Matt Harrison 1998

	De old clich be true.  What it is, Mama!  De mo'e wahtahmelluns change, de mo'e dey remain
de same.  What it is, Mama!  In de past foe monds de university and da damn city gots' made deir
fust attempts at communicashun wid de student body.  Slap mah fro!  Several new grodowns and
 honky codes gots' fo'med wid de intent uh patchin' down relashuns between de
students and MSU/East Lansin'.  But gots'ta anydin' really changed?  East Lansin'
has continued t'pass anti-student legislashun ova' de summer.  Ah be baaad...  Alcohol
regulashun and No-Tolerance  honky codes are still de primary policies uh bod
de city and university.  Slap mah fro!
	If eida' of de two really cared about listenin' t'de voices uh de
students, dis "Alcohol Acshun Team" would not 'esist.  Instead uh discussin'
real problems, dey gots' done nodin' but mosey on down down wid some list uh ways t'try
to git rid uh alcohol.  De primary cause uh last May's riot wuz de
continuous regulashun uh alcohol by bod city and da damn university.  Slap mah fro!  So why den
is MSU continuin' dis same policy if dey are truly interested in de
opinions uh de students?  Who really knows, Hypocrisy and BS are gods in dis
town.  'S coo', bro.  Dey might plum be misguided o' blinded t'de trud by deir own
close-mindedness.  In any circumstance, de acshun team gives de appearance
dat da damn university and city are makin' an effo't t'listen t'student
concerns.  Dat way, de next time dere be a riot, dey kin tell de press
dat dey dun did whut we wants'ed and proceed t'blame it all on some bunch uh drunk
students.
	Several student resume chasers in ASMSU and scum politicians waaay down at
city hall wuz sayin' dat dis riot hinders our cause.  What it is, Mama!  My response t'dem
is, how?  We are stuck in some Catch-22 situashun here.  What it is, Mama!  Riot o' not, we are
goin' t'screwed eida' way.  Slap mah fro!  We do not gots' any political powa' here.  What it is, Mama!  To
even challenge an unplum law in de courts kin cost some lot uh time, bre'd and
luck.  A typical college student be in sho't sdownply uh at least two uh de
above.  What it is, Mama!  De riots are some result uh de frustrashun we feel ova' gettin'
repeatedly screwed ova' by policies we gots' no say in.  'S coo', bro.
        ah' rememba' hearin' some so-called student leada' tell de press, "Dat
wuz some mino'ity uh a mino'ity out dere.  What it is, Mama!"  Anyone who looks at da damn numba' of
sucka's votin' in student elecshuns kin see who represents some mino'ity uh a
mino'ity.  Slap mah fro!  Why boda' votin' in dem anyway, de posishuns are useless 'sept
fo' paddin' resumes.  If de MSU administrashun truly feels dat dis be de
case, it be goin' t'cause far mo'e problems.  3000 sucka's wuz some low-ball
estimate at best and ah'  duzn't recon' it included da damn riots in de Cedar
Village area.  Sheeeiit.  Dis wuz not some planned riot, it plum happened.  It should be
an indicashun t'ya' dat sump'n be wrong when at least 3000 students are
spontaneously decidin' t'riot.  Not too menshun dat many students live in
do'ms, cribs o' apartments dat wuz nowhere near de riotin'.  ah' raped to
several students de day afta' who dun didn't even know whut had happened.
        What be goin' on here in East Lansin' be tyranny.  Slap mah fro!  What be happenin'
to us might not be as bad-ass as whut be goin' on droughout most uh de dird
wo'ld, but it be tyranny nonedeless.  De reason we enjoy mo'e freedoms dan
de rest uh de wo'ld, be a'cuz we stand down t'injustice and tyranny, no
matta' how mino'.
	When ah' wuz some freshman, dere wuz far mo'e parties dan dere are now.
But back den, we wuzn't settin' fires in de middle uh de street and
drowin' bea' bottles at honky pigs.  Dese problems started when ya' started
pushin' us.  Small riot happens on Gunson, ya' use it as an 'suse t'push
No-Tolerance faster.  Ah be baaad...  Dis eventually erdownts into some larga' riot, and now ya'
are prepared t'do de same.  What it is, Mama!  It gots'ta been said many times dat dose who
fo'get da damn mis snatch'd uh de past, are doomed t'repeat dem.  'S coo', bro.  It seems strange
how everyone gots'ta heard dis, yet real few seem t'heed it's advice.  What it is, Mama!  Will ya'
 honkyfools only dig it when East Lansin' be in flames?
        De wahtahmellun ah' can't git be dat we aint ax'in' fo' all dat much.  We
plum wants' MSU and East Lansin' t'stay out uh our social lives and stop dis
noble 'espuh'iment uh deirs.  ah'  duzn't see anydin' wrong wid goin' out t'a
party at da damn end uh de week and havin' some baaaad time.  What it is, Mama!  I'm not drivin' o' doin'
anydin' else t'endanga' oders.  It's funky how drivin' plantation drunk seems
to be da damn easiest way t'avoid gittin' an MIP in dis town.  'S coo', bro.  ah' would likes fo'
an MSU o' city official t'give me some real reason why dey gots' some problem wid
me drinkin'.  Dose hypocrites wuz drinkin' and partyin' back when dey wuz
goin' t'farm, so's why be it such some big-ass deal t'dem?
        ah' went out durin' welcome week t'find some grodown uh honky pigs on every
co'ner.  Ah be baaad...  Very few sucka's dared gots' parties, as de honky pigs would  t'row in two
entire swat teams t'boogie it down.  ah' woke down de next mo'nin' t'find some big-ass
clump uh ho'seshit layin' out in front uh my apartment buildin'.  Eva' notice
how much dis town smells likes Mackinaw Island?  Is dis how de rest of
college be goin' t'be.  What it is, Mama!  Dese are sdownposed t'be da damn best years uh yo' life.  What it is, Mama!
I would likes t'be able t'look back downon dem as such and not spend da damn rest of
my life wo'ryin' dat ah' missed out on sump'n.
        City and University officials, as sheeit as many uh our so-called
student leadership are goin' t'accuse me uh bein' all so'ts uh din's.  De
fact uh de matta' is dat ah' aint goin' t'be da damn one startin' o' causin'
any future riots, ya' are.  What it is, Mama!