LL Cool J and country singer Brad Paisley appeared on Good Morning America today to defend their controversial song, “Accidental Racist.”

The track has been slammed by critics and fans for simplifying race relations and slavery with lines like this from LL: “If you don’t judge my gold chains / I’ll forget the iron chains.” The song appears on Paisley’s new album, “Wheelhouse.” Paisley, 40, and LL Cool J, 45, said the fact that the song has people talking is exactly what they wanted.

“Martin Luther King says that darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can,” LL Cool J said. “Hate can’t drive out hate, only love can. So what we’re talking about is compassion.”

The rapper/actor added: “I’m not advising anyone to truly forget slavery, but what I’m saying is forget the slavery mentality. Forget the bitterness. Don’t get bitter, get better.”

“I’m not really sure we’re going…

Yesterday Parliament had an urgent debate on the current issues surrounding the GCSB after the release of the Kitteridge report. Much of the debate was political huffing and puffing with attempts at point scoring – especially from Grant Robertson – and defence of the Government by Bill English.

Russel Norman also did some political and paranoiac posturing but he also raised important points about oversight of the GCSB – or more pointedly, lack of oversight. He pointed the finger at both the present (National led) and previous (Labour led) governments.

So the National Party voted for the legislation as well as the Labour Party, which pushed it through, even though the Green Party at the time warned that if you set up spying agencies that do not have oversight, they will abuse their rights. And it has become so.

And that has enabled a “rogue agency” to continue to operate…