Bruce Springsteen began his tour-closing, 10-night stand at Madison Square Garden in New York City this week to a crowd mixed with boos and cheers. But the stand turned into more of a stand off.

Springsteen’s new song “American Skin,” which has been subtitled “41 shots,” has sparked mixed emotion, especially among police officers in New York City, according to The Associated Press.

The song addresses the February 1999 death of Amadou Diallo, a Guinea native who was shot at 41 times by New York City police officers. Diallo had 19 of the 41 bullets pumped into his body; he was unarmed and standing in the doorway of his apartment.

The police officers involved in the death of Diallo were acquitted of the murder and manslaughter charges against them.

Police officers and New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani have condemned Springsteen for digging up the issue they thought was buried at the trial. Bob Lucente, president of the New York state chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, went so far as to use a variety of colorful epithets in reference to The Boss.

Rapper Flavor Flav of Public Enemy came to Springsteen’s defense.

“Bruce Springsteen, he see the picture,” Flavor Flav said. “Can’t no one blame a man for seeing reality the way that it is.”

Reality is hard to come by in the music industry these days.

We have every other Top 40 artist pumping pop songs with fluffy lyrics about love and sex they didn’t even write that have little or no bearing on social or political issues affecting our lives.

American youth is being smothered by meaningless, catchy lyrics telling them nothing of importance.

Springsteen sets a standard, and a few bands, including Rage Against the Machine, are putting out songs containing messages. However, when is the last time you saw a 13-year-old looking for anything outside the pop section of a record store?

Musicians can influence youth, but pop stars rarely do. They are here today and gone tomorrow.

In the past, musicians led youth culture with something more significant than “… Hit Me Baby (One More Time).” Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie, even the Mamas and the Papas had something to say.

It’s time artists used their talent for something more than making a quick buck, a useless video and a flash-in-the-pan single. Youth culture takes its cue from its role models, and today’s role models should look to the artists who came before them to see how a difference can be made.

Maybe on that day Britney Spears could sing a song about the unrealistic goals her songs set for teen-age girls.

Iowa State Daily Editorial Board: Kate Kompas,Greg Jerrett, Heidi Jolivette, Justin Kendall and Tara Payne.