Promoting Murder is Not a “Cultural Prospective"

I have posted before about the outrage of Buju Banton's nomination for a Grammy in the best reggae category. No one who glorifies the murder of other human beings should receive any form of positive recognition. In return for my remarks, I have received some pretty down right nasty and threatening comments (which I did not publish), some of which have argued that "respect" should be given to Banton's "cultural perspective." This argument is, of course, utter bullshit and is nothing less than a license for any type of bad behavior if taken to its logical extreme. Under this theory, there was a time in the USA's Deep South that lynching "niggers" might have be considered as a cultural perspective for some, but it most certainly is not something to be promoted with honors bestowed on performers singing about such murders. When something is wrong, it is wrong - regardless some one's attempt to blame the culture in which he/she was raised to excuse wrongful behavior. Would Banton supporters want someone who sings about murdering black Jamaicans honored? Somehow, I suspect not. GLAAD has taken out a full page ad in Variety (a larger copy can be found here) condemning both Banton and his nomination for a Grammy award. Here are some highlights:
*
In "Boom, Bye Bye," which Banton wrote as a youth and continues to perform, he sings that "batty bwoy" and "batty man" (slurs equivalent to "fa--ot") "have to die" and he will "shoot them in the head" or "burn them." As recently as three months ago, he refused requests to stop performing the song.
*
Another song, "Batty Rider" from Banton's 1993 record, "Mr. Mention," glorifies the shooting of gay men. And in October 2009, Banton was quoted in news reports as saying: "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and fa--ots.'"
*
This type of music has fueled anti-gay violence here and especially in Banton's home country of Jamaica, where hate crimes against gay men and lesbians--including murder--are common and sometimes celebrated.
*
Performers who glorify the murder of gay people through their music aren't reflecting a "political or cultural perspective," or "politics," they're reflecting their hatred and promoting brutal and illegal violence against a group of innocent people. And to honor an artist such as Buju Banton, honors his extraordinarily hateful work.
*
I sincerely hope that during the awards tonight, the voters do the right thing as pass over Banton, who is currently in a federal lock up on charges for intent to distribute cocaine. If we are lucky, Mr. Banton will get convicted on the pending charges and will not be be performing his foul music in public for a long, long time.