I Didn't Steal Your Dreadlocks, Asshole.

Going to go off track a little here from the usual music-based posts to something I felt needed to be brought up.

Here is the scene -
It's 7:30am and I've just BARELY caught the Green Line train at the El Segundo station. It's usually empty but as we grow nearer to Compton it starts to fill up. A large Jamaican guy gets on the train, glares at me, puts his headphones in and continues to stare.
The train stops at the transfer to the Blue Line and I exit the train. The large Jamaican follows.
I get on my train, now north-bound to Downtown Los Angeles. I snag a seat before the train fills up and I open my copy of The Dark Tower 4; Wizard and Glass (great book by the way...).
Enter; The Large Jamaican.

The train starts moving again and he takes off his headphones, rolls them up and puts them in his pocket. He takes off his sunglasses, folds each arm down carefully and puts them in his other pocket. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath and then confronts me;
"'Eh WHITE Boy," he says in a Jamaican accent just as thick as he is, "Wha do ya t'ink ya doin' wit ya hair like dat, huh?"
Uhh... What?
He proceeds to verbally tear me a new asshole for the next 10 minutes about how I am an abbomonation and a discusting piece of work because I STOLE his peoples look. I STOLE from the people from the Island. I STOLE another thing from the black man. I was part of the problem of how the WHITE MAN can't leave anything alone that deals with black heritage or something like that.

Okay, I get where you are going. I'm sorry I've offended you.

Just kidding, I hope you choke on a rasta donut today because I'm not stealing your fucking dreadlocks.

Here is the deal; Dreadlocks go back as far (and probably even further than) the Ancient Egyptions - it was a sign of royalty but worn by royals and commoners alike. Asian monks, high up in the mountains, would bound their hair in between books until they had long, nasty ass beaver tail looking things. Native Americans would do this as well. It's a style that goes back HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of years. It meant different things to each race/religion/group/etc and I don't think that Jamaicans or Islanders can solely hold the claim of King of Dreadlocks. Ohh.. sorry, "Locks." Because, you know the WHITE MAN gave the name of Dreadlocks to them because they looked "dreadful" on someone.
Also - don't even give me the whole "You're stealing our music from us too! Reggae wasn't meant for white people!"
Okay so 1. Shut up, and 2. You're retarded. Reggae is meant to spread messages of peace and love and unity and justice - regardless of the circumstances, it's a uniforming message meant to be sent across the world. The color of your skin doesn't matter. Stop being racist, asshole. A last note - I never even listened to Reggae until AFTER I had dreadlocks and an old, wrinkly Jamaican guy came into my work place and commented on my hair (he is one of TWO Islanders who have actually complimented my hair- the other guy was homeless). He asked me if I had ever listened to Bob Marley and I said No. He went out (slowly) to his car, came back and handed me 3 Bob Marley CDs and told me to be blessed by Jah. Cool, right? Feel in love with the music and the message right then and there. Stop telling me it's not for me. 

Look, I don't own any Bob Marley shirts, I'm not a Rastafarian and I don't claim to be, I don't smoke Marijuana, I don't want to go to Jamaica one day... I don't even think they make me look cool.

I just like dreadlocks.

I'm a chubby dude with dreads who plays video games, sings and writes songs in a metal band and plays the guitar and drums and any other instrument I get my hands on. I love to play hacky sack, love to turn my hair different colors, listens to Reggae on occasion and loves to make random stuff in the garage. I'm not trying to sabotage the Rastafarian culture, I'm not trying to be an abbomonation to your world or your heritage... Fuck man, I'm not trying to be anything but myself. I enjoy the look.

The only thing I'm trying to prove is that life is short, we only get one shot on this planet and we've got to express ourselves.

Now... has anyone seen where my N.W.A. CD went?