Ladies and Gentleman of the jury:
Has LeadBelly perhaps offended some? Yes, perhaps. But what is LeadBelly really guilty of? That is, what is his offense? His offense?- Caring Too Much! Caring about his beloved Teamsters, and his fellow Brothers and Sisters United! What comes off to some as harsh, is nothing more than passion for his fellow workers. Condemn him, and in effect are you not condemning those who struggled before us, the Molly Maguires, the Knights of St. Crispin, the Knights of Labor, to name just a few?
Let us honor these fine folk, and their work, boldly and proudly, end this blockade, and end it now. Let us embrace our disagreements knowing full well, in the end, united we shall stand! Let us not Picket ourselves any longer by censoring one of our own.
Let me conclude with this quote from Thomas Jefferson: “Do you want to know who you are? Don't ask. Act! Action will delineate and define you.”
Thank you.