Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

LIBERTY GAGGED

Who would have thought
there'd come the day
that what the Nazis sought
would come this way?

No free speech allowed
or we'll ban you
from any crowd
or social purview

I guess I live in China now.
"Land of the free" is now in the past.
The thieves are in control somehow.
Ballots worthless as they're cast.

The echoes of hobnail boots
are strengthening upon our land.
How long before the thought police shoots
any who dare to take a stand?

All the while they laugh and eat ice cream
as all around small stores are shuttered.
The end of the American Dream.
No more truth dares be uttered.

Style / type: 
Structured: Western
Review Request (Intensity): 
I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back
Last few words: 
So now the president of the United States is banned along with thousands of conservatives. Yet the leader of Iran and China are still allowed. I no longer recognize my own country..............
Editing stage: 
Content level: 
Not Explicit Content

Comments

I am shocked by this.
I thought Neopoet was supposed to be a poetry site, not a medium for Trumpist apologists.

I was not aware that the "American Dream" included storming the US Capitol buildings and killing policemen. Nor was I aware that the presidents of China and Iran were frequent users of Facebook and Twitter.

[This is a duplicate account of Edna Sweetlove and been permanently suspended]

be that as it may, this IS a poetry site and it's not yet censored by the liberals

author comment

I appreciate the sentiment your poem conveys. I like the imagery and how you connected the overarching point.

To address Dandini's comment, while the violence at the US capitol was horrific, a great many of the ensuing repercussions taken by major technology companies such as Apple, Google, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter made baseless assumptions that all associated with the Republican party were connected with the violence. Further, they began censoring free speech under the guidelines of their terms of use (and this did not just occur on President Trump) in addition to de-listing certain social media alternatives from app stores and search browsers. While they were well within their legal rights, it sets legal precedent for censoring free speech throughout the nation, which could cause dangerous repercussions in the future.

One does not have to be a Trump apologist or a Republican (in fact I strongly dislike our existing President, and I do not identify with the Republican party) to recognize that basic human liberties are being threatened. Instagram especially has long been censoring the spread of dissenting information through specific algorithms, so this is not just a single occurrence on a President who broke the terms of use for the platform. For those who are glad to abide by these terms of use, they are welcome to participate in these social media platforms, with no judgment from me. I just ask that alternatives for those who are not comfortable with them be allowed on the Internet. This comment is not an attack on anyone, nor calling a person out, but merely to represent where I stand on this issue, and that I feel strongly that free speech and the press should be protected.

But as scribbler said, this is a poetry site, and in the interests of maintaining civil discourse I will refrain from commenting further.

..................................................
https://meanderingbackward.blogspot.com
"The true alchemists do not turn lead into gold; they turn the world into words." -William H. Gass

I could not have said anything better than the above comment....

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Raywhitakerblog.wordpress.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Even folks who do not agree politically CAN find common ground and go forward. Our so called representative have forgotten this can actually occur. Thanks for dropping by

author comment

channels also show the guards letting them in? Did it show the unarmed Trump supporter who happened to be white and female being killed by a security guard? Did it reveal that that guy with the viking horns is also dating pelosi's daughter? Don't believe everything you see on TV and NEVER believe anything on CNN or MSNBC. they are both propaganda channels for the DNC. But as always I'm pleased to have you drop by

author comment

Hello, Stan,
To all of my fellow American poets, I wish I could hug each and every one of you, including you, Stan. I personally am heartbroken and feel a depth of pain and sorrow that I never expected. I am depleted. I am void, but hold onto my faith and hope for better days ahead. As far as your poem, as I seldom have much to say regarding form or structure, it is all good and you have expressed yourself very well. Usually my comments render how a poem makes me feel and I offer this: I completely agree that our freedom of speech is now in great peril. A huge loss for all of us. But let's understand how it came to this point. The freedom of speech for our president, the leader of our country has not been so "free" after-all. It has cost human life, suffering, anxiety and a division within our country. My freedom of speech may now hang in peril due this recklessness. I pray for all of us, every day it seems for a more intense reason. Certainly in your freedom to post your poem you realized the feelings it may project - that is what poetry does, yes?
Much love to you, fellow American, poet, and most important - human friend.
L

