When discussing the generation gap, many issues surface. In this article in Newsweek, issues such as music, morals, and goals arise with the wide gulf of generations in the black community. Older Americans continue to be separated from the growing hip-hop culture, and they, along with the hip-hop community, have not yet learned how to deal with this separation. Music is one of the largest rifts between the civil rights generation and the hip-hop generation. An increase in violence, sex, and disrespect in modern music reflects the increase in violence, sex, and disrespect in the modern pop culture. This is the view of younger black Americans. Older Americans feel that the violent and sexually explicit music is the cause of such chaos and degradation of our society. Morals have declined, and this is evident even in the professional world of the NBA. Disrespect for referees and other players dominate the court by younger players. The word "nigga" is used with no remorse, conviction, or thought of being inappropriate and inconsiderate. Goals have changed considerably with the generations. Older black Americans fought for rights that the hip-hop community takes for granted. Racism is much more subtle in this pop culture; and we don't fight against it because we don't know how. We're not taught how to continue the struggle. All we know is "that you have to get yours and don't worry about nobody"(Ice Cube, p.55). Yes, I agree with the writer that there is a definite gulf in the values of older Americans and the values of the new hip-hop culture. Older Americans struggled for their rights. They worked for every inch of luxury they enjoy today. Today's emerging pop culture, though, has lived off the sweat of the ones who have gone before them. They have no reason for unity. They have no need for morals because they live for themselves. They're just 'out to get theirs'. Many factors can cause a generation gap.
