I’m stuck at the red light on 4th street across from the shelter. I try not to stare at the men shivering in the afternoon rain. Instead, I think about my wife at home with the fragrance of happiness in her hair, my comfortable chair and how good my bed will feel even though its mattress refuses to grow accustomed to my body’s shape. I don’t want to think about these old men and their soup kitchen dinner, or the newspaper blankets that they’ll use to shelter them from the cold. I only think…I wish this damn light would change.
Tag: human rights
They Sold Your Soul
They Sold Your Soul
There is a place that exists
Between Hell and Heaven
And we’re doing a tightrope balancing act
On the center rail of humanity
America I pledge allegiance but I can’t tell anymore which country you are
I’ve asked the questions but never get a straight answer
There are times when I can feel the sun shining on my back
But it quickly fades back to hate and blame
When did life get so damned hard
When did the answers to the questions become more questions
When did the light at the end of the tunnel
Turn out to be a street lamp on the corner of Lies and Mistrust
They all run around screaming silence at each other
Each one wanting to know why the other can’t understand the lie
When it’s as plain as the pimple in the ass crack of their insanity
It itches but they won’t scratch it for fear we’ll smell the shit on their hands
So somebody please tell me where did the innocent children go
I know they were here just a few minutes ago
I heard them laughing and playing out on the lawn
But when I turned back to look they were suddenly gone
They’re in the bathroom with a razor slash across their wrists
Because they know the big white house on top of the hill
Is just a meeting place for the worlds auctioneers
And what is for sale and who is in line to buy it
The Fall of an Empire
Let me tell you a little story of a once great empire that existed long ago and in a land far away…or is it?
This empire consisted of an Emperor, who held the power to rule over civil and military affairs. The Senate, made up of men of character acted as the advisory counsel for the Emperor. However, the powerful, wealthy and spoilt members of the Senate inevitably became corrupt and many lived a debauched, deluded and immoral lifestyle, leading to constant antagonism of the Emperor and an inability to create laws to govern its citizens; resulting in a moral decay of society.
This decline in morals, ethics and values especially among the wealthy upper class had a devastating impact. Sexual promiscuity, including adultery, orgies, homosexuality and bestiality ran rampant. ‘Religious festivals’ were held where lewd acts would be performed openly. Widespread gambling, massive consumption of alcohol and sadistic cruelty were held in public venues.
The elite leaders that once protected the Empire became so politically corrupt that eventually they could decide who would become Emperor. At one point they held an open auction and sold ‘the throne of the world’ to the highest bidder.
Heavy military spending to support the constant wars against the barbarians led to increased taxes. The military was eventually spread too thin to defend its borders. High spending soon led to threats of government bankruptcy, even higher taxation, failing economics and out of control inflation. The currency was devalued to such a point that a barter system returned.
An invasion of ‘slave labor’ from other countries eventually led to a high unemployment rate among its citizens. This caused increased dependability, government hand-outs and subsidies. Many citizens chose to live strictly off these subsidies, sacrificing their standard of living for an idle life of ease. They divide between rich and poor grew to massive proportions.
As thousands of these idle and unemployed citizens grew bored civil unrest and rioting in the streets became common. Violence and bloodshed lost its ability to shock the spectators. Basic principles and the standards of judgement about the value of life declined. The views of what was right or wrong, good or bad grew perverted as all ethics and standards of human behavior were lost.
Many natural disasters such as fires, floods, violent storms and earthquakes took their toll and left the population looking for anyone to blame. Many different types of religions were sought out as the citizens searched for answers.
The Empire had created many enemies worldwide; some out of envy and others out of hatred. This resulted in the Empire being under constant attack from foreign armies. Eventually, these barbarians laid waste to the capitol and brought the Empire to its knees, leading to its inevitable decline.
Old Soldier
I can see it in your face;
How proud you are that you stood for freedom
I can see it in your tears;
As you watch the world call us the enemy
I can see it tear at your heart;
When selfish people refuse to stand
I can see how your stomach churns;
Every time the flag is burned
I can see it eating away at your emotions;
When black hates white or white hates black
I can see your anger rise;
When the world spits on America
I can see your blood boil
When we cower in the corner too afraid to offend
I can see it in your hatred;
When you load the gun
I can see it in your smile;
After you have talked to God
Duty, Honor and Commitment
“Duty then is the sublimest word in the English language. You should do your duty in all things. You can never do more, you should never wish to do less.” Robert E Lee
Perhaps, Serving in the military myself has helped me to understand a little of the struggle that every defender of our ‘nations rights’ goes through. The vast majority of us do not wake up one morning and say, “Today, I willingly take another souls life.” It goes against the grain of all decency and morality. But, we took an oath to defend, protect and serve the people. A pledge that we would honor our duty even though it conflicts with our personal beliefs. Today, more than others, I am reminded that we must draw from the well of compassion for those who were so tormented by the choice between duty and personal philosophy.
It is the anniversary of the birth of Robert E Lee (January 19, 1807 to October 12, 1870) and we celebrate the symbol of individual commitment to duty over all else during a time of great strife in our American history. Thousands of men, young and old, had to make that choice during those years of the civil war and millions of men and women in the years that followed, So, as we celebrate Robert E. Lee Day, we are not just honoring his sense of duty, but those millions of unheard voices that faced equal moral turmoil.
In a letter from Robert E Lee to George Washington Custis in January, 1861 Lee writes, …As an American citizen, I take great pride in my country, her prosperity and institutions, and would defend any State if her rights were invaded. But I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, and I am willing to sacrifice everything but honor for its preservation. I hope, therefore, that all constitutional means will be exhausted before there is a resort to force. Secession is nothing but revolution. The framers of our Constitution never exhausted so much labor, wisdom, and forbearance in its formation, and surrounded it with so many guards and securities, if it was intended to be broken by every member of the Confederacy at will. It was intended for “perpetual union,” so expressed in the preamble, and for the establishment of a government, not a compact, which can only be dissolved by revolution, or the consent of all the people in convention assembled.
It’s easy to stand at our pulpit and look back upon our past and condemn people for the choices they made. But we should not be too quick to judge. How would you react today, if faced with the choice of defending your state or defending your country? Even though that might mean defending your country against your brother.
Jerry Brotherton 