#FreeRocky: One Situation, Two Perspectives

Why has #FreeRocky been trending? 

So as we all know A$AP Rocky is currently being held in a cell in Sweden and is facing up to six years for charges of assault. Many of us have seen the video that will be used as evidence in this case and yes – Rocky does throw one of the men to the ground and punch him.

But, prior to this video there are also two videos of the two men following Rocky and his team while his team constantly and as cordially as possible tells them to go away. One of the men then proceed to hit the security guard with his pair of headphones then appears to ask for them back. As the video ends another bystander shares that one of the men slapped her and her friend on their butts.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz03n33pZkh/

It has also been alleged that the condition Rocky is being held in currently are unsanitary as it has been reported he is in a cell sleeping on a yoga mat. However, the governor of the facility has said this could not be true and has shared the conditions detainees are kept in which aren’t horrible to his knowledge. 

#JusticeForRocky

When the news reached Twitter many people were quick to defend Rocky’s actions prompting the “#FREEROCKY” hashtag being used by his close associates and fans alike.

Days later, a petition appeared that pushed the same narrative calling for his release after he was “denied his request to counsel” – basically meaning they wouldn’t allow him to contact a lawyer or any U.S. Government officials. This petition currently has over 500,000 signatures and has been shared by multiple celebrities and only spreading awareness of the situation culminating in the hashtag “#JusticeForRocky”.

Sign the petition #FreeRockyASAP https://t.co/s1UFtfjORk

— Christopher Rhatigan (@TheRhatigan) July 9, 2019

However, some Twitter users believe he should not be helped by us common citizens.

Why, you ask? 

The main argument many people have is that we should not care about Rocky’s situation because they believe he would not care about our situations. 

The evidence? 

In an interview from 2015 he has been quoted as saying “So every time something happens because I’m Black I gotta stand up? What the f*** am I, Al Sharpton now? I’m A$AP Rocky. I did not sign up to be no political activist, I don’t wanna talk about no f***ing Ferguson and s*** because I don’t live over there! I live in f**king Soho and Beverly Hills. I can’t relate.” 

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He has since done his best to clarify his statements. However, the explanation can be a little cloudy depending on the perspective you take. This has caused fans to decide to basically use this statement and throw it back in his face now that he’s the one in trouble with the law. 

Being that Rocky is a celebrity, his quotes and actions will be held under a magnifying glass by the general public. And, because of this, many people see no reason to feel any sympathy because of his celebrity status and the aforementioned quotes. 

Is this a selfish mindset? Again, it depends on your perception. 

When someone we know personally makes a comment that we think is wrong, do we hold them to it for the rest of their lives? Or, do we discuss it with them and later forgive them?

Although the people who do not stand with Rocky have a reasonable reason for doing so, should he be kicked out of our collective black community forever or be forgiven for his statement, no matter how infuriating they were? 

On the other side of the situation, we have those who stand with Rocky because they are looking at the situation with no outside factors going into it. They see a man who retaliated after being repeatedly antagonized while trying to avoid conflict. They are looking at the situation and putting themselves in it and feel that they would have responded in the same fashion. 

Many people feel that, ironically, this is a situation that were it to happen to an average person in the States, we would stand with them. Their name would trend and the story would be shared all over our TLs. This is because when it comes down to it, this is a case of injustice against a black man. However, due to his comments, many people feel that Rocky has separated himself from that group. 

Some supporters still have issues with his comments but have decided they understand his explanation for them or have forgiven him for them altogether. They have decided to keep the past in the past and not use it to discredit or influence the present. 

Rocky’s situation is definitely a complicated one. When considering all the factors it’s difficult to decide how you’re going to react to it. 

What’s your opinion on the matter? Let us know in the comments below.