Audre Lorde Knows What I Mean – 2021 in review - 2. Part Two: A Society Awash in Anger

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Audre Lorde Knows What I Mean –

2021 in review

by AC Benus

“The mind of a bigot

is like the pupil of the eye;

The more light you pour upon it,

the more it will contract.”

—Oliver Wendell Holmes, ^[i]

circa 1882

Part Two:

Social Justice I

VII.

A consequence-based community

Is what the cynical Gop talkingpoint

Known as ‘Cancel Culture’ truly is.

Are not kindergartners taught that

Breaking the societal compact gets punished?

And yet, somehow, Repubs are excused?

Keep up the hypocrisy, A-holes,

And see retribution-based politics

Send your Party the way of the dodo.

VIII.

Anger;

Righteousness

‘Gainst racial wrongs

Treated as the norm –

Enrage

Why then

Just pretend

Business as usual’s

The best we get

Sleeping?

Rise up,

Or sit down,

Civil obedience, or not –

A fist in the air

Symbol

Freedom

From the lies;

That’s all we ask –

The end of othering

For all.

IX.

John Sullivan, Utah progressive,

Was treated differently from the others

Who stormed the Capitol on January 6th –

While the true Trump-head seditionists

Got Gop-court-ordered slaps on the wrist,

Sullivan, charged mere hours after arrest,

Faced 5-years in prison felonies –

So I ask you a simple question:

Can you guess the color of his skin? [ii]

X.

Segregation dead in Louisiana,

Or the dead segregated in that state?

January, 2021 – more than 20 years

Into the new century – and a deputy sheriff’s

Family is refused his burial in the

Oaklin Springs cemetery, because the

Board insists Blue Lines don’t matter

Over the ‘n_gr_’ status of one of their

Fallen. No. No Blacks allowed in

Sacred, white soil, no matter who the soul

Might be; no matter that it’s 20 fucking

Years into a new century tired as fuck

With all this 19th century bullshit.

Segregation dead in Louisiana . . . ?

No, the dead segregated in that state. [iii]

XI.

Isolated; Random –

That’s all “They” ever say –

The Media, the Cops, the FBI,

The Schoolboards, the Cop Unions,

The Mayors, the Supervisors, the

Bum-fucked Anybodies excusing

Inexcusable Homophobia, Racial Bias,

Sexism, Gender-Shaming, and On and On –

“Nothing to see here, folks, our

Company’s . . .

President’s . . .

Nation’s . . .

Queen’s . . .

District’s . . .

Officer’s . . .

Town’s . . .

Country’s . . .

Pope’s . . .

County’s . . .

Leader’s . . .

Prince’s . . .

Sheriff’s . . .

Admin’s . . .

Secretary . . .

Prime Minister’s . . .

Attorney’s . . .

King’s . . .

Representative’s . . .

Alderman’s . . .

Senator’s . . .

Lord’s . . .

Bishop’s . . .

Anything at All’s . . .

Bigotry is just a Random one-off

Event. Nothing systemic to see here, so

Move along; move along.”

XII.

What in our 'blessed' world

Could possibly be more ‘Christian’

Than five instructors at the Saint Charles,

Missouri, so-called “Christian High School”

Spelling out the word “C-O-O-N”

At a harmless, blameless school picnic

Games competition? Nothing, according to the

Schoolboard.

No consequences –

No firings; no reprimands;

No sanctions; zero; zip, no costs

For the flagrant bullying shown to

The school’s Black children.

“God bless, ‘em. They’re doing the Lord’s Work”

Is no doubt what this so-called ‘Christian’

Schoolboard said behind closed doors. [iv]

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