Monday, February 12, 2024

Democracy under Fire

 RANDOM JACK POETRY HOUR: WORLD DEMOCRACY


Democracy under Fire

 

There can be no democracy

when the people are under the gun

You cannot have fair elections

when you’re allowed to kill the opposition

 

In El Salvador the people have

embraced a brutal dictatorship

In Pakistan abuse of justice has

altered the balance of power

In Hungary the free press and lawful

opposition have been banned

In Turkey they crush the forces of

democracy by all means necessary

In Russia they imprison dissidents

and hold mock elections

In Afghanistan and Iran there is

only one voice

In America democracy balances

on the head of a pin

 

A raging fire of brutality spreads

Flames fanned by criminal enterprise

Roaming gangs of rapists and killers

The promise of order without law

The desperation of common people

The desire for a simple life

 

Democracy cannot exist where lives

are in constant upheaval

Where everything you have can

be taken away by criminals

Where the fundamental needs of

the people are denied

 

And yet democracy is the only

answer to the usurpation of power

Only democracy can defeat lawlessness

Only democracy can provide for the

needs of the people

 

When it is gone you will learn

When it is gone you will understand

how difficult it is to get it back again

 

No comments:

Post a Comment