NYC governor Eliot Spitzer responded to Russell Simmons comments to describe his stance on the Rockefeller drug laws, Russell said Eliot Spitzer is failing to live up to his promises to reform the state’s strict drug laws.
“I’m very disappointed in the governor. I should say that the hip hop is getting ready to get in his a**,”Russell Simmons said Tuesday.
Simmons says Governor Eliot Spitzer talked a good game about reforming the Rockefeller drug laws.“He promised all of us that he would do something about this prison reform issue,” said Simmons. African Americans and Latinos are hit especially hard, making up 91 percent of those behind bars. The laws account for 21 percent of the prison population, the laws are among the strictest in the nation, demanding sentences for the sale or possession of drugs.
“I will continue to support efforts to reform these laws,” Spitzer said,“We’re trying to come up with something that is reasoned that will maintain safety. People should not forget, we have seen a dramatic drop in crime over the years in New York State,” said Eliot Spitzer . “And that’s because I can say this as a prosecutor – we prosecute crimes, we’re tough, we lock up those that are guilty. And so we have to be very measured and reasoned in what we do.”
Eliot Spitzer and Simmons are still friends regardless of remarks from both parties.
1 comment:
Russle Simmons, please give me a break. Either you have a political movement or you don't. It appears that you do not. We did not see you organizing and delivering votes in the past two elections despite your claims and threats. You have not influenced any social or economic policies in a way that have benefitted black folk. In fact, your claim that hip hop has done more for the African American community than the Civil Rights movement, because blacks and whites can now date openly or because whites buy hip hop music is rediculous and panders to the rich entertainers in the rap industry. Your comments also show that you either have little knowledge about African American's political history, the current economic and social realities of most of our people, or the political process, or that you do not really care. The Civil Rights Movement delivered for my generation and earlier ones -- jobs, anti-discrimination laws, affordable housing, clen air acts, education and upward mobility, etc. Can you make that claim about the Hip Hop political movement? Is it delivering these things to the current generation, or is it standing idly by while our community and particularly those in your democraphic, continue in a downward spiral? I agree with your criticism of Spitzer, and I congratulate you in taking this stand. Since this has not happened before, and the article states that despite your dissatisfaction with Spitzer regarding this matter, you to are still friends, I have to admit that I am suspicious of your motivation for these comments. With the increasing number of rappers going to jail, I can see why you would want a voice in the matter. I personally have nothing personal against you, and I want to see more successful business people in our community. But be careful when you say that you are speaking for the hip hop community, thus young African American voters. You don't speak for me, nor other African American females. You could have spoken for us when it counted, but you chose not to. Truly, at the risk of sounding disrepectful, which is not my intent, I wish that you would simply sit down and shut up!
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