The time has finally come for R&B artist R. Kelly to face the music.
The Grammy award-winning singer, hailed by critics as a genius and an innovator, may soon add convicted felon to his resume. After years of being dogged by rumors of a predilection for young girls, R. Kelly finally got caught -- literally -- with his pants down. The singer/songwriter is facing 14 counts of child pornography in a case that involves a ten-year-old home videotape. The tape allegedly shows Kelly having sex with a girl, who may have been 13 years old at the time.
R. Kelly has eluded confinement through the genius of heavyweight lawyers who have managed to get the trial postponed for six years. But now, R. Kelly's time has finally run out and he must now answer his accuser, Cook County, because the girl, who is now in her twenties, denies that it is her in the tape and refuses to testify for the state. R. Kelly makes the same claim, stating that it is not him on the tape.
I don't know about you, but I'm fed up with this case. I have not seen the tape, because watching child pornography is a federal crime. But I understand from those who have seen the tape that it is clearly the R&B crooner. Unless he and his attorneys picked the same jury that watched the Rodney King video, the King of R&B may be dethroned. He is facing 15 years in prison, and he will definitely be singing another tune in the lockup if convicted. Even among criminals, there is a code of honor, and legend has it that folks who mess with children get messed with in prison.
The case seems pretty straightforward, but what is most interesting is the discussions that have taken place around this case. Race, in particular, has been injected as an issue initially because of the prosecution's pursuit of the case, even after child pornography charges against R. Kelly were dropped in Florida. Some suggested unfair treatment in comparison to other stars that have been engaged in "questionable" conduct with underage girls. Now, some are suggesting that the racial makeup of the jury is discriminatory against him.
The charges of racism may be valid, but in this instance I do not care. I cannot figure out why folks are so invested in supporting an alleged pedophile. We're not talking about Al Roker here. We're talking about a man who secretly married a 15-year-old girl -- the late R&B chanteuse Aaliyah -- when he was 27 years old. She was his "protégé." And he clearly abused his role as her mentor by engaging in adult and illegal behavior in multiple ways. After that, he allegedly continued to get involved with underage girls, one of whom he videotaped. According to reports on the tape, which was shown in open court, the perpetrator gave the girl money, coached her through illicit sex acts and urinated on her for good measure.
What a stand-up guy.
R. Kelly is far from a victim, and I wish people would display this level of interest in cases involving "everyday people."
As for charges of racism, if he and Wesley Snipes did not get the memo on being a black man in America, then that's on them. No, you are not Woody Allen, who can start an affair with his lover's adopted daughter while living under the same roof; Roman Polanski who can hide in France and get Hollywood stars to fly out to make films with him even after admitting to raping a 13 year old; or Rob Lowe who was just being a wild child. You are a star, but you are not a legend, as is the case with Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis, both of whom were involved with -- and in Lewis' case, married to -- underage women and were given "passes" for their creepy behavior. You do not have that privilege in America. Statistics continuously prove racial disparity in a number of areas in the criminal justice system as it relates to African-Americans. Arrests, convictions, sentencing and charges are just a few of those areas, so if you willingly engage in illegal behavior and get caught, then that is on you. The proverbial book will be thrown at your black ass with full force and I'm not talking about Paul Anthony and Bowlegged Lou.
What I find most interesting about this case is that R. Kelly still has so many supporters. Over the years, I have had a number of heated arguments about why people should not buy his music or attend his concerts. I have heard -- mostly from women, I might add -- that "girls are fast," or "he probably did not know the age of the girl," or "young girls like older guys." Huh? Why are we focused on the child instead of the adult? Based on accounts from those who have seen the tape, the girl clearly looked to be underage. Again, I do not know because I do not watch child pornography.
However, I would suggest that the onus is on the adult to act like one and to stop trolling playgrounds for dates. Maybe R. Kelly has a problem and needs help, in addition to jail time. Unfortunately, he will not get that help if people keep making excuses for his alleged obsession with underage girls.
A woman who was present at the videotaping, testified that she witnessed R. Kelly and the girl engage in these sexual acts. She was also underage at the time.
I suspect that R. Kelly is probably wishing he could fly right about now. I wish that this case would go away because my body is calling for justice for these young girls.
