A Decent Pair of Roller Skates

I guess I have failed to learn my lesson about violence and intimidation.

People like to get in each other’s head

And play with their emotions 

Stop and buy gas in a black community.

Stop and buy beer in a black community.

Ride or skate through a black community.

I might have nineteenth century opinions,

But I am still here.

Are white mobs actually going to do anything for black communities?

When the white mob gets what they want,

Is it going to empower black communities?

White people duplicitous?

Say it ain’t so.

My concern would be,

That they would take the monuments down,

And they would stop there feeling they had done something.

It is going to take more than just taking monuments down.

I feel it would be largely symbolic,

That it wouldn’t help or change anything.

People have faults.

People need to love one another.

It is not going to stop white people,

Selling their house when a black family moves into the neighborhood.

What matters more?

Black lives or property values?

It is still early for this generation.

I guess we will see.

I don’t know if people are prepared

For the role mental health is going to play

If we defund the police

Even larger numbers of people on medication

All of those people losing their gun rights

Effective loss of free speech 

I don’t know

Don’t think the government is not going to be in your life

If we defund the police

They go into prevent mode

What happens to you is going to be based on statistics 

I thought I could stop my medication,

And eventually I would come through to the other side,

But they wouldn’t let me

Because they said most people get in trouble with the law

Plan on this to happen to more people

Plan on being told again and again 

You are only one person.

How can your life matter,

If they don’t even see you as an individual?

And if you are,

You are a trouble maker?

You are a statistic.

You are a demographic.

How can your life matter?

You aren’t an individual.

There is no such thing as an individual.

I am not trying to justify anybody.

Jesus died for asserting himself as an individual.

Has it been recorded?

Then I must have done something right.

I am still sore I didn’t get a decent pair of roller skates.

You may feel indignant,

But don’t expect anyone to embrace you.