Upset after another controversial grand jury decision on Wednesday, Stevie Wonder let his Seattle audience know where he stands on the issues of race, police brutality and gun control. In a crowd-shot video from the show, Wonder sounded off on those topics while steadily playing the "Living for the City" backdrop.
"Can you believe that within one month, two grand juries -- secret grand juries -- declined to indict two policemen for the killing of two black men?" Wonder asked his fans. "I just don't understand that...I don't understand why our legal system would choose secrecy when there's so much mistrust. I don't understand why there would not a public trial where we would be able to hear all sides to the story. I just don't understand that."
The crowd was not exactly roaring their approval, but he seemed to have more than enough support.
"I'll tell you what I do understand," Wonder said. "I heard Eric Gardner say, with my own ears, 'I can't breathe.' And as much as he [the policeman] apologized, I don't understand why he did not stop."
Then, Wonder switched it up a bit.
"Guns are too accessible to everybody," he said. "I do understand that something is wrong, real wrong. And we as family, Americans, all of us, of all colors, need to fix it with a quickness real soon."
He then transitioned into "Living for the City," saying, "This song is unfortunately still relevant today."
It includes the following lyrics:
I'm just going across the street
Lay down, shut your mouth
Hell no, what did I do?
Okay, turn around, turn around, put your hands behind your back, let's go, let's go
Check out the video below (via THR):
