Unshackle Me

I wonder why we allow ourselves to feel safe in this world. I wonder about the people who don't worry about their situations, their lives, and their worlds. Why do you believe what those in power tell you? When, deep down, we all know they tell us these things so that they themselves can do whatever they please. They would say anything to keep us calm and supportive... to keep us submissive and quiet. And, when it suites them, they play on our fears--even keep us afraid and needy--to get what they want from us. AND WE LET THEM. We let them feed us this propaganda bullshit, and we eat it up, even thank them for it. We rarely if ever question them, never wonder why they are allowed to commit crimes, but the poor are not. Never wonder why they get away with MURDER, but a damned mother of five can't steal a few cans of soup without going to jail.

We let our jails be overrun with 'hopeless' cases... fill them with high school drop-outs and lower class minorities... let our children grow up in the prison system. In doing so, we kill any and all potential these people could ever have, teach them that the true ways to live are through drugs and violence, despite imprisoning them for doing these very things. And, meanwhile, the rich fucks sit in their castles and on capital hill, feeding the monster. They sedate us with rhetoric, empty promises, materialism, and consumerism. They tell us what we need is a new pair of shoes, the next episode of a 'reality' tv show, or the next big fad--and WE BELIEVE THEM! We agree! Nevermind that what we need is to end genocide, end the testing of 'medicines' that kill AIDS patients in Africa, end poverty and homelessness at home, end domestic violence, racism, and corruption, promote peace and equality and beauty and love, and have the liberty of life and property, our freedoms once promised to us. Nevermind that we don't really believe what they tell us, but we like to pretend we do.

We accept our bread and circuses while Rome burns around us. We accept the 'this, too, shall pass' mentality, without lifting a finger to change our situation.

We accept a leader that lies. We know there are no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. Yet, we are still there, killing and getting killed. We accept the War on Terror as a means to lesson our fears, when the fear we feel is given to us by terrorists within our own borders, sitting in 'elected' offices, presiding over us like tyrants. Tell me, do you feel safe? Do these vile creatures make you feel safe where you sit right here, right now? Do you accept what you are told... like a dog that obeys an abusive master? Do you feel safe knowing our leaders are breaking the law? Do you feel safe? How can you?

I don't feel safe, and I am worried.

I truly believe that, indeed, WE ARE THE OPPRESSED PEOPLE. NOT GAYS ONLY, NOT WOMEN ONLY, NOT MINORITIES ONLY, NOT JUST THE POOR, THE SICK, THE SCARED, OR THE WEAK. ALL OF US THAT ARE CONSTANTLY TOLD, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, THAT WE ARE NOT THE ONES IN POWER, AND THAT THE ONES WITH POWER KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR US. WE ARE THE IMMEDIATE CHECK ON OUR LEADERS, AND WE ARE IGNORING OUR DUTY TO REMOVE THEM AS IS NECESSARY. WE OUTNUMBER THEM. IT DOESN'T MATTER YOUR GENDER, SEXUALITY, RACE, OR CREED. WE ARE BEING LIED TO. WE ARE BEING FOOLED, SUPPRESSED, SEDATED, AND IGNORED. WE, AND ONLY WE, CAN KNOW WHAT IS GOOD FOR US. WE STAND HERE, NOW, ON A LEDGE WITH A CHOICE WE MUST MAKE. IT IS NOW, NOT LATER, THAT WE MUST FIGHT BACK. THERE WILL BE A TIME, IF LEFT UNRESOLVED, THAT THIS POWER WE DO POSSESS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY. WE CANNOT LET OURSELVES BE SUBDUED. WE CANNOT IGNORE THIS. WE CANNOT REMAIN SILENT.

Something must be done.