Too Busy With Excuses

Disgusted with violence,

with thoughts and prayers 

as their only protection,

students walk out

“Shut up,” they are told

“Sit in class”

You are in a democracy,

but don’t participate

“Gun control won’t help,

you stupid liberal!

People will still get guns

just like they get heroin”

But I noticed legalizing heroin

wasn’t in your game plan

“The Second Amendment 

gives me the right to my AR-15”

Does it give you the right to a tank?

A rocket launcher?

A hand grenade?

A missile?

A nuclear bomb?

Don’t we already agree

that it is not a blanket right 

for civilians to own 

any weapon they desire?

“The Second Amendment 

is in the Constitution!”

Though they don’t seem 

fond of the first right now

“You can’t change the 2nd Amendment!”

You know amendments,

the changes we’ve made to the Constitution

Yeah, you can’t change the changes

Apparently

When we tell students 

not to use their voice,

we are encouraging apathy

When we tell people 

nothing can change,

we are ignoring history

This country is encouraging hate

We are empowering racist thoughts

We are perpetuating toxic masculinity

We are profiting from greed

We are breeding fear

And then we are arming 

a scared, hateful population

with weapons meant to 

rapidly kill numerous people

And then, yes,

we are dying

But sit back down, students,

we are too busy with excuses

to make any changes

Written March 14, 2018