It's Not Okay. . .

It's not okay you're scared to hold hands in public,
Because every couple deserves the right to express their love.

It's not okay they're developing on that land without compensation,
Because it is and was rightfully yours.

It's not okay you have that black eye,
Because if he really loves you, he'll express his anger properly.

It's not okay that you can't find a job,
Because your skin colour should never be a detriment.

It's not okay you had to walk through spit and curses,
Because you have the right to decide what to do with your body.

It's not okay you are going to bed hungry,
Because it only reinforces that we all turned our back on your family.

It's not okay you overheard them say, 'He's pretty smart for a. . .'
Because that thought process is the reason we even have a problem.

It's not okay you have to constantly hear how you are ruining marriage,
Because committed love has never ruined anything.

It's not okay they yelled that you're the problem with this country,
Because bigotry and ignorance is the real problem.

It's not okay now that you heard the word 'sorry',
Because the harm was done by actions and can now only be fixed by action.

It's not okay you can't choose anywhere to hold your place of worship,
Because that is exactly what freedom of religion says you can do.

It's not okay he guilt trips you for making that difficult decision,
Because where was he when you first found out your life was about to change.

It's not okay you were forced out of your home,
Because bulldozers don't equal progress, especially if it creates more homeless.

It's not okay she clutched her purse when you passed by,
Because a criminal should be defined by their crimes not by their appearance.

It's not okay they filed court injunctions,
Because you just wanted to talk and discuss your rights to the land.

It's not okay your son is labeled the bad kid,
Because being bored and not having needs met is not the fault of the child.

It's not okay you heard someone say, "That's so gay!",
Because someone's lifestyle isn't an insult.

It's not okay you feel shame that you didn't have enough for that bag of milk,
Because community should mean support and compassion not survival of the privileged.

It's not okay you get stopped and IDed everywhere you go,
Because you are just as much a citizen as the ones who question you.

It's not okay you don't know what decisions are being made,
Because your government is responsible to you and not the other way around.

It's not okay they always remind you of the mistakes and demons of your past,
Because if they can't move on, then how can they expect you to.

It's not okay they won't let their kid play with your child because you're different,
Because we're all different, and we still need to live and cooperate with each other.

It's not okay when they tell you that they're taking back their country from you,
Because if they go to the 'reserves' they'll find out whose land it really is.

It's not okay if you have to wonder all day if he'll be angry tonight or not,
Because nobody deserves to live in fear in their very own home.

It's not okay you lost the social program that was helping you get by,
Because it isn't the stable and well off that need breaks and assistance.

It's not okay she constantly hounds you about the apparent sin in your lifestyle,
Because sin is harmful, and love is good.

It's not okay that my life has been privileged and blessed,
Because that just means I have far more responsibilities to better my world.

Comments

  1. Anonymous12:56 pm

    Very well written. Thanks for sharing perspective that we all need to remember.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous1:05 pm

    Lindsey McQuade via Facebook:

    likes this.

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  3. Anonymous8:49 am

    I like it. But then again to make some controversy...

    It's okay to be right wing.
    Because everyone is open to their own opinion.

    It is okay to keep my land.
    Because we won then and still own it now.

    It is okay to tear down old buildings,
    Because the majority of people don't like crap.

    It is okay to have a conviction on lifestyle,
    because those for their lifestyle also have a conviction.

    It is okay to hate whats wrong
    because to hate whats wrong means to like whats good.

    It is okay to hate the sin,
    because hating the sin, doesn't mean you hate the person.

    It is okay to not be narcissistic
    and to look out for the betterment of society.

    It is okay to not accept all belief systems,
    because when you do, we'll all have messed up views.

    It is okay for me to write this response,
    because like you have said, I have my freedom of speech.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Of course it is okay to be right wing, without them I'd have nothing to rag against. ;)

    You realize there were treaties and legal documents that gave First Nations specific tracts of land which now people are trying to develop without compensating the First Nations.

    Yes, the majority of people don't like crap. That actually has nothing to do with tearing down the buildings though.

    It is okay to also show respect to those with different lifestyles too, though.

    Though your definition of wrong may be different than many of peoples, which is the issue.

    Just make sure you remember to not hate the person, but attacking their lifestyle can sure seem like hatred most of the time.

    I have no clue what your 'narcissistic' comment is in reference to. I actually agree with this.

    Accepting and believing are too different things. Believing everything will cause muddled views, but being accepting doesn't.

    Yep, freedom of speech is good. We agree with two things now.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous2:04 pm

    Hey oh. Annonymous, I think the point of this post was to talk about how injustices are not okay. Chris was talking about things that are indeed injustices, and the reason they are as such is because people believe that their actions and belief systems trump the rest of society. Social injustice is a huge problem that middle class North America and above feed into and keep going. It causes things like depression, suicide, ehtnicities and people of similar socio-economic statuses being forced to live in certain areas, and a host of other things. The point of the blog really was to show that these things are not okay. That they are unacceptable for one person to do to another. Seriously, if it is viewed that these things are okay, then just try walking in the shoes of someone who faces these issues.

    If we don't realize the legitimacy of these issues we will continue to see women making twelve thousand dollars a year less than men, the loss of social programs, the continued abuse of First Nations peoples, politics without transperancy, religious divide... and for what? If the goal of life is to show love, then all those things listed in Chris' blog really should be viewed as unacceptable.

    Seriously... live for a while as someone on the receiving end (and please don't say that Christians are on that end, because we have a pretty fat lifestyle) and then you might get an understanding of what these things are actually doing to the lives of fellow human beings.

    Scott

    ReplyDelete
  6. Spicer, keep on rockin' in the free world.

    In response to Mr. Anonymous controversy...

    It is okay to be a total douche,
    because your self-righteous, closed-minded attitude justifies it.

    Also, I give you a raspberry :p

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous12:27 am

    Brandon Oliver via Facebook:

    likes this.

    ReplyDelete

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