Curse of the Founders

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR:  AMERICAN DEMOCRACY

Curse of the Founders

 

The founders had a clever idea

Embrace the concept of democracy

But toss the reality aside

Let the white and wealthy decide

The executive branch will abide

The electoral college

 

Let slaves be accorded three fifths

Of a human belonging to their masters

Let women and the poor go wanting

Let white men of property decide

The White House and the Senate will abide

Disproportionate representation

 

A few raised objections to no avail

They let the ship of equity sail

The country would be split in war

They could not accomplish any more

The head of state would be elite

A new convention would someday meet

To settle all the problems

Like the filibuster

 

The founders have been praised

With wonder we have all been raised

For all they thought and did so well

They secured our rights and cast a spell

But for all that they left a curse

And one that could hardly be worse

Slavery disenfranchisement

Corporate aristocracy

 

Not all the founders floundered

Some embraced the age of reason

Some risked the cry of treason

Some kept their ideology in sight

They knew the people would have to fight

To gain their civil and human rights

They did the best they could

The rest is up to us