tell me why

I may be mad
I may be blind
I may be viciously unkind
But I can still read what you're thinking
And I've heard is said too many times
That you'd be better off
Besides...
Why can't you see this boat is sinking
(this boat is sinking this boat is sinking)
Let's go down to the water's edge
And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid
But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me...
Why
Tell me...
Why (“Why”, by Annie Lennox)

Why are ALL acts against human rights committed under the guise of religion not considered forms of terrorism? Why do we insist that Islam is the one and only foundation for terror when in this country we have Christians insisting that homosexuals are not equal, women who want protection for their own reproductive rights have no such freedoms, and any minority who asks for their fair share are looked upon as un-American?

Why do those politicians who align themselves with God, seem to only revere a vengeful and spiteful God? Why do their Gods seem to feel health care for all is wrong? Why do their Gods find working for a decent wage so wrong? Why do their Gods enjoy humans to be separate but equal? Why do their Gods insist that all of us who love should not create families made from that love?

Why is it that wealthy employed people seem to think they know more about the poor and unemployed? Why are the ‘mavens’ always the ones who have never experienced the world in which they assume they have the expertise to speak about? Why are their plans to cure the poor, the unemployed, the elderly based on theory rather than practice?

Why do we hear that it is the worker who is the culprit for the economic ills of this nation? Why don’t we look at our history of economics in the past 10 years and track just how much the wealthy have contributed to our downturn? Why are two unbudgeted wars, tax cuts for the wealthy, less stringent regulations on the financial industry, never the reason for our recession? Why do we insist the middle class, the worker, the elderly have to be the ones to make concessions? Why do we have almost 3 trillion dollars in the bank accounts of corporations and no one seems to think that money could be used to hire new workers and stop this insane circle of poverty?

Why is it that people like the Kardashians, Bristol Palin, the Housewives of any city, pregnant teen moms, Donald Trump, Kate Goslin, Snooki, vengeful room mates, are famous and worshiped? Why is it that the quality of giving, sharing, helping, listening are considered boring while taking, greed, selfishness, self serving adored? Why is it that talent, skill, craftsmanship are replaced with gaudy, arrogant, ignorant? Why is it that reality is scripted, real ignored and reasonable abandoned?

Why is it that teacher’s are considered vile and like parasites and preached to that their salaries are considered too high, while we have no problem paying $100 tickets to a professional basketball game or $150 for a football game or $18 a ticket to see a movie? Why is it those first responders are necessary to save lives, prevent destruction but when we are asked to pay for health insurance or retirement, they are considered selfish? Why is it that our bridges are falling down our roads impassable, our schools crumbling but when we want to hire construction workers to remedy this we hedge and think paying them union wages is outrageous?

Why is it that many of those running for the office of President of this great nation provide a platform of divide and conquer, separate but not equal, we vs., them, my God is not your God? Why is it if we a great enough nation to elect our first African American president, we have suddenly become racist, hateful, bigoted and biased? Why is it that health care for all is a divisive topic, marriage equality a deal breaker, women’s reproductive rights an issue, decent wage for all workers a problem, getting old and asking to get back what you originally gave a sin, marriage for those who love someone of the same sex outrageous, asking everyone to pay his/her fair share of taxes unpatriotic? Why have we become a country fixated on identifying the problem, placing blame and not even interested in consensus and compromise? Why?

And we can cast away those doubts
Some things are better left unsaid
But they still turn me inside out
Turning inside out turning inside out
Tell me...
Why
Tell me...
Why (“Why”, by Annie Lennox)