In this country of ours, we have a thing called justice. We have a God-given right of freedom. This was what our forefathers fought for. And I will be damned if one of His own most beautiful creations sits in jail, being denied these inalienable rights. Languishing like a common street thief. Away from his life of luxury and the pursuit of fabulousness.
El DeBarge, the artist behind such ‘80s dance-floor burners like “Rhythm of the Night” and “Love Always,” is currently sitting in the L.A. County Jail, awaiting an appearance before a judge for various drug and vandalism charges. His mug shot brings a tear to my eye, with his stoic pose, even while facing a corrupt system.
There is no possibility for bail, so the bake sale I had planned for this weekend has been cancelled. Instead, I will be flying to L.A to meet the ACLU and Rage Against the Machine guys to hold a candlelight vigil and protest march. If the pigs don’t let this man free, I intend to start to hold a hunger strike for the duration of his unjust imprisonment. Plus when you have an empty stomach, you can get trashed hella quick too.
As Martin Luther King Jr. said so eloquently, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” I have to admit I was a tad excited that El DeBarge was in the news so I would have an excuse to post this. Fans of sassy robots and Steve Guttenberg, our day has come. – Craig Hlavaty
This article appears in Aug 30 – Sep 5, 2007.
