Oh, what a heroes!
They discuss so endlessly,
Great men that (con) formed
to
The great Western culture of
civility,
White males of such
complexity!
Columbus was a hero, they
say,
Each year, we have to
celebrate his day.
Just because he stumbled onto
an island while,
In search of the opposite
hemisphere.
He became the first, all
right
To enslave and torture the
residents,
Who came to see in peaceful
curiosity?
Those crazy enough to cross
the big sea.
Cortez, too, came from far
away,
Glowing (and stinking) in
metal clothes that glowed in the sun
Wielding strange weapons that
impaled
With such cultural
superiority.
He demanded gold, lots of
gold,
To take back across the sea
Just to look good for greedy
royalty.
Slave ship after slave ship
Crossed the Atlantic waters,
As the priests gave blessings
for
The “divine right” of Europe,
Chained inside, men were
beaten
As women were used,
And the sick thrown
overboard…
Lots of cash profit
For the social elite;
From the misery and
kidnapping of humans.
What songs we sing to those
illustrious men,
That considered all non-white
people as tools to be used,
As they lived on Native land
and harvested indigenous fields.
This left a legacy:
Men, women, and children
slaughtered shamelessly.
Entire villages and cultures
buried
Under “Manifest Destiny”
In mass unmarked graves.
George Washington,
Was a fine fellow, they say.
All he took was Indian land
To pay his soldiers
That fought the crazy king
George.
And to establish the rights
of the few wealthy males
Over women, children, Black,
and Native minorities.
Thomas Jefferson, that
Founding Father,
Kept his own children as
slaves.
Considered the great mind of
his day,
Hid his Black wife away.
Custer was a vain man,
He had fine curls,
Gold trim on his jacket,
That he wore with such grace;
All the other soldiers wanted
to imitate,
His military tactics.
It was not just his ego that
was defeated by those united Sioux tribes
That he considered so
“primitive”.
Just why do we have
These men in books?
Why do we study their lives
so religiously?
Instead of recognizing
hypocrisy?
And what God did they
worship,
And expect all to follow?
Christians who pray to kill,
conquer,
And accumulate wealth beyond
spending,
Things beyond using, food
beyond eating
While others go without?
Did Jesus use weapons to harm
and betray?
So I ask,
Just what is a hero?
What did these men believe?
It seems they emulate the
actions of Judas
More than following the
teachings of Christ.
How brave are these men
To use force to convince
others of
Religious superiority?
And where are the Peacemakers
When we talk of history?
Those that did not defeat or
use arms?
Where are those that chose to
communicate?
Often muted too soon,
Even if their words live on.
Patiently waiting for us to
listen
To the reason of peace.
So, I ask;
What is status?
A title, wealth?
And define nobility.
For what price is paid and by
whom;
When we toast these “heroes”
What do we really emulate?
T.Truesdale copyright 1995
