A man named Jason DeFord appeared before Congress yesterday to talk about the raging fentanyl epidemic in this country, and to urge legislators to pass a bill to combat the supply and distribution of the synthetic opioid. DeFord, better known by his stage name Jelly Roll, has more than enough personal experience to speak on the subject.
At the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on what’s known as the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, the country/rock star spoke passionately about the issue, explaining that he knows how grave it can be from his firsthand experience. And he wasted no time. “I think it’s important to note that before I start, in these five minutes I’ll be speaking that somebody in the United States will die of a drug overdose and it’s almost a 72-percent chance that during those five minutes, it will be fentanyl-related.”
“At every concert I perform, I witness the heartbreaking impact of fentanyl. I see fans grappling with this tragedy in the form of music…that they seek solace in music and hope that their experiences won’t befall others,” said Jelly Roll, who has spoken often about his past struggles with addiction and arrests and incarceration for drug-related charges earlier in his life. “These are the people I’m here to speak for, y’all,” he continued. “These people crave reassurance that their elected officials actually care more about human life than they do about ideology and partisanship.”
“I’ve attended more funerals than I care to share with you all [on] this committee,” the singer went on. “I could sit here and cry for days about the caskets I’ve carried of people I loved dearly, deeply in my soul – good people, not just drug addicts. Uncles, friends, cousins, normal people, some people that just got in a car wreck and started taking a pain pill to manage it. One thing led to the other and how fast it spirals out of control – I don’t think people truly, truly understand.”
Jelly wrapped up his five minutes by saying, “I stand here as a regular member of society. I am a stupid songwriter, y’all, but I have firsthand witnessed this in a way most people have not. I encourage y’all to not only pass this bill, but I encourage you to bring it up where it matters – at the kitchen table.”
Jelly Roll posted his appearance on his Instagram with the caption, “Thank you to the Chairman Senator Brown And Senator Scott for allowing me to speak on behalf of the broken in today’s hearing. I pray this message is the beginning of a real change and awareness when it comes to Fentanyl and Drug Addiction in America.”
Source: People
