Save Us Peter Bertone, Save Us Theresa El-Amin*
by Greg Pettis, 2/11/00

Yes, we see the Dixie Flag fluttering above a Southern Capitol
The blood still soaking in the fields, fallen from where the whips
Lashed the black backs, where the Christian ideologues stripped pride
And heritage and memory and respect from those who
Would have found their own African way;

Yes, we see the flaming cross, the hooded creatons,
Do not march in our streets,
We fear
Do not speak hate,
We implore
You can kill no more
We have decided we oppose you

But no, we do not hear our conversations, our casual phrases,
When we are all white and relaxed and our guard is down we do not hear our inner voices,
They express,
Our white friends nod and reinforce
It is the slum, the Chapel Hill ghetto, Hargrave Center may be there,
Schools, churches, people living and building in love and pride,
But it slips out so easily, naturally, a friendly comment among friends reinforcing us
Reinforcing us against them, we are better, we know better than ghettos,
We deny pride and community to the other, we do not hear our words,
It does not occur to us to try

And no, we do not hear our conversation,
"My mother is a teacher and in parent-teacher conference
A child was having problems, the mother arrives
Of course!  She's worthless!  No job!  Welfare!"
Reinforce us against them, we are better, we know better than welfare mothers

We do not hear our conversation,
The young man fat with America scoffs at the red headline, "Health care for all,"
Maybe someone argues, it falls on deaf ears, smug, patronizing smiles

Please, oh god, please
Someone save us, someone save us from ourselves, someone save us from America,
The stars are dead, America has killed them,
The stars are in jail, one even in Philly, America has imprisoned them,
It's only the ordinary people that's left

Save us, Peter Bertone
Save us, Theresa El-Amin,
Save us, Sandi Chapman,
Save us, John Johnson,
Save us, Erica Smiley,
Save us, Lucie Laurian,
Save us, Mary Rose Kubal,
Save us, Jennifer Clayton
Save us, Jon Wexler

Someone save us
Someone has to do something



*North Carolina activists