POEMS

Condemn

self-published
13 August 2017

Condemn hate.

Written in response to the white supremacist and neo-Nazi rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, during a summer of hatred. But hatred has no season, and years later, that long summer has yet to end. I may modify and add to this poem over time.

when necessary

Condemn

Condemn white supremacists kkk nazis
whatever name they are going by now
whatever pride they take in their hate
Condemn them always

if necessary
Condemn family and friends
Condemn them if necessary
parents siblings relatives
even though we grew up with them
have no blood loyalty to hate
the people we grew up with
even our friends
have no loyalty to hate

Condemn violence hatred bigotry

it is necessary

always

Condemn
their violence
their hatred
their bigotry

Condemn
everyone who hates
their beliefs lacking skepticism
their faith lacking love
their options lacking facts
their choices lacking responsibility

clergy atheists
scientists creationists
eugenicists academics philosophers
politicians authority figures the white house
public figures celebrities loud figures news anchors
reporters personalities artists
poets writers
tellers of jokes

Condemn them when they hate

Condemn religion and dogma when they hate
Condemn bad science pseudoscience new age supernatural spirituality

when these lead to hate

Condemn the blunt weapon
Condemn of the practice of free speech without
free response
Condemn their lack of responsibility

Condemn
Condemn!

white supremacy right now

Condemn the worst in you
Condemn your hate and your parents’ hate
born in you 

Condemn silence
complicit condoning silence

Condemn those who attack the most vulnerable
Condemn those who create straw people to fear

they create straw people so they can hate more deeply

Condemn free markets without free response
capitalism without critique
opinion without expertise

we have wasted a world for war
we have wasted a world with our guns
we have wasted a world with our waste

without free response
without basic decency
without reparations or cleanup
without open borders
we have wasted a world

we have sent our worst upon every shore

and there are more shores than these

Condemn our worst

Condemn oil
Condemn capitalism
Condemn ignorance and the breaking waves of disease
on every shore

Condemn oil companies and anti-vaxxers

Condemn gatekeeper who hold the gates of hate
Condemn their lack of empathy

Condemn the polluted waves
drowning the world
in hate

Condemn celebrity worship and cults 
of personality

Condemn
Condemn!

have no loyalty to hate
no loyalty to invaders
no loyalty to the Russian government led by Putin

Condemn Putin

Condemn invaders

when necessary
it is necessary

Condemn hate
Condemn hate!

and Protect each other
the planet
freedom
democracy
life
, ,
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