This painting of a young Kenyan woman was sold to raise funds for a charity assisting people in Kenya, Bolivia, and Nepal. The lock on the window is a symbol of the potential of each individual that can be unlocked if given the opportunity. But such personal opportunities require a stable and civil society, a commodity that seems to becoming rarer as time passes. An individual’s need for stability and freedom from violence is true whether one lives in Kenya or in Kansas. The poem below was written after the Watts riots in 1965. Unfortunately, it seemed just as appropriate for the Los Angeles riots in 1992 and also for the current disturbances elsewhere in this world.
Watts Riots
By Al Vester
A land of great promise rocks to and fro
As hate and dissension hold daily convention
In every back alley and ghetto hole
Where hollow cries of freedom and life
Commence each round of hatred and strife
They claim injustice has raised their ire
The real desire is murder and fire
Never while they shout, “Burn baby, burn!”
Will they every come to know or possibly learn
The dignity is not an opinion to turn
But the product of goals that are honorably earned.
Violence vs. Civility
Violence seems to have become one of the standard responses for expressing anger or frustration by many people. Violence floods the daily news stories. Continue reading “Civility Brings Opportunities”
