Why did one straw break the camel's back?_x000D_ _x000D_ Here's the secret:_x000D_ _x000D_ The million other straws underneath it.
Mos DefRead
Beef is not what Jay said to Nas;_x000D_ _x000D_ Beef is when the working folks can't find jobs.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the real struggles of everyday people rather than trivial disputes.
Mos Def's quote emphasizes that societal issues, such as unemployment and economic hardship, are the true sources of conflict (or 'beef') in life. Instead of focusing on personal or celebrity disputes, he points out that the everyday struggles of the working class are what truly matter and deserve attention.
In practice
During a protest, one could quote this to highlight the importance of addressing unemployment.
Why did one straw break the camel's back?_x000D_ _x000D_ Here's the secret:_x000D_ _x000D_ The million other straws underneath it.
I come from a family of very devout, praying people. That idea of peace and love toward humanity shouldn't be nationalistic or denominational. It should be a chief concern for all mankind.
Peace before everything, God before anything,_x000D_ _x000D_ Love before anything, real before everything,_x000D_ _x000D_ Home before any place, shoot before anything,_x000D_ _x000D_ Style and state radiate, Love Power slay the hate.
Hip-hop is a beautiful culture. It's inspirational, because it's a culture of survivors. You can create beauty out of nothingness.
If 'Life in Marvelous Times' can't get on the radio, then I don't need to be on the radio.
The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis. Shinin', like "Who on top of this?
Black women usually don't get the luxury of faking their way through life and still succeeding, but when a white guy does it, he may even get to be the president of the United States.
I'm very much interested in getting prisons off the stock market. I'm very much interested in upgrading the public school system... and taking a second look at capital punishment.
Discrimination has a lot of layers that make it tough for minorities to get a leg up.
The only news most people ever hear about the inner city comes from grim headlines; the only residents they can name are characters on 'The Wire.' Of course, ignorance of a community doesn't stop outsiders from having opinions about it or passing laws that govern it.
When the human race neglects its weaker members, when the family neglects its weakest one - it's the first blow in a suicidal movement. I see the neglect in cities around the country, in poor white children in West Virginia and Virginia and Kentucky - in the big cities, too, for that matter.
Race impacts 90 percent of our society - and I'm probably undershooting that figure. I find this fascinating and like to address it when pertinent.
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