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Jack Blazy

Professor Granillo

English 101

2 December 2019

Whos is a Patriot?

Not many people notice struggle unless it is truly on their shoulders. No one seems to

care about pain until it happens to them. This is especially true in The U.S.A, where many people

are met with difficulties within the countries and the division of people. America seems to put its

problems under the rug and never address them. This leads to even less common ground and

keeps people more separated. People have progressively started to see America’s negative sides

and now want to start correcting their mistakes. American patriots need to spread awareness of

the ongoing problems in the US like racism, problems in relationships, and growing

homelessness rates.

Recently I have been listening to Kanye West and his older music, because it has really

caught my attention how forward it is. It shows a lot in his character that instead of holding back

and having metaphorical lyrics, he directly tells the listener what he is thinking. This could have

also resulted in backlash for his position in politics and his close connections to President Donald

Trump. Aside from his political view, West brings up interesting topics, like race problems, in

his rap music. In ​New Slaves,​ by Kanye West, he brings up the idea that racism can come in

many forms. It seems as if what West is going for is to show that racism is everywhere; and that

we need to address it and not fight it. There is a connection between West’s song and an article

called, ​RACISM IS RACISM NO MATTER THE COLOR, SO FORGET ABOUT `REVERSE

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RACISM', t​ hat deals with this concept of fight or flight with racism. Annie Yarensky-Seaberry,

the author of the article, demonstrates that our problem as a society is to, “​stop labelin​g racism

a​nd start recognizing it” (Yarensky-Seaberry). Everyone needs to come together and settle our

differences to further ourselves as a society. Kanye West realises the state of America, how

racism plagues the country, but recognizes the irony of minorities. The irony that minorities are

the ​New Slaves, ​and that they have gone from getting out of their chains, to go buy chains to put

around their necks. West understands the faults that stunts minorities from success and knows

that racism is a major factor of it. If we all fight each other mindlessly, then nothing will be

accomplished as a society. We need to bring people up, not push a group down to bring another

group higher. When I look at current media it seems to be a large race war. Once we finally

accept that everyone is different in their own way, then we can get to the scale down of racism.

Kanye West is able to share his views of racism to his rap audience, and spread awareness of

racism’s affects.

Playboi Carti defines being a African American who is successful at working hard and

long at something in his intro song to ​Die Lit​ called ​Long Time​. This is, of course, by means of

his music career and his way of getting the job done. He was able to come up from nothing and

rise to get success on Soundcloud. Carti did not attend college, but he still managed to achieve

his goals as one of the most popular rappers. Playboi Carti is an example that minorities and the

African American community can be successful. Carti spreads awareness that people do not have

to go the society forced way of college, and that you can be successful if you have a plan. He

explains his dedication of not coming in last, and that the American dream is possible.Many

believe that it is inevitable that one will fail, however, that is a weak mindset to have. Playboi
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Carti sets an example that you can enjoy your success, and that you don’t have to be ashamed by

it. Many people prefer not to talk about how well they are doing, and that sent a strange tone in

society that people are not allowed to feel good when their profession is triumphant. If someone

truly works hard, even in the state of America, they will be able to find their way to succeed.

However, his does not mean that American is perfect, and racism is not the only complication in

the United States.

In Fleetwood Mac’s song ​Dreams​, the band beautifully glazes over how relationships in

America are very damaged. Not many people speak about this sort of topic or think about

bringing it up in an intellectual way. Just as Fleetwood Mac may seem to do in the song, people

in relationships only gloss over the negatives that relationships have. Many people do not look

for love, they seem to care more for action or a night with someone. This seems to be a

dangerous way of taking relationships for granted in America. In ​Dreams, ​Fleetwood Mac paints

a picture of someone being used by saying “you say/ You want your freedom/Well who am I to

keep you down” (Mac). As Americans, we are constantly desensitised to the importance of

having an individual to truly love you, and the interactions between that person. Fleetwood Mac

brings up the importance of knowing if a relationship is good or not. Personally, I think

relationships should be meaningful and thought in them. I believe that children should be taught

about the Fleetwood Mac not only spreads awareness of bad relationships, but the band also

portrays how to be smart in a relationship.

The United States of America has been facing rough homelessness problems. Phil Collins

does an amazing job of bringing this important topic into the light in his song ​Another Day in

Paradise.​ He explains that we take for granted how good are lives really are. Even the song
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being in 1989, it is still a very prevalent issue. A study showed in the article, “Prevalence and

Risk Factors for Homelessness and Utilization of Mental Health Services Among 10,340 Patients

With Serious Mental Illness in a Large Public Mental Health System” David P. Folsom brings up

statistics about the homeless that portray how America pushes its problems under the rug. David

P. Folsom explains that, ​“ Homelessness is a serious problem among patients with severe mental

illness; interventions focusing on potentially modifiable factors such as substance use disorders

and a lack of Medicaid need to be studied in this population” (Folsom). Through this

information, one is able to come to the conclusion that this homelessness can be averted if

correctly attended to. Phil Collins is a patriot for giving awareness to the homelessness problem

in America, and to show the importance of not taking what you have for granted.

For many, America does not seem like a socially or politically comfortable place to live

in. This is unfortunate because there is so much potential that America has to be a sound place.

However, public figures with large platforms have been putting a stand to injustices in the US,

and are trying to fix the weak spot in America. Musical artists, such as Kanye West, Phil Collins,

Fleetwood Mac, and Playboi Carti, have exposed themselves to the public for the greater good.

They go against their status quo and make music that doesn’t usually fit their usual topics.

Through this act of kindness, their actions are responsible for the awareness of negatives in the

United States. In their own way, and the musician's own genre, they have proven what it means

to be a patriot. Since these musical artists guide generations to come, and plant helping ideas for

our country, they redefine what it means to care about one’s country.
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Works Cited

West, Kanye. “New Slaves.” Yeezus, track 4. Def Jam Records, 2013, Spotify,

https://open.spotify.com/track/0HMCdlOPJkAGlB0MlSWIcO?si=_DSybCqKTO-MsPNqI-uLB

Collins, Phil. “Another Day in Paradise.” ...But Seriously, deluxe ed., track 7. Rhino

Entertainment Company, 2016, Spotify,

https://open.spotify.com/track/1NCuYqMc8hKMb4cpNTcJbD?si=93-c1FFtQLOAOrX083b3ew

Mac, Fleetwood. “Dreams.” Rumours, deluxe ed., track 2. Warner Records Inc, 2013, Spotify,

https://open.spotify.com/track/5m5XW67LO8x72K0GusruVA?si=9dXPca-kQ8CwERUdvBjhk

Carti, Playboi. “Long Time.” Die Lit, track 1. AWGE/ Interscope Records

RACISM IS RACISM NO MATTER THE COLOR, SO FORGET ABOUT `REVERSE

RACISM': BROWARD METRO EDITION]. (1999, Mar 17). ​Sun Sentinel​ Retrieved from

http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/3882747

19?accountid=38295

Folsom, D. P., Hawthorne, W., Lindamer, L., Gilmer, T., & al, e. (2005). Prevalence and risk

factors for homelessness and utilization of mental health services among 10,340 patients with

serious mental illness in a large public mental health system.​ The American Journal of

Psychiatry, 162​(2), 370-6. Retrieved from

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http://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2048/login?url=https://ezproxy.canyons.edu:2457/docview/2204816

69?accountid=38295