John —

Can you imagine if Johnny Cash had been prosecuted for this line from Folsom Prison Blues?

Or if Bob Marley went to jail for writing this famous song?

Or if Freddie Mercury was convicted for singing this part of Bohemian Rhapsody?

Of course not. Song lyrics should be protected as artistic expression under the First Amendment. But some prosecutors are using song lyrics against artists in court, and we need to stop it.

If Johnny, Bob, and Freddie were still with us today, I’m pretty sure they would be outraged by this practice.

That’s why I introduced the Restoring Artistic Protection (RAP) Act in Congress, to rein in overzealous prosecutors and ensure that artists’ works cannot be indiscriminately used against them in criminal and civil proceedings.

Now I need your help in getting the word out. Will you pitch in so we can let everyone know about the need to protect artists?

If you've saved your payment information with ActBlue Express, your donation will go through immediately:

$5	$10
$15	$25
$50	Other

Thanks, John.

– Hank Johnson (he/him)