Tolerate This
By James O’Keefe
Note: This is an authentic “slam” poem written in the Winter of 2003 in my passionate, reactionary response to Annie DiFranco.
It is to be performed in the spoken-word/hip-hop format.
Very few people at Rutgers are about to agree with what I have to say
But because you believe in acceptance and diversity
I’m ‘bout to say it anyway
You think you’re all Peace?
You think I’m all war?
You don’t know what it is we’re fighting for
It’s kill or be killed and we’ve been killed before
You don’t seem to understand the fundamentals of war
Like anxious butterflies behind closed doors
You imply utopia, logic you ignore
You disagree with dieing hard likes its
Some choice to make
You defy society like it’s some claim to stake
Hurry up and bitch because tolerance won’t wait
But we can’t let impatient hippies determine our fate
You blame this nation
For what madmen have done
On the Eleventh of September, 2001
You Support Palestine
But ignore about their laughter
Emanating from their celebrating the hating of Jews and destruction of America
On the day after
You use shady language and class dividers
You label suicide bombers as “freedom-fighters.”
You’re pro-harmony but never stop causing noise
Still
Against Capital
Against Capital punishment
Against Capitalism
On the Steps of Capitol
Hill
Sometimes it seems from your unpatriotic screams
You’d rather be in chains
In a Communist nation where a dictator reigns
Your ignorance just thrives when you describe
Bush as a Texas cowboy running astray
You stereotype him so I can stereotype you
Smoking weed and drinking your double cappuccino latte
How does it feel?
Just deal
No blood for oil but gas prices to high for sale
No tax cuts but stash the cashed check in the mail
You won’t make sacrifice for homeland protection
You often question but never offer suggestions
You’re in constant defense of criminals somehow
You persecute people for not being politically correct
Who’s hypocritical now!
You make up slogans and accusations
Believe anecdotes without a single citation
Brand me a racist with an agenda to gain
Hand me your bluff but I’m tough not insane
You spit on our honor cause division and pain
When you say the victims died in vain
Sitting on your pedestal of judgment
So-called “tolerance,” progressive, cosmopolitan, comfortably, cool, seriously doubting
Whining and pouting
Shouting against Inequality for the disunited States
And rising crime rates
You don’t care about the cause, just want the effect
You Dine in the paradigm the military you hate is trying to protect
You think I wouldn’t die for this country you’re wrong
I realize America’s where I belong
So you can stab me with your words
Protest me to the ground
Call me a fascist, racist, selfish clown
But I wont’ let hypocrites put me down
I’m American and I realize how fortunate you are
Why your teacher made you salute those stripes and stars
It’s ok to criticize but think before you speak
Think about the rights you have
What happens when the shuttle crashes?
Instant gratification
No more space exploration
We put a man on the moon 40 years ago
But now it’s too soon to send
A man into space?
A slap in the face
Of our imperialist plot to conquer a lot
Don’t rebuild the WTC higher
Simply build a tiny spire
It’s time to abandon all structural endeavors
Hide under our beds and cover our heads
Like the sissies you are
Don’t salute those stripes and stars
Fire Bill Maher
Because he told us we’re cowards
And we’re afraid that we are
We all care about our civil liberties being taken away
But only some parts of the constitution are ok
Not the electoral college part?
It works both ways doesn’t it?
The FBI, CIA should have done its job then
Its got all the evidence now
But you don’t care
You want infinite proof there
You wouldn’t sacrifice one fraction
To Save Millions of lives and when
Those lives are lost you blame those who didn’t take action!
The least I can do is ask you
TO not use sugar coated language and abuse our sensitivity
Our communication
Please do not call killing babies equipping young women with a choice
Don’t defy those who protect us
You’re making the enemy rejoice
It’s easy to hate
To accuse me that I discriminate
But to those who raise their fists
Answer me this
When the bomb is dropped by Iran (rhyme with bomb)
You look up and see the mushroom cloud
In the Sky
With forgotten rebelliousness and futile messages at your side
The day, when perfect hindsight is suddenly all around
And a billion tear drops fall to the ground
The day when you look into your child’s eyes and have to explain
More innocents have died
And your pedestal, your ability to be free is taken away
Then you’ll see something other than a President’s blue blood royalty
Tell me THEN your opposed to war
And the reasons for which we’re fighting for
Tell me THEN we’re imperialist clowns
Who operate on fallacious grounds
So if it’s true, your division’s still tall
Then perhaps the most powerful truth of all
Is you’d look the families in the face
Tell them one-by-shun
You helped cause another 9/11,
2001.
Illiteracy Count: 9
- Annie DiFranco
- dieing hard
- like its Some choice (apostrophe?)
- gas prices to high for sale
- Who's hypocritical now! (question mark?)
- our honor cause division (comma?)
- die for this country you're wrong (comma?)
- wont’
- Its got (apostrophe?)
