It is very hard to ask this without sounding racist, but what the Hell is wrong with African-America? It's not just that anti-social thugs like Tupac and Tookie Williams --- who epitomize the destructive values of violence, drug use, irresponsibility and conspicuous consumption that destroy communities --- are elevated and revered, but then cities like Detroit re-elected sleazy scumbag Kwame Kilpatrick as mayor in the face of over-whelming evidence of political corruption, ditto John Street in Philadelphia, Ditto Marion Berry in DC. What the Hell is going on with that?

Maybe if Mr. and Mrs. America would listen, they would hear that Tupac and others wanted more than anything, to effect change in urbania. That message is lost on you, because you see a black man with money and power, and that threatens you.

Everyone in this country does not desire the tenets of christianity and conservatism.

That message is lost on you, because you see a black man with money and power, and that threatens you.

Is that why Chuck Schumer had his aides illegally acquire Michael Steele's credit reports? Was he threatened by a Black man with money and power.

Seriously, Senator Byrd, you are so full of shit. Are you honestly saying that Tupac's values of money, drug use, violence, and disposable ho's are equal or superior to Christian conservative values of commitment, family, and responsibility?

(And I concede, these values are not always lived up to, but when lived up to, or at least held out as an ideal, whose values are better for society?)

C'mon V the K...Don't you know that left is right? Up is down? Evil is good? Tupac was (is?) truly a man of the people. His shining good works and kind acts are the examples that should be followed by all inner city youth.

Everyone in this country does not desire the tenets of christianity and conservatism.

Sure, people like serial killers, pimps, drug dealers, child molesters, rapists, gang criminals, and left-wing Democrats have no desire whatsoever for conservative Christian morality.

Seeing a man with a gun killing people in gang wars threatens me, Senator Byrd.

Colin Powell and Condi Rice (black people with money and power) don't threaten me. Neither do Chris Rock, Oprah Winfrey, Damon Wayans, etc. Then again, to the best of my knowledge, none of those were gangbangers either.

Nice of you to make a moral equivalency with a violent murdering gang member, though.

Yup. He wanted to affect change so badly, he was willing to go to jail for it ....

.... er ...

Neither do Chris Rock, Oprah Winfrey, Damon Wayans, etc.

Actually, if I were standing between Oprah and a free buffet, I would feel threatened.

Tupac and/or his crew shot a friend of mine and his brother outside the Colony Square hotel in Atlanta. Just a couple of guys out with their wives for an evening to celebrate one of them passing the bar. That's all, just white people in the way. A few years later, I did a sales call on Memorial Drive in Atlanta, turns out it was Tupac's mom who was going to build the Tupac Center for Whatever (Hate Whitey?). The second I realized who she was I told her I couldn't do business with her, and explained why. She screamed that I was a white devil, and called my boss. Who told her to stick up her ass. I never really liked him, but I sure did like that. Tupac, and his mom were and are garbage.

First off, more violence has been committed in the name of religion than any number of gang references you might be able to find.

Christian moral values are great, unless you happen to be gay, a minority, muslim, poor, or of the school of free thought. Your moral high horse is now smaller than a poodle, and even less real.

Well, Rob, I am a free thinker, that would be an atheist. So, the religious attack on me is kind of stupid. My moral high horse consists of I don't shoot people, that's all, and I think that people that live that kind of lifestyle, and people who glorify them are dumb/garbage. The fact of the matter is it happened. The fact of the matter is Tupac Shakur was no great person. He was a criminal. I'm not, and you apparently can't read. What's the problem, truth hurts?

You're not that important, Donald. My comment was not a shot at you, in particular.

Help me out, Senator Byrd. Which Christian morals are bad? Honesty? Fidelity? Charity? Respect for life? Service to others? Humility? Which of these evil values do you hate so much?

Well Rob, I realize that, but you're still very stupid, and defender of bigotry, hatred, and all that is evil.