He’s lauded as an
Intellectual giant,
Someone who changed
The course of history,
Who left his imprint on
The fabric of the nation,
Who set a course of
Wisdom and conviction,
Except if you’re one
Of the people he hated
For no other reason than
Insecurity or prejudice,
And who suffered because of
His magnificent decisions.
One supposes that it
Would be in everyone’s
Best interest to educate
All the members of a
Given society so that they
May all have access to
Some dignified level of
Personal and professional success
And build a stronger nation,
But there always seem
To be voices shouting about
How there’s no way we
Can give everyone equal
Opportunity. Using any
Number of rationalizations,
They try to convince themselves
And anyone who will sympathize,
That there is some reason
That they deserve to be on top
And others should suffer.
He’s amassed wealth
Beyond his wildest dreams,
And it is from
This lofty perch
That he decides
To shaft as many
People as he
Possibly can.
She’s become more successful
Than she ever thought possible,
And it is from this
Vantage point that
She chooses to
Help those
Less fortunate
Than her.
I’m not a racist but
I just don’t trust
Those people.
They lie.
They cheat.
They steal.
They’re
Not
Like me.
We have
Nothing
In common.
It’s always
Been
This way.
There’s just a
Natural order
To things.
I resent
Your
Insinuations.
This
Conversation
Is over.
Human beings regularly
Show extraordinary altruism,
Helping each other in
Times of desperation,
Supporting one another
Without expectation of
Personal gain, building
Caring bonds across social
And cultural lines.
Former strangers become
Close friends through
Gestures of kindness.
It’s been proven over and over
That people don’t have to fight,
That they can share resources
Rather than compete,
Transcend greed and coexist
In peace and harmony,
As long as they don’t heed
Those who have something to
Gain from perpetual discord.
Two brothers grow up
In the same family.
It’s not a particularly
Wonderful or unusual environment,
Filled with constant berating and
The weight of persistent unhappiness.
Nobody is praised in this house
And everyone is encouraged,
Both explicitly and implicitly,
To adopt the view that the world is
A hopeless place where you
Take your lumps and deal with it,
Grab what’s yours and hang on.
Not much light enters, but
That’s not the end of the story.
The boys grow up. One never escapes
The shadows of his past, the other
Helps people blossom.
Leading tours of his family’s
Plantation, the owner beams
About how beautiful and tidy
Everything is and how
Happy everyone was about
Working there in the past
And what a great family
They have in the present
And what a wonderful time
Is commemorated by the
Whole endeavor, and not for
A moment does he acknowledge
That it was all built on
The backs of enslaved people
And neither do most of his
Guests, the same ones raving
About how magnificent it all is.
Government isn’t some
Arbitrary concept, some
Set of rules that is
Imposed by an abstract actor,
It’s a reflection
Of the human beings who
Have designed it. If they
Don’t care for each other
And function out of greed
And selfishness, their
Government will reflect those
Particular preferences,
If they care for one another
And value the greater good,
Then their government will
Do the same. There’s no magic
To it, the people get what
They champion or tolerate.
How easy it would be
To build one less room
In one’s third mega-mansion,
Pass on one additional
Exotic car, schedule
One less lavish party for
Well-heeled friends where
The bill for the champagne
Alone is more than the
Salaries of the staff
Dutifully attending guests,
Go on one less extravagant
Vacation to Monaco,
In order to build a
World where everyone has
A chance to succeed.
No one needs a one-hundredth
Expensive pair of shoes or
Custom suit when other
Human beings struggle
To find their next meal.
