We’re asked to give up civil rights
in the fight against terrorism.
There is an undeniable appeal
in this appeal to patriotism.
People are dying for us,
can’t we make sacrifices, too?
And aren’t we just facing reality?
Civil rights suit civil times,
martial rights, martial times.
Aliens and Traitors deserve only
the justice we can muster.
But in a free society, aren’t
civil rights and human rights
one and the same,
in good times and in bad,
in war and in peace
for all within our borders?
We may stop being civil
when we are at war
But do we ever stop being
human?
If some of us must die for freedom,
the rest of us should live it
every day, in every way
we can.
Robert Johnson
is
Professor and Chair of the Dept of
Justice, Law and Society, at
American University.
Rappahannock Record
Thursday, Sept. 5, 2002
A4
(c) 2002 Robert Johnson
|
Other poems by Robert Johnson:
"Village Life", "It Takes A
Child" and "Nine One One"
Johnson's first
published collection of poems, Poetic
Justice is now available.
Many sample poems, contents and ordering information are available
in this Adobe .pdf file (92k).
Amazon.com:
Poetic Justice: reflections on the Big House, the Death House
& the American Way of Justice
|
