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Death in Charleston
More victims of gun violence
Sadly lost their lives this week
As a man with a weapon quietly entered
A South Carolinian church to wreak
Havoc on worshipers meeting together--
Nine people who happened to be black,
Studying together in a place of refuge
And never expecting a violent attack.
We mourn the loss of nine more Americans
To a racist monster with hate in his heart.
How could anyone commit such an act
That tears so many lives apart?
The murder suspect--a twenty-one-year-old--
Has clothing with racist symbols and sayings.
He also attacked the worshipers with abusive
And racist language at the time of the slayings.
If he were Muslin, he'd be a "terrorist."
African-American? He'd be a "thug."
But, no, he's just a "troubled soul,"
Many critics say feeling smug.
Fox News commentators, of course,
Give the shooting their expected spin:
"It's an attack on Christians," they say.
Do they know what country they're in?
NRA members blame Pastor Pinckney.
They typically blame the victims when
They should be looking at sensible ways
To stop such bloodshed from happening again.
Read the names of the victims below.
Think of their contributions, their lives,
Their children, relatives, mothers, fathers,
Close friends, and their husbands and wives:
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Rev. Clementa Pinckney
Cynthia Hurd
Tywanza Sanders
Myra Thompson
Ethel Lee Lance
Daniel L. Simmons
Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor
Susie Jackson
President Obama is amazed that our nation
Could tolerate such violence considering how far we
Have advanced. But such atrocities
Make me wonder: How advanced are we?
(6-19-15)
Sadly lost their lives this week
As a man with a weapon quietly entered
A South Carolinian church to wreak
Havoc on worshipers meeting together--
Nine people who happened to be black,
Studying together in a place of refuge
And never expecting a violent attack.
We mourn the loss of nine more Americans
To a racist monster with hate in his heart.
How could anyone commit such an act
That tears so many lives apart?
The murder suspect--a twenty-one-year-old--
Has clothing with racist symbols and sayings.
He also attacked the worshipers with abusive
And racist language at the time of the slayings.
If he were Muslin, he'd be a "terrorist."
African-American? He'd be a "thug."
But, no, he's just a "troubled soul,"
Many critics say feeling smug.
Fox News commentators, of course,
Give the shooting their expected spin:
"It's an attack on Christians," they say.
Do they know what country they're in?
NRA members blame Pastor Pinckney.
They typically blame the victims when
They should be looking at sensible ways
To stop such bloodshed from happening again.
Read the names of the victims below.
Think of their contributions, their lives,
Their children, relatives, mothers, fathers,
Close friends, and their husbands and wives:
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton
Rev. Clementa Pinckney
Cynthia Hurd
Tywanza Sanders
Myra Thompson
Ethel Lee Lance
Daniel L. Simmons
Rev. Depayne Middleton-Doctor
Susie Jackson
President Obama is amazed that our nation
Could tolerate such violence considering how far we
Have advanced. But such atrocities
Make me wonder: How advanced are we?
(6-19-15)
