It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City
Don't you just love it when one of your favorite music heroes does something heroic?
From the Associated Press:
NEW ORLEANS - David Bowie has donated $10,000 to a legal defense fund for six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate in the tiny central Louisiana town of Jena.
The British rocker's donation to the Jena Six Legal Defense Fund was announced by the NAACP as thousands of protesters were expected to march through Jena on Thursday in defense of Mychal Bell and five other teens. The group has become known as the Jena Six."There is clearly a separate and unequal judicial process going on in the town of Jena," Bowie said Tuesday in an e-mail statement. "A donation to the Jena Six Legal Defense Fund is my small gesture indicating my belief that a wrongful charge and sentence should be prevented."
Bell was found guilty on second-degree battery charges June 28 by a six-member, all-white jury. Before the case was overturned by the state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, his sentencing had been set for Thursday.
The court said Bell, who was 16 at the time of the alleged December 2006 beating, shouldn't have been tried as an adult.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, who helped organize the march, planned to do his syndicated radio show from Alexandria on Wednesday, then travel about 35 miles to Jena in an attempt to visit Bell, who remains in jail because he is unable to post $90,000 bond. Sharpton says he expects more than 10,000 marchers.
"We are gratified that rock star David Bowie was moved to donate to the NAACP's Jena campaign," National Board of Directors Chairman Julian Bond of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said in a statement. "We hope others will join him."
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Labels: David Bowie, hero, Jena Six, let's dance
posted by Cup @ 11:22 AM
23 comments
23 Comments:
I love Bowie's music. I wish he'd do some new songs. Oh well. In any case, this shows his head isn't in the sand. Good job. Bowie!
Okay now I can justify buyng a Bowie CD. Before the only reasons I had were he made some good music and his wife is hot.
When is he setting up a reparations fund for anyone who suffered through a Tin Machine song?
Rockstars, is there anything they can't do?
You know what I really love about David Bowie? The way he immediately responds to interview requests. Whatta guy.
Mighty white of him.
Bowie does Springsteen (It's Hard To Be A Saint). Twice, cos there was Growin' Up off Pin Ups, too.
Of course you could have just gone with "Heroes" as the post title. But then again "skin like leather, and the diamond hard look of a cobra" might well describe David Jones in 2007.
Nice work Beth!
Oh, wow. This is the first comment section I've been able to access. Huzzah!
Bowie is indeed grand. Even though I really only got into his music recently, I know, I know, I'm way late. It just proves he is timeless.
LOL Dale!
If this post doesn't bring Ziggy out of hiding nothing will!!
That's some modern love of Davie to help out these young Americans.
Ok, that was really dumb.
He's the tops. I also love that he has found the secret of reversing the aging process and I am trying to sweet talk him into sharing it.
The first album I ever bought with my own money (okay, my saved up allowance) was Hunky Dory. I've always loved the man, even though we parted ways musically in the eighties (though we've recollided several times since then), but I knew he was my man when he blew off the idea of accepting a knighthood. This really aces it though.
I knew that was a reason I just absolutely love David Bowie. ^_^
Bluez, I sent Zigster a link to this post!
Dale, better duck! lol
It's pretty cool. Not to rain on the parade, but I think we should also put this into some perspective... Bowie's worth a minimum of $200 million. So he could give this gift 20,000 times. If the average guy in the states is worth, say $100,000, that's the exact same as that unknown guy giving exactly five bucks. So, I don't know about heroic, but it's pretty cool. And, at least with Bowie, the cause gets some attention, which is, I would admit, worth quite a bit more than 10 grand.
Yes, you gotta love it. Have you ever seen him live? That's one of my long-time dreams, to see Bowie live.
I liked him better when he wore a dress.
Maybe the Thin White Duke can donate some money to a legal team whose mission is to determine what a 16-year old with a prior criminal record, who* participated in a 6-on-1 stomping, should be charged with...?
* "allegedly"
Forgive me for failing to summon the appropriate level of moral outrage.
On a completely different (I think) note, that live Zevon stuff you linked me up to is A-f*cking-MAZING!!!
Thanks!
Love Bowie, love old Springsteen. Good call, Mountjoy. I got in on this fully willing to be the dork who rushed to point out that it's a Boss song.
As for the issue, I always hope justice will be served. Sometimes a court ensures it, sometimes a mob does. Is that vague enough to avoid arrows?
Good blog, Beth. You wrote nice words when my cat departed. Check out our new ones.
Admirable, simply admirable.
I saw this from Bowie -- excellent! Love Bowie!
And students here in Detroit led a "dress in black or green" solidarity day a couple days ago --they're on top of it. The social revolution is gathering steam in time for 2008. I'm glad!!!!!
"the dork who rushed to point out that it's a Boss song": That's be me then, eh, T.O.D.?
:-)
That's okay: Beth knows I am her resident Bruce obsessive. Every good blog should have one.
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