At the Flawless Foundation, we are dedicated to “seeing the perfection in everyone,” and it is our mission to highlight like-minded individuals who share this philosophy. We’re coming to the end of an election season that has been so focused on character and image that many of the real issues have gotten lost in the noise. However, I’m inspired by the advocacy efforts of two people I met this year and by their dedication to pressing for legislative change that would impact real human lives. Using the beauty and power of music to spread love and light, musical artists Butterscotch and Michael Franti are boldly facing some of the darkest issues in our society. Their example is a reminder of the power and responsibility that all of us, as American citizens, wield with our voice and our vote.
We had the privilege of seeing the talented musician and beatboxer, Butterscotch, perform and speak at PeaceLove Studios’ Peace of Mind Storytellers event in May. Butterscotch authentically shared her personal experiences, speaking from the heart about her struggles with self-acceptance and self-doubt, and how she found her voice and calling in beatboxing. She spoke of her passion for talking to kids about her journey and encouraging them to pursue things that bring them joy, saying “We have a lot of tolerance, but what we need is acceptance, starting with ourselves.”
In September, we met another Flawless hero, Michael Franti, who has dedicated his musical career to advocating for social justice and peace. At the IMHRO Music Festival for Brain Health, Michael elevated the hopeful spirit of the event with his dynamic and inspiring musical performance and moving words, telling the audience “I believe every person on this earth should be happy, healthy and equal.”
Both Butterscotch and Michael Franti are advocating for Proposition 62, the Repeal the Death Penalty Initiative, which would end the use of the death penalty in California, replacing the maximum punishment for capital offenses with life in prison without parole. They recently joined other advocates, including fellow recording artist Will.i.am and entrepreneur Richard Branson, for an event to build awareness and support for the initiative.
As both artists have shared, the United States is in the top five in the world in terms of the use of the death penalty, and its repeal in California would be an important step in moving our nation in the direction of true respect for human life. We celebrate and admire these humanitarians for doing their part to bring light to a place that is dark, and we share in their belief that the death penalty must end. Particularly given that criminal justice reform, unfortunately, does not engender much empathy or support -- only 1% of philanthropy dollars go toward this cause -- their voices can truly make a difference. At the Flawless Foundation, we’ve written about and advocated for many cases involving mental illness and the death penalty; as I wrote in a previous blog post, we need to move toward a criminal justice system that, chooses “love over hate, forgiveness over revenge, and, most of all, life over death.” We are proud to consider Butterscotch and Michael Franti our friends and allies in the movement toward creating a world where everyone is embraced as flawless.
Feeling the love and friendship with these two flawless heroes.
