Common to the White House, GOP goes insane.

When it was announced that the rapper Common was invited to the White House for a poetry event, the GOP went on the attack. Say what you will about Common, but take a look at his poetry before you do.

 In "A letter to the Law' Common lets his outrage be known and directs it at the police and former President George W. Bush, which he views as corrupt. As someone who lived on the wrong side of the tracks for most of his life, I can understand where Common comes from and I can also see past the negative images aimed at the police and former President and find beauty in the theme and rhyme.

The beauty of Commons poetry is lost on many Republicans. Sarah "Half Governor" Palin praised a story by the Daily Caller that ripped Common for "A Letter To The Law', stating that it was full of death threats towards cops and former President Bush. Karl Rove had much to say on Sean Hannity the other night, calling Common a "thug" among other thing.

Lets face facts here folks. Most old white people are scared to death by rap music. If it was Toby Keith that was invited to read poetry at the White House I highly doubt there would be any problem at all. If you've lived in this country at all, you know that rap music is looked down upon by a large number of old white guys. And the reason they look down on it and are afraid of it is simple, they don't have a clue what life is like in the real world.  Rappers like Common have lived in the worst neighborhoods and have seen first hand how the system has failed those of us from the wrong side of the tracks.

I challenge the likes of Rove and Palin to spend just one year in the public housing of Chicago or on the south-west side of Columbus Ohio. Let them witness how the system has failed these areas for themselves. Then, and only then can what they say about the poetry of Common and other rappers be taken seriously.

Michelle Obama did the right thing by inviting Common to the White House, and anyone who has gone to sleep at night to the sounds of gun fire and sirens knows that.