Rosa Parks name dirtied by band Outkast

Rosa Parks' lawyer has commented that the civil rights activist has dementia, a disease which impairs intelligence and memory and is frequently associated with age. He claims that Parks cannot answer questions in her lawsuit against the group Outkast.

If she is suing the band, she should be there to testify, regardless of her medical condition. However, if this icon is upset by the lyrics of a song titled with her name, the group should apologize whether or not she testifies.

Outkast's Grammy-nominated song, titled “Rosa Parks” includes the lyrics, “Ah ha, hush that fuss/ Everybody move to the back of the bus/ Do you wanna bump and slump with us/We the type of people make the club get crunk.”

Parks claims that the song defames her character and exploits her name for commercial benefit. Her doctor said that she should not be forced to answer questions about the distress she claims to have suffered. Since she is suing the band's label, she should be there to testify to the charges. The case can wait for a day when her dementia is not as apparent. If she is unable to testify to the charges, then she should be unable to continue the case.

This woman was a national hero at the age of 42 for her act of rebellion that helped to end Southern segregation laws. Her arrest for refusing to give up her seat occurred the same day as Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. began a bus boycott to protest against segregation in the South. Their story is taught to grade-schoolers across the nation.

Parks is a civil rights champion. She is a subject of pride for the movement and has been honored with the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest award given to civilians, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in civil rights. The cream-colored slip-on shoes she wore on the bus have been memorialized in the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. For goodness sakes, the woman is a legend.

Parks is now 91-years-old. She was forced to cancel a meeting with President Bush in 2001 because of her disease. For everything that she has done for this country, this woman should not be subject to defamation of any kind.

The group was sued by Parks previously on the same claims, and the case was dismissed by the judge, who concluded that using Parks' name in the song is covered under the First Amendment and Outkast is entitled to use it. The case was then taken to the Supreme Court.

The quiet dignity of this nice old woman should be preserved. The simple act of refusing to give her seat to a white person and her acceptance of the consequences of her action at that time are famous worldwide. Outkast should apologize for their actions and accept Parks' wishes. If she says she suffered for the use of her name on Outkast's song there is no reason to not believe her.

Outkast's lawyer claims the group respects Parks, but that their music is covered under the First Amendment and so Parks name need not be taken off their products. The album containing the song has sold 2.5 million copies, according to CNN.com.

If the group respects Parks for everything she has done for the nation, they should respect her wishes by taking her name off their products regardless of whether Parks is well enough to testify in her case against the label.