Editor,
The KUNM radio station airs a program called "Street Beat" Fridays and Saturdays from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. I am a gay man living in rural New Mexico, and as much as I love good music, the stuff played on the program, for the most part, is degrading to people. Not only is the music homophobic, racist and sexist, it also tries to define maleness through a warped perspective of gang culture. I am speaking out against this diatribe of fear and oppression that these young people are perpetuating from the safe confines of the radio station. Just because there is popular consent does not mean it is right.
Let me provide a few quotes from the March 9 program: One singer said, "That faggot, that punk, that sissy," and another put down white men, saying, "White rappers that jack off," and another said, "Ain't got no key to no
cities, but I can pick a lock," followed by, "Forensics is still trying to figure how I killed it. . ." How about, "Mean girls suck, and nice girls swallow," "I got a lot of coke," "On the elevator holding my dick," "The Chinese guy I'm stabbing," "Put lead in your ass," or "Clips inserted into my gun, so that I can take the money and run..." ?
The music is being played on KUNM, where a large chunk of its annual operating revenue comes from business contributors, and additional support comes directly from listeners like myself. I really do not appreciate the level of hatred and self-hatred that is emanating from KUNM.
Real men don't need guns, and they don't judge themselves by the size of their penises, the women they put down, how many times they can say "faggot" in a song, or by encouraging hate crimes against immigrants, minorities, homosexuals and women. I should be ashamed, because I graduated from UNM, and I want to represent my school with integrity.
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We are all living in a world filled with war, famine and desperation. Perpetuating stereotypes and encouraging hate crimes on Friday and Saturday nights is wrong. These young people should know better. Don't they attend classes at the University where any of this language would be reprimanded? Have they not learned respect of other cultures? Don't they have any awareness?
Who is supervising this weekend of hate? Does Tristan Clum, the production director, ever listen to this show? Is everyone so high on cocaine and alcohol that they just don't care anymore? These questions deserve to be answered. Do you think the corporate sponsors - local and international institutions with high profiles - would really want to support this show just so young people can perpetuate the problems facing New Mexicans today? If I don't speak out, who will?
Jeffrey Bullard
UNM-Taos alumnus
