Ellington

Cootie McBride: "About a week ago, I spoke at a law and order conference. After what I thought was a convincing presentation, an affluent member of high society asked me: 'What causes law-abiding people to become so lawless and angry?'

"I immediately replied: 'Being broke.' Then, I illustrated my point further by asking my sister, Nurse Tootie McBride, who also attended the conference, to do her beat-box routine while I spit a verse from Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five's 'Hit The Message':

"'The bill collectors, they ring my phone
And scare my wife when I'm not home
Got a bum education, double-digit inflation
Can't take the train to the job, there's a strike at the station
Neon King Kong standin' on my back
Can't stop to turn around, broke my sacroiliac
A mid-range migraine, cancered membrane
Sometimes I think I'm goin' insane
I swear I might hijack a plane!'

"Seventy-six years ago, this country and the industrialized world dealt with an economic downturn called 'The Great Depression.' During the 1930s, rich and poor folk turned to lawlessness as a way out of poverty. And all I have to say is: 'If we fail to learn from the past, we will definitely repeat it.'

"Therefore, the McBride family and I are stepping up to establish a continuing education course titled 'Poor People, the Law and Anger Management.' It's our way of helping poor folk to understand the law and control their tempers during harsh economic times."

Previous Comments

ID

73489

Comment

I love this Ken, but can we add arrogance, desperation, a feeling of thinking one is above the law, greed, corruption, distrust and disrespect of government, trickery by people entrusted with carrying out the law, and growing tired of many affluent people f'ing over little people to gain mo' ground, to povery, bum education, and double-digit inflation?

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2006-09-14T11:34:28-06:00