inaction, reaction

Billions overpopulate the surface of our tiny speck in the universe.
Still how we sit inert before our luxuries while thousands die is a mystery
It's not that the machines don't hum the gentle tune of information
but that mob mentality that it takes more than one
it takes more than one, two, three, and a,b,c
to save babes and mothers being shot dead with one bullet for being other
other than the person with the gun.

50 years ago that other was me, 25 years ago that other was her,
12 years ago that other was you, today who is it?
Each time we sat up straight and tied our hands in loop knots
pretending there is nothing we can do.
Blindfolds of self-government and power
prevent us from joining the international community
let them use our lines against us, that our justice system will take care of it.

Our justice system is the mockery of the world,
torturing suspects, holding them indeterminably without trials
driving them mad by sensory depravation
we can't save people from the hands of our government,
how do we expect to save others from theirs?
But we have to try, on all counts, try.
Write, speak, scream, for all those who've died,
Write, speak, scream, for all those who've been denied the right to do so.