Letters

A recent email from a longtime reader of my blog questioned why I continue to write in opposition to “Bridget the Third.” This email was not written in her support, as the writer also believes that she would be the weakest candidate to challenge Lee Zeldin, or whomever the Republicans put up to run. Rather, the email suggested, I should increase the subject matter and thus help rally the Democrats to come out and vote this November — the congressional election is in 2022, over a year away.

When a new generation becomes of adult age, the older generations say and do whatever they can to maintain their power. I’m sure readers of my generation remember what was said about us: Rock and roll was the devil’s music, and Elvis Presley was going to destroy Western civilization — yeah, right.

In our house, MSNBC is the station most viewed. Ari Melber is a young political commentator whose show airs at dinnertime. Ari’s credits include working as a prosecutor in the prestigious office of the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, so it might seem out of character that he is also an authority on rap music, but he is.

It is from this feature of his show that I have gained a little understanding and appreciation of rap — the poetry of the 21st century. One rapper, Lecrae, who is in the genre “Christian rap,” has a rap titled “Gimme a Second,” which contains a verse that answers the original question above:

And people say I talk about the same ole thang

Reason that I sound the same ’cause the Truth don’t change

Stephen Ring

Hampton Bays