“Say what you wanna say. Let the words fall out. Honestly I wanna see you be brave.”

First Amendment.

The guarantee of Freedom of Speech.

To prevent tyranny, despotism, and strained conformity.

The ability to express yourself.

Rooted in the terrain of this land, this democracy, this haven...

 

Tainted with hypocrisy

 

America, where values are subjugated by the Sedition Acts of 1798

Endorsed by John Adams, our founding father, signer of the Declaration of Independence

A document of permission to silence and deter an opposing political party.

Arrested opponents: 25

No voice, no choice

 

America, a land for diversity and religion.

Repressed by the Naturalization Act of 1798

To occlude immigrants, deny their dream, deteriorate the American dream.

 

America, contaminated by the Indian Removal Act of 1830

Andrew Jackson, who proclaimed the cruelty of removing natives from their homeland,

Yet forced their relocation to a foreign terrain territories away.  

Their Trail of Tears flooded the soil as 4,000 forgotten voices seek recognition.

No voice, no choice

 

America, whose heart was bursting with cyclical poverty, perpetuated by rejecters of alien freedom

Despite placing their personal freedom on the zenith of civil liberties.

N*gger, Incipient Chattel, the Disparaged

Such foul human nature vindicated with the ruling of  Plessy v. Ferguson in 1896

Separate but Equal plagued the land: De jure segregation

De facto segregation: 2013 and counting

No voice, no choice

 

America, where our accusations, incrimination, and purification fueled by insecurity overshadowed our logic

Witch, Red Scare, Black List

McCarthyism

Number of accused: 205+

No voice, no choice

 

America, seeking international justification for involvement.

Mexico and Vietnam, our initiation, their retaliation, our justification

Guatemalan coup de tat, CIA intervention, UFC domination, subsidized land repossession, Chiquita bananas  

Iranian coup de tat, democratically elected President substituted by our own, for our own

Result: oil reserves controlled in our favor

No voice, no choice

 

America, where “The Bosses of the Senate” represented us in Congress.

A period when monopolies dominated

Corruption was acceptable

Profits were penned in blood

The Gilded Age

No voice, no choice

 

America, where change is possible

Muckrakers who reveal the truth

To expose corruption

Ignite revolution

America has a Choice

 

 

Bareillles, Sara. "Brave." AZ Lyrics. MusixMatch, n.d. Web. 3 Oct. 2013.

    <http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/sarabareilles/brave.html>.

 

Puck, Joseph Keppler. The Bosses of the Senate. N.d. United States Senate. Web.

    3 Oct. 2013. <http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/art/artifact/

    Ga_Cartoon/Ga_cartoon_38_00392.htm>.