"Wake up, Mr. West! Wake up, Mr. West!"
For anyone who had been a fan of Mr. West, since his early days wearing a backpack, they will remember the aforementioned 8 words that comes in the introductory track of his amazing album, "Late Registration." Those words can be a reminder to any individual of the need to have his/her eyes open and being aware of impending wisdom or helpful information that they are soon to receive.
This may be taking place with Kanye West's recent support of conservative commentator Candace Owens. Some tweets from April 21 and April 25, among many others around this period, possibly reveal a man being open to new information and possibly making some political changes due to what he has heard. With West, a person who has a history of controversial remarks, you never know what may be exactly going on in his mind.
It has been interesting watching the reactions that he has received though.
He has been threatened by one rapper, Congresswoman Maxine Waters was not supportive apparently, others were hypocritical about his opinions, he was called a darling of the alt-right, and there was mixed responses on Twitter of course. While the Left have been unhappy campers about West's recent statements, the Right should not be so quick to embrace him either, especially if it is to satisfy some desire to have a well-known celebrity speak for us when they say the things we supposedly like.
West expressing himself as he does will always draw major reactions. That may be partly why he reveals his innermost thoughts in the way that he does. However, there are times when it is best to keep your thoughts on particular issues that are made up of a number of complexities to yourself. He may be new to the information that he is receiving, therefore, it may come out in an inarticulate manner when excited about telling others what he has possibly learned.
That is why I am not startled or easily agitated at West saying that slavery was a choice. As illogical and misbegotten as the statement was tumbling out of his mouth, it gives me no cause to be emotional about it and feel hurt. Celebrities affirm views that I disagree with all of the time and I feel no need to shed a tear or blurt out my opinion (to anyone who will listen) in an outrage.
It just brings back to memory the importance of thinking through information that one has received and being thoughtful enough to be able to back it up with facts and logic.
I am hesitant and slightly skeptical at West's recent outward support of Trump. I am not willing to embrace him as a conservative or, even libertarian, brother just yet. Conservatism and libertarianism demand thoughtfulness as well: empty ideologies made for some form of unsustainable demagoguery, they are not.
When Kanye starts to tweet or post quotes from those thoughtful conservative individuals, the likes of Dr. Thomas Sowell, Dr. Walter E. Williams, Larry Elder, Jonah Goldberg, Russell Kirk, and/or Ben Shapiro, then I will gladly appreciate the outward manifestation of a celebrity's ingestion of some truth serum. Until then, I will watch somewhat halfheartedly at his rants on social media and the responses it generates, while remaining skeptical and cynical of the motivation behind those posts and the tempting idea that he really has moved to the Right.
Jerome Danner is a member of Project 21, an initiative of The National Center for Public Policy Research. Follow him on Twitter (@DannerJerome) and Facebook (Facebook.com/ThITwithJDanner) for more of his thoughts and commentary. To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.