It’s not a bad “dividedness” when a majority stands against racism, bigotry & intolerance. It’s actually a sign of hope. There is no negotiation to be had, no middle point to be found, no concessions to be made between what is just plain right and what is clearly wrong & evil. But talking about “dividedness” alone only obscures the true illness that afflicts us as a nation –it’s self-deceiving, self-serving, and just too convenient.
Racism, bigotry & intolerance are not resolved with training, workshops, and seminars. They are willful illnesses of the mind, heart, and soul –conditions whose symptoms result in the violation of human, social, and political rights (real life consequences & effects). The true issue is whether the actions that give them expression and reality beyond those who possess the illnesses occur or don’t, are allowed or not.
when we vote…
beliefs & thoughts come alive
communities expose their hearts
you, y’all & i are revealed
because of your 2016 vote…
i will not set foot in your quaintness
i will not spend money within your borders
i will not engage your inhospitable terrain
i will not breathe your poisonous rural air
i have no need or desire
you don’t & won’t exist to me
archie bunker, i have no interest in you no more
cities are my home
in civilization, i claim sanctuary
my peaceful existence is urban
–when we vote | poem from columbus, oh will appear in a future book of poems (release date | July 2020).