Nigger and other words that hurt

I have been debating whether or not to voice my opinion on this issue, but after I watched Oprah's "After Imus" show, I felt as if I must. It seems like Hip Hop is now the new target for their misogonistic and derogatory lyrics, videos and artist persona. And just by watching the show, I got upset all over again. But you may be surprised as to why I am upset. In this world, there is no 100% right and no perfect people walk this great land, but by the way people point fingers, its as if we as black people are walking around here with blinders on. Once again, we are playing out the old slave mentality of going against each other as if we are the enemy. To go after recording artists in the hip hop or rap genre is ludicrous to me. Anyone with any knowledge of "da business" knows damn well the power that creative directors and industry execs have over the careers and images of those in hip hop. So to start attacking artists who aren't with being broke, is not a smart thing to do. The problem lies within the black community. The moment we allowed ourselves as a people to fulfill the stereotypes and accept certain ways of life within our homes and lives, there is where the problem began. Somewhere along the road, we as a people accepted single parent families and bringing children into the world outside of the reigns of marriage. Somewhere along the road, pursuing higher education or maintaining a job didn't become a priority. Somewhere down the road, respect and dignity for oneself became thrown by the wayside. And that my dear, is where we went wrong and the flood gates blew wide open. Somehow, the affluent black person got too busy to reach down and help their own kin or become a tool to uplift his/her own. Somehow, the struggling black person, forgot his/her worth and began to wallow in their pain and we all know misery loves company. We have to accept the responsibilty that we made it okay for the word nigger to be used widespread, and women to be referred as bitches, whores, sluts and okay for young women of color to be scantily dressed on a daily basis okay, when we know good and well its not. Damn the man or woman who says that they are not a role model. In these days, we have to be role models for adults too! Folks minds are so impressionable and some folks are trying their damnest to keep up with the "Joneses" that its not even funny. Its time to stand up and state boldy what you represent and who you are. As for me, I am a woman of faith, respect and responsibility if I am anything at all. Those are the 3 things that has catapulted me to where I am today. And its time we voice that so those around you will know how you got on the right track and stay on it. It's not some big mystery, its not a big secret. The spoken word has so much power, please learn to use it. You never know who is struggling and its so easy to get caught up in the easy fixes (sex, lies & videotapes), and those easy fixes in life lead to self destruction. We have been so busy dwelling in our hurt, that we have overlooked that we are about the only people on God's green earth that has hardly any unity, sit back and let folks make jokes about us, exploit us all over the media, and allow our youth to become products of their environments. Until the black American that pointing the finger at hip hop, start pointing the finger at him/herself, then I don't have any respect for their opinion. Start sweeping around your own front door, including your own families before you start blaming any outside influence on the degradation of black people. Just my two cents ya'll and I let it rest. Feedback is welcomed