Why Protests Are Not a Spectator Sport

it’s funny when bricks tend to

fly, fly, fly

the media pretends to ask

why, why, why

even though last week

they were there, they were there

they were right, right, there

all they report are

lies, lies, lies

showing white people as

they cry, cry, cry

over three broken windows

as if someone just

died, died, died

but surprise, surprise

the media deceives and lies

while today, thousands of

black babies will die

but no one asks why

no one even cries

but when bricks tend to

fly, fly, fly

the media is the first

to respond with white

lies, lies, lies

even though we explain

over and over

why, why, why

their wealth is why

needlessly –

babies still cry

needlessly –

people still die

needlessly –

the earth is destroyed

needlessly –

troops are deployed

as long as whitey still cries

over spilled perfume

and as long as whitey still looks

so damn confused

we will be there fighting

 for what we know is true

as long as whitey still

consumes and consumes

and as long as whitey still

cries over spilled perfume

we will be there fighting

for what we know is true

and what we know is true

true as this

truth is not bliss

… when you face the blistering heat

in sweatshops and on modern

plantations

like so many

Mexicans, Asians, and Haitians

or what about the millions more

raped of

resources

in third world nations?

billions of lives

living off of pennies a day

that’s what they’re facing

why is that still

what they’re facing?

millions are spent

on makeup each day

whitey is still wasting

why oh why is whitey still

wasting?

what about those second world

citizens

still living in poor health?

pain there is still the biggest

feeling

that is felt

… all while the first world is

complacent in

an amassment of grand wealth

wealth that in turns

turns down the cries

needlessly –

cries of help, help, help

needlessly –

turn to no more

than a barely heard yelp

needlessly –

is a word of hate

needlessly

is a word

we must work so damn hard to

erase

so as long as whitey still cries

over a glass of spilled milk

and as long as whitey still rest

their heads on sheets of silk

we will be there fighting

for what we know is true

so as long as whitey continues

to bilk bilk bilk

and as long as whitey still cries

over a glass of spilled milk

we will be there fighting

for what we know is true

black masks and bricks

and whatever other tricks

we can come up with

we will come with

whatever we can fit

in a backpack

we black bloc

up your block

because we can’t, we don’t

and we won’t stop

we will take the war on the poor

back to whitey’s

front door

get arrested

and come back

for more

with whatever we can fit

in a backpack

we black bloc

up your block

because we can’t, we won’t

and we don’t stop

and all the world we won’t stop

‘til Starbucks is on fire

and all the world we won’t stop

‘til workers get paid higher

and all the world we don’t stop

even if the media’s lying

and all the world we don’t stop

until those

who

are needy

stop

needlessly dying

that’s why

when

they ask us

we tell them

watch who or what

you consort with

because our protests

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are not a spectator sport