I first heard of Macklemore from my granddaughters, who were in love
with his "Thriftstore" music video. Then my friend, MaryAnn, a
grandmother, raved on for months about his stuff. Seattle loves
Macklemore, and he just shut down a freeway in protest to what's going
down in Ferguson.
Whatever reaction goes down around the
country is really the people flinching under the lash. Ferguson has its
details, and they matter, just like every other time, when the details
mattered and the community--our country--bears the blow again and again.
Each time a black person gets gunned down it's another flick of the
whip, and if the people jerk around in pain and break something, it's no
surprise.
What's called for is solidarity, a hand
restraining the whip, an outcry of protest. Solidarity stops a bully,
and it's needed now. Things can't be right until black people aren't
being gunned down. Macklemore put his body in harm's way to stop this
shit. Being willing to step up when it really matters counts for a lot.
Much respect, Macklemore.
