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Engine · 05-12-2010, 06:39 PM

I didn't intend to start this thread and I hope it dies a quick natural death but I happened to be posting something on the now closed 'right wing punk?' thread the moment it was closed. First off, I agree with it's closure because there was very little talk about music so it should have been in the Lounge anyway.

But

I want to respond to post #200 of that thread - written by CAPTAIN CAVEMAN in which he simply posted the lyrics to 'Guilty of Being White' by the well known non-right wing punk band, Minor Threat.

I'm not sure what he was trying to add to the discussion by posting that but it brings up a very interesting point which is: Ian MacKaye wrote that song as a minority white teenager in 70s/80s Washington DC. His band was decidedly against right wing politics and he wrote the song from a personal (teenage) perspective. He was routinely harrassed by black kids in his youth because of his race. It's an anti-racist song about his own experience.

I think he's been explaining himself for decades but you can see him explain it himself at some point in his interview with Ian Svenonious. The video is long and that's only one small part but you should watch it all anyway.

05-12-2010, 06:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
Engine air quote Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: pollen & mold Posts: 3,108	Ian MacKaye: right wing? I didn't intend to start this thread and I hope it dies a quick natural death but I happened to be posting something on the now closed 'right wing punk?' thread the moment it was closed. First off, I agree with it's closure because there was very little talk about music so it should have been in the Lounge anyway. But I want to respond to post #200 of that thread - written by CAPTAIN CAVEMAN in which he simply posted the lyrics to 'Guilty of Being White' by the well known non-right wing punk band, Minor Threat. I'm not sure what he was trying to add to the discussion by posting that but it brings up a very interesting point which is: Ian MacKaye wrote that song as a minority white teenager in 70s/80s Washington DC. His band was decidedly against right wing politics and he wrote the song from a personal (teenage) perspective. He was routinely harrassed by black kids in his youth because of his race. It's an anti-racist song about his own experience. I think he's been explaining himself for decades but you can see him explain it himself at some point in his interview with Ian Svenonious. The video is long and that's only one small part but you should watch it all anyway. __________________ Like an arrow, I was only passing through.