I'd suggest you read the transcript of Trump's speech. NOWHERE does he call for any violence. Indeed he calls for ONLY peaceful protest. Always good to have you come by and I share your worry about what is happening

author comment

through social-media sites, should be allowed? We have to draw the line somewhere. There are a great many things that I disagree with our government about, but I do not espouse the idea that we should hang, shoot or otherwise physically harm any of our elected officials, the media or political opponets. EVER! Trump has been known to say that he wished that his supporters would punch people in the nose, hang 'em high, lock 'em up and destroy their livelyhood by physical means many times. It's true that he did not physically accompany the rioters to the Capital Building and participate. He did manage to convince them that he approved and would be there, "We will march right down there" [I'm right behind you guys], [ala the Three Stooges] while he ran off to watch from a safe place. Where do we draw the line? Would you allow someone to come to your home and say: "Let's go down to the Capital and drag some politicians out and hang 'em up"; knowing that there were some among them that would take it literally? I think not! If I were to write a poem that described the President being assasinated; I'm sure that I would have the FBI, CIA and half a dozen other agencies at my door in no time.~ Geezer.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

---->>>> Geezer

A very sensible comment. Well said!

And as for freedom of speech: as far as I know social media like Twitter and Facebook and the others are privately owned. It is up to the owners of these sites as to what they allow. If users breaks the rules, they get a ban, no matter who they are.

No decent society should permit incitement to violent crime in the name of free speech (or even more hypocrtically, "liberty"). What would the reaction be of the owners of neopoet if a member launched a foul-mouthed racist tirade, advocating murder and proposing the public lynching of people who the writer didn't agree with? I assume it would be a ban, and rightly so.

It is perfectly in order to criticise one's lawfully elected government or to query the validity of an election (provided you have evidence), but not to incite people to violence and criminality. I would have thought that would apply particularly strictly to a head of state, such as Trump.

I fear I have digressed. This is a poetry site, not a political debating chamber. As far as I personally am concerned I think this argument should end here. I apologise if I have overstepped the mark.

[This is a duplicate account of Edna Sweetlove and been permanently suspended]

I suggest you read a transcript of his speech then show me where he incited any violence. The side which has called for violence and practiced violence for the last 4v years has been the left. They called for blowing up the white house. They put on plays in which Trump was killed. They beheaded his effigy.They called for all members of his admin. to be chased and harassed. They burned and looted cities. They established autonomous zones. They shot police and threw fire bombs at them. They laid siege to and fire bombed a federal court house. The set fire to a church across from the white house.So please, spare me your indignation that the few unarmed protesters scared congress who sat silent while all this happened.

author comment

this time. My apologies. We shall always have differences of opinion on the score of who did what and the resulting score.
As to being scared? I assume that if either of us were in the position of seeing thousands of protesters outside the building erecting scaffolds with nooses and the "peaceful protesters" carrying plastic cuffs breaking into the building. We would be scared too! Ok, this conversation is now over. ~ Geez.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

than for the people to fear the gov't?

author comment

positively and without question! But the right way to gain change is to vote them out, not kill them and scare them to death.
Personally, I think that there are more players than just the two. Republicans and Democrats. The people responsible for the riots and burning buildings and those in the Capital Building are not the average, everyday people that want change. No, the real perpetrators are those that use the lie; that you don't have power, because it is being stolen from you by whomever is in the other party. These people want their fifteen minutes of fame, no matter the cost. I'm sure that there are an equal amount on both sides. I'm afraid that our founding fathers had too much faith in man; that there would be those immune to the feel of power and able to resist acting the dictator when things don't go their way. We had a fair election, no one stole it. If Trump had been smart, he would have shut his mouth and tried in 2024. If our country goes down the tubes, because of the coming administration, I'm sure that he would have had a good chance at it. If we want to continue this debate. we can do it in PMs or FB or... I'm done with it for now. ~ Geez.
.

There is value to commenting and critique, tell us how you feel about our work.
This must be the place, 'cause there ain't no place like this place anywhere near this place.

We can argue via PM lol

author comment
(c) Neopoet.com. No copyright is claimed by Neopoet to original member content.