An oft'
quoted poem, but I have to wonder how many people really
think about what this poem is
saying.
I've seen people spout parts of this poem with complete sincerity and then express homophobic, sexist or racist comments. Seems as if many of us don't believe the truth of this statement ...
Can people really believe that the hatred and contempt for the rights of women, ethnic minorities, homosexuals or bisexuals, "non-traditional" people who don't adhere to their own gender, or any other oppressed group is something that can be so completely remote to them? After all, the choices of oppressed groups seem to be fairly systematic. However, that system is only annihilation.
You may be in America, be straight, white, heterosexual, traditonally gendered, and Christian, but don't imagine that the hatred shown to the "different" now is so outside of something that you may experience. After all, the system might be getting pretty close to claiming you, too.