Axl Rose Joins Fight to Save the Lives of Indonesian Metal Fan Drug Smugglers; Fails
Following the example set by Napalm Death’s Barney Greenway and Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose was the latest — and, alas, last — prominent metal musician to make an impassioned plea for the lives of two condemned metal fans.
Like Greenway and Iommi, Rose wrote a letter to Joko Widodo, president of Indonesia and avowed metalhead, asking him to spare the lives of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran, who had been sentenced to death for drug smuggling. According to Classic Rock, that letter, sent just hours before the scheduled executions, read as follows:
“I appeal to you to strengthen international relationships, to show your country’s strength and allow the world to witness an extraordinary act of humanity and bravery.
“Show each of us that there can be hope and true redemption in times of hopelessness and despair – that true justice is better achieved in not killing.
“Their crimes were now long ago, their hearts and minds forever changed by their crimes, their trials, the hurt they’ve caused their loved ones.
“I realise I am no one to get involved with your affairs or those of your government. How this letter reads, or anyone other than yourself thinks of it, is irrelevant. Only the lives of these human beings are what’s important now.
“You’ve made your point and struck fear in the hearts and minds of the condemned, and anyone even remotely considering bad choices or already involved in those worlds. Life is the only thing important now – not death but life.”
Unfortunately, Rose failed to sway President Widodo, and Chan and Sukumaran were executed at Besi Prison in Nusakambangan, alongside six other prisoners. Only one of the people scheduled to be killed for their crimes, Mary Jane Fiesta Veloso, received a pardon, leading Rose to send out this series of tweets:
1. It’s deeply troubling President Widodo ignoring International outcry went thru w/8 of the executions.
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) April 29, 2015
2. Let’s pray Miss Veloso’s reprieve is permanent.
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) April 29, 2015
3. Widodo’s refusal 2 postpone the executions until all legal challenges n’ investigations of corruption r resolved is inexcusable. — Axl Rose (@axlrose) April 29, 2015
4. 4 Widodo 2 b out of the country during his big statement refusing 2 take calls or read any last minute pleas 4 the condemned is cowardice — Axl Rose (@axlrose) April 29, 2015
5. The People of Indonesia deserve better.
— Axl Rose (@axlrose) April 29, 2015
So Guns N’ Roses probably won’t be playing in Indonesia anytime soon. And although the importance of Rose’s message was apparently lost on President Widodo, it was, luckily, not lost on his fans:
@axlrose So when’s the Chinese Democracy follow-up record coming out?
— Alyson (@FuckMeAlyson) April 29, 2015
@axlrose ♡♡♡♡
— Hayley Volom (@hayleyvolom) April 29, 2015
@axlrose Hey…So when’s the Chinese Democracy follow-up record coming out?
— Alyson (@FuckMeAlyson) April 29, 2015
@axlrose amoooor
— lais (@pqp_lalihs) April 29, 2015
@axlrose Hello….So when’s the Chinese Democracy follow-up record coming out?
— Alyson (@FuckMeAlyson) April 29, 2015
@axlrose ily
— winona (@http_acid) April 29, 2015
@axlrose I deserve another GNR record.
— Alyson (@FuckMeAlyson) April 29, 2015
In related news, the human race blows goats.
