Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country...

by **J The Kidd** Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:07 pm

"I will admit there is a very long list of celebs I’m afraid of.
Sometimes I have dreams I meet them in real life and tell them what
I’ve said about them, and then the dream normally ends with me in a
puddle of my own blood and or tears. But I think of ALL the celebs I’m
afraid of, Snoop Dogg and Russell Crowe are definitely in the top five.
Put the two together… well I’d just give them whatever the hell they
wanted.

Snoop has been denied a travel and work visa for Australia, thus
preventing him from going on tour there. He’s also been banned from the
U.K. While he has a long rap sheet with some super serious (older)
offenses on it, the current bannings come mostly from his drug
possession/use.

Crowe wrote a truly impassioned letter on behalf of his friend Snoop,
reassuring the Australian government that he posed no threat to anyone
and asking them to reconsider.

The rapper, whose real name is Cordozar Calvin Broadus, has several
criminal convictions for drug and weapons offences and was banned from
Australia last year by then-Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews.

But Crowe, who has been friends with Snoop for three years, said the
musician deserved to be allowed to perform here later this year. “I
submit to you that Snoop Dogg poses no threat to Australia or to any
individual in this country,” Crowe wrote. “He has toured here three
times before without incident and there are no reasons to assume this
tour will be anything but the positive experience the last three have
been… Snoop has built a stellar reputation with promoters and audiences
worldwide.”

Crowe also cited the rapper’s extensive charity work and said Snoop had
pledged to make an appearance at a charity event organised by South
Sydney Rugby League Club. “Some of our First Grade players will attend
with him and he will deliver a powerful and positive message about
rising through adversity, drawing on his own underprivileged background
as an example,” Crowe wrote. “As you can imagine, such a visit will
have a phenomenal effect.”

[From News.com.au via ONTD]

My first thought was, “I’m not sure I’d want some actor with a
legendarily explosive temper writing my character defense.” But Crowe’s
letter is so eloquent, passionate, and well-written (I’m assuming ghost
written, but who knows) that it really did change my mind. Of course
I’ve sort of got a bleeding heart and would probably let Snoop in if he
promised to only bring half his usual amount of marijuana, a quarter of
his standard gun stash, and I’d be somewhat negotiable on his other
vices. So I’m probably not the best judge of what a foreign government
should do.

That said, I do like that in some ways the inability to get a travel
visa seems to serve as more of a deterrent towards illegal behavior
than legal trouble. Most celebs know they’ll never do any real time for
most of their offenses due to good lawyering and overcrowded jails. But
not being allowed into other countries costs them a lot of money and
publicity, and that seems to be a pretty powerful incentive."
Celebitchy.com

Here is Russell's letter below:

Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country... Rcsnoopletter

Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country... Rcsnoopletter

by **Chief Black** Fri Sep 12, 2008 10:44 am

Damn Russell Crowe Got Pull Like Dat??????

Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country...

Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country...

Re: Russell Crowe begs Australian authorites to let Snopp Dogg perform in his country...