Are Rap Lyrics Really the Most Pertinent Issue Right Now?

According to a New York Times article published earlier today, rappers Master P and David Banner went in front of the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee today. Unfortunately, their testimony wasn't about urban impoverishment or healthcare for the poor. It was about words. Specifically, the "B," "H," and "N" words.

Let me preface my thoughts by saying that I do not condone the use of these words, nor do I use these words myself. However, I find it absurd that Congress is focusing its efforts on something that is largely a freedom of speech issue when there are so many more pressing issues. How about if Congress gets its ducks in a row and starts paying attention to the issues that really matter, like the...

• 3 American soldiers that die each day in Iraq (link).
• 47 million Americans who don't have healthcare (link).
• 36.5 million Americans living in poverty (link).
• 700,000 to 2 million Americans who are homeless on any given night (link).
• 400,000 innocent Darfurians killed thus far in the Darfur genocide (link).

What about these people? Where do they fit in? I know that Congress probably devotes a large amount of its time to these issues, but shouldn't they fix the big problems before they start worrying about the little ones? To put it bluntly, Congress has bigger fish to fry...