we have to do better

u.s. press ignores australia's pain,
the homeless guy
and the grapes of wrath

if not now in this generation, then when do we get to address the continuing madness of hatred and intolerance raging out of control everywhere on every continent? what possible justification remains for the unrelenting exploitation of the poor and weak by the rich and powerful? or for the despicable assaults by cowardly freaks who target innocent non-combatants with random acts of violence? what possible consolation can we offer to the survivors of these crimes against humanity? what words do i have a right to say to the father who tried but failed to shield his son from israeli bullets? or to the families of firefighters who never came home from the world trade towers collapse? or to the vacationers in bali whose only crime was a carefree evening at a night club?

this ongoing evil sucks. it has to stop someday. the generation that finally achieves sanity and stops this wretchedness will look back on every preceeding generation with a mixture of contempt and compassion. i already have contempt and compassion for my own generation for our first contributions to world leadership, clinton and bush. i am appalled by this miscarriage of justice. i am ready to vote for a solution, but i am unwilling to throw away civil liberties or freedom just to buy security from the criminally violent. we have to do better. aren't we smarter than this? apparently not.

i don't know the way, but i will never stop looking for paradise.
posted by Will Ross at 17:06