Reverend Calvin Butts continued his mission to keep accused drug mule Afrika Owes out of prison at a sermon yesterday. He's already compared the 17-year-old to Patty Hearst, but from the sounds of it he compared her to Jesus Christ...maybe? He told his congregation, "The judge does not understand. The poor man has been confused because he has come face-to-face with the body of Christ. When the body of Christ stands up, it confuses people." Then again, Rangel did stand up during Owes's hearing...
Butts was also concerned with possible racism, mentioning that the African-American community had a "disproportionate" number of arrests for things like drug dealing and gangs. He said, "We do not buy most of the drugs in this country, we do not sell most of the drugs in this country but we are the most locked up and it has to stop." The church offered to post Owes's bail, but the judge rejected them and refused to lower her bail. One church member said, "We don't know whether she's guilty or not. But we have to support our own."
Owes is accused of running guns for a local gang, on command of her boyfriend who is currently doing time for armed robbery at Rikers.
