was a short article and the writer didn't have time to go in depth. This may be true. However, my discontent remains. If the writer could not report in any detail, he should have merely mentioned that Tupac had various run-in's with authorities and perhaps mentioned that many were unwarranted instead of portraying him as a hoodlum. Anyway, I was reading this month's issue of Time and came across this response to the article:
"A Tale of Two Mothers" [Sept 25] concerned the efforts of the mothers of murdered rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. to honor what TIME called "their son's legacies." What a sad commentary on society. Those two individuals promoted hedonism and violence. There was nothing honorable about the lives they lived, and the perverse fantasies they sold to inner city youth were probably more damaging than any good they may have done. I wish the mothers of the two rappers would denounce the lifestyles their children were proponents of. They succumbed to the thuggery they preached and died much too young. Their tragedy should not be glamorized."
Jay Ross
Glendora, Calif.
Now, I obviously do not know this person. But, at the same time, I feel as though I do know him. He is more than likely that "virtually ignorant reader" that I mentioned earlier. Perhaps he is someone who came across the September issue of Time Magazine and caught the article of two rappers that he'd never heard of before. He might have read the statements implicating Tupac in a rape case as well as a shooting with police officers. He more than likely has no idea who Tupac is. Never heard an album, never read a book, never seen a documentary. He has the right to his own opinion and yet that opinion is flawed. It is flawed because he has stated his opinion in a biased manner. The judgments that he passes on these two men are the equivalent of a jury convicting a defendant based on hearsay without careful considerations of the facts - without evidence. But in my opinion there are two crimes here. The first, as I just mentioned, the crime of a reader commenting on a subject of which he clearly knows nothing about. The second, the writer of the original article. It was his unfair presentation of both these men, especially Tupac, that solicited such an ignorant and ridiculous response from Jay Ross. Had the writer taken more precaution to stray from defamation, I highly doubt this reply would have been written. Granted, he may not have become a fan in any sense, but there would be a few less people out there like Jay Ross who, having little to no knowledge about the life of Tupac Shakur, regards him with disgust. Thoughts?
"A Tale of Two Mothers" [Sept 25] concerned the efforts of the mothers of murdered rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. to honor what TIME called "their son's legacies." What a sad commentary on society. Those two individuals promoted hedonism and violence. There was nothing honorable about the lives they lived, and the perverse fantasies they sold to inner city youth were probably more damaging than any good they may have done. I wish the mothers of the two rappers would denounce the lifestyles their children were proponents of. They succumbed to the thuggery they preached and died much too young. Their tragedy should not be glamorized."
Jay Ross
Glendora, Calif.
Now, I obviously do not know this person. But, at the same time, I feel as though I do know him. He is more than likely that "virtually ignorant reader" that I mentioned earlier. Perhaps he is someone who came across the September issue of Time Magazine and caught the article of two rappers that he'd never heard of before. He might have read the statements implicating Tupac in a rape case as well as a shooting with police officers. He more than likely has no idea who Tupac is. Never heard an album, never read a book, never seen a documentary. He has the right to his own opinion and yet that opinion is flawed. It is flawed because he has stated his opinion in a biased manner. The judgments that he passes on these two men are the equivalent of a jury convicting a defendant based on hearsay without careful considerations of the facts - without evidence. But in my opinion there are two crimes here. The first, as I just mentioned, the crime of a reader commenting on a subject of which he clearly knows nothing about. The second, the writer of the original article. It was his unfair presentation of both these men, especially Tupac, that solicited such an ignorant and ridiculous response from Jay Ross. Had the writer taken more precaution to stray from defamation, I highly doubt this reply would have been written. Granted, he may not have become a fan in any sense, but there would be a few less people out there like Jay Ross who, having little to no knowledge about the life of Tupac Shakur, regards him with disgust. Thoughts?
