:cool: Hi Lawgirl here. I am a CJ student and read a book by a man named Sanyika Shakur, aka Monster Kody Scott. Does anyone know him there? Tell him I read his book "The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member" and I will pass it on to other Crim Justice students to check out to get some insight on the situation. :) Thanks

Lawgirl,
Thanks for the feedback on his book. Hopefully someone will pass on your message to him. ;) You may also want to try and dig up his address through CDC and write him about it.

Fed-X

I read the book and was HIGHLY disappointed. It was a good book, but at the back he stated that he believed white and black people should not intermix in society. If I had known ahead of time he was a racist, I never would have paid for the book.

You know fly he is expressing exactly what he feels and that is his right I guess. Alot of people feel that way because of the way their lives have gone. We can pity them instead of hate. That would be a good start for all of us. He was a State-raised person and if get a handle on how that might be -- then you can start to pity them. I know it is hard for all to love all. We have to get rid of the hate man -- on both sides of the coin. Hey thanks for getting back to me Fly I really appreciate your input.
Lawgrl

I have no hate for this man. I just simply wish not to support him by buying his book. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, I simply feel he is entitled to be a bigot, but not on my dime. God bless him, but he has no reason to make the statements he made about white people.

yep your right there fly. Take care and may god bless

Lawgirl:p

Flygirl...

I would like to respond to your point (respectfully), because I feel after reading Monster by Mr. Shakur, I changed my interpretation of certain factors relating to race relations in the United States, because I used to share your opinion. I used to believe that there was no real accountability to "white" people in the Western World.

The institutionalization of slavery was I believed the beginning of racial problems in the Western Hemisphere. I figured that because all of the initial purpotrators of the African Trans-Atlantic slave trade have long since died, how could I for example, be held accountable for the actions of others? Maybe i descended from them, and true, certain people inherit fortunes that began as slavery-related profits. But not me, and certainly not many.

What about the disfranchised indentured servants that predated institutionalized slavery. Irish, Scottish and British peasants being subjected to conditions equally as bad as plantation or domestic slaves. What about the certain Afrikan Americans who held slaves themselves? (because there were a few in South Carolina circa 1800's documented) My only point is, that accountability is very hard to decipher, and responsibility is hard to give out. But there was still a crime committed, by people, not necessarily of one racial group, and not upon people of a certain racial group. People from Syria, China, Souteast Asia, and others were all imported into the Caribbean to be slaves or indentured servants. I mean to say that this issue is about money and greed primarily, that being justified with racism and clearly irrational thinking. Let me explain further.

This question of the causes of the slave trade drove me to learn more about the subject, and after reading books, like Eric Williams, "Capitalism and Slavery," and Marx's works, namely the Manifesto and his historical analysis, I have since changed the perspective I bring to reading books like Monster.

Ok, so what does this mean for your point... We must understand the amount of brute abuse given to Afrikan peoples was pretty much always administered by European people. Also, the institutions that are in place to repress the communities that have been historically oppressed are built for one purpose. That purpose being to keep a certain aspect of 'order' over a people who have been a treated in economic terms for centuries. I believe that slavery was a result of greed and racism was the justification of the means for feeding that desire. When you look at the people who own the means of production today, they don't care what race gets oppressed. Now there is no need to mask greed. That is the gift of Neo-Conservatism and its economic policy.

I think Monster is a good example of a work that deserves a Marxist analysis. Please ask yourself this one question before responding. If Shakur had used the word "oppressor" or "owner of the means of production," or, bourgeoisie, (or petty-bourgoisie) every time of using "white," and used the word "oppressed," or, "prolitariate" every time he wrote "Afrikan" or "black," would his book offend you any less?

He notes Afrikan security guards beating afrikan prisoners, with a troubled reaction. He faces racism by every mechanism of the government, how should this man be expected to percieve race? If social justice existed (because now it certainly does not) would Shakur still "hate white people?" i believe not, because something would change, something would have to be different. And if Afrikans inherited all the power of the US right now, and didn't change the oppressive systems already in place (Note Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe), and used it for greed and plunder, would Shakur condemn that government as well? I should hope so.

sorry this is so long. what do you think?










I just simply wish not to support him by buying his book... I simply feel he is entitled to be a bigot, but not on my dime...he has no reason to make the statements he made about white people.

Monster Cody is not housed at PBSP.

Kody has been in and out and in and out. Currently in I believe. He has children and a wife (I think they are still married). I was sad when he went back in. He has alot of potential to do positive work. He is very bright and articulate!