We kneel on a stage meant to stand,
because of those who cannot breathe,
and those black men who resemble black men,
so they must be the bad men,
who all look the same.
Others convicted by dark skin,
while wearing hooded sweatshirts.
A crime punishable by a line in the sand,
and a stand in the dark.
It’s not enough to follow their words,
and do as they say.
Because in a dark car, to some, a wallet looks like a gun.
And a peaceful man with his family,
is a child-abusing drugged thug.
A raucous New Years Eve with friends
invokes privilege for some to sleep it off,
but drawn guns and death for others,
all depending on the pigment in your skin.
Asking for change isn’t enough,
it doesn’t work because it’s different for them.
The people who are free from words that cut,
and vile sneers laid over hundreds of years,
cannot fathom oppression.
It needs to be shown in every sense.
Shown through protest on stages not designed for protest,
Shoved in the face of the blind so if they cannot see it,
then can hear it.
If they cannot hear it
they can feel it.
If they cannot feel it,
they can taste it.
And if they cannot taste it,
they can smell it.
People need to stand up for people.
Stand up to oppression.
Stand up to bigotry.
Stand up to hatred.
Stand up to racism, sexism, and homophobia.
And if you cannot stand up because of the weight of the blind,
kneel.
I just posted a piece on the same topic! Doubt you would appreciate it though lol
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I’ll save judgement until I read it 😁
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Wonderful depiction of responsibility
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Thank you.
I don’t necessarily like to get too political as it often does nothing but make people angry at each other. However there are some things worth speaking out on.
Also, I was thinking how it seems there isn’t enough artistic expression (or there isn’t in my own closed off world) of protest.
I think of all of the songs and poems from the 1960s and before that were used to hold up the idea of what was right and what should be right. I don’t really notice any of that today so I thought I’d make my own little attempt from time to time.
A lot of rambling, again. 🙂
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No rambling.
I don’t politically speak in this forum here either, mostly because I don’t want to be known for my unconventional views in this place.
I save that for likeminds or classroom discussions. Lol. An occasional debate type discussion might be incited from time to time but I keep things friendly and have no trouble silencing myself because nothing productive comes from fighting.
I do actually love to read political views here though, but this to me is more of a humanity view. And I think people should share exactly what they’re led to. I think this was done here very insightfully with a great deal of heart. Great job
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I have the the same views with this forum and politics (and political discussions in general).
I love having them. I welcome debates done with open minds and seeking to learn something rather than make someone else see a certain point of view. When it gets out of hand or the other person shows themselves to merely be looking for an argument then I bow out.
Humanity seems to be political nowadays, unfortunately.
I debated writing it. I had feelings I wanted to convey but didn’t want to just spill them out incoherently. I wanted to pull things from the different tragedies as a reminder that these weren’t news stories that just happened, they were about people whose lives were taken.
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And accountability
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Wow just wow. I honestly was someone who was against the kneeling but you put it in a perspective that has altered my thoughts on the mater whole heartedly!
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Glad to hear it 🙂
I see nothing wrong with peaceful protest and don’t understand why the message is always being distorted from what is actually being protested to disrespect for troops, which isn’t the case at all.
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