Dear Lupe,
Lupe Fiasco, you have been an influence of the young people for some time now. Ever since you emerged nationally on the music scene in 2006, you’ve been the person to speak out against injustice, have helped Africans receive clean drinking water and have fed the hungry.
Unlike most rappers, I believe you’re probably one of the most intelligent and brightest MCs to emerge on the music scene in a long time. What I don’t agree with is how you’ve been criticizing President Barack Obama over his decisions to invade Afghanistan and his alleged “acceptance” of the war in Israel and Palestine.
In your interview with CBS News’s “What’s Trending,” you were asked about the U.S.’s fight against terrorism and your reply was “In my fight against terrorism, to me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America.” You go on to say, “For me, I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s actually causing the other forms of terrorism. The root cause of the terrorism is the stuff that you as a government allow to happen and the foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists. And it’s easy for us because it’s really just some oil, which we can really get on our own.”
Calling the President of the United States, Barack Obama, the “Biggest Terrorist,” is premature and a downright ridiculous statement. We all can agree that the United States government system is flawed. President Obama didn’t flaw the system or create the ridiculous foreign policies that the U.S. government prides itself on. The U.S. government has been flawed and pretty shady since its inception.
Do I think Barack Obama has the power to change the nasty motives and flawed foreign policies of the United States Government? Unfortunately, No. President Obama can’t even get the Republicans and Democrats to agree on health care, the economy, or damn near anything, for that matter.
I totally agree that the United States Government is somewhat a terroristic organization. The past of our government is far from squeaky clean, but it wasn’t Barack Obama who legalized slavery. It wasn’t Barack Obama who murdered the Native Americans one by one during colonization. It wasn’t Barack Obama who rounded up the Japanese and every Asian face in America and put them in internment camps. It wasn’t Barack Obama who wrote and signed the Balfour Declaration of 1917. He, himself, is not the terrorist you should be targeting. I think an overall denouncement of the entire U.S. government would be a better well suited argument.
It was a combination of “forefathers” who terrorized the people of this nation, as well as people of the world, not Barack Obama. If Barack Obama is the “Biggest Terrorist” then terrorism needs a new definition because you and I both know of people who can capitalize the T in terrorism and most of them are in our back yard, literally.
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Chicago has had a huge issue with gang violence. African-American men and women terrorizing each other each and every day, those are the terrorists you should speak out against in interviews. Systemic racism has been a contributor the demise of the Black race, but when does the genocide amongst each other cease to exist?
I think you’d make a far better impact on young African-American men who are plagued with the decision to gang bang and to hustle on the street than calling out President Obama for being a “terrorist” on national television.
If President Barack Obama is a terrorist, then it is me who is a terrorist because I voted for him in 2008. If it is me who is a terrorist, then it is the millions of young people, probably some of your dear fans, who are terrorists. We want a better nation and I agree with your passion and drive to speak out against the things you detest but it is your message and delivery that I can’t agree with.
To this day, I totally disagree with Britain’s Balfour Declaration of 1917. The conflict between Israel and Palestine and the “holy land” has been ongoing since the beginning of time and Britain and America’s blatant disregard of the Palestinians and the systems they had in place in the early 20th century has not helped the genocide and killing on the West Bank and the Gaza strip.
Matter of fact, it’s inflamed the ongoing religious war. Britain made an ill will decision to mandate a national home for the Jews in Palestine. I totally get it. I am a supporter of all religions and understand the importance of the “Holy Land.” Many people don’t understand the conflict of Israel and Palestine and it’s one that is too complex and complicated for this letter I’m writing to you today.
I get it. We as young Americans should stand for something. We should stand up against the bullshit our U.S. politicians preach on the daily, but calling President Obama a “terrorist” when he walked into an already established “terroristic” organization is not the solution.
I love your music, respect your beliefs and admire your passion, but you have to consider the irresponsibility of bold statements such as “Barack Obama is the biggest terrorist.” You’ve used your passion to help Africans receive drinking water. You’ve used your passion to help inner-city youth to obtain food and clothing and you’ve provided scholarships to high school students get to college. So how about on your next interview, you speak out about how gang violence in Chicago and across the nation is the source of African-American genocide.
Inspire young people to stand up against violence in America. Inspire young people to choose school over hustling. Inspire young people to change the world. Instead of criticizing the president, how about inspire, nurture and mentor young men and women to become the well-informed intellectual you are today?
Much love and complete respect.
