Here's My Freedom Of Speech ( Challenge Poem )

That is what we take for granted touches us in our very soul, There are some who say... that we have the right to put down how we feel, And we do ! We do ! But in that right don't we bare the responsibility to show a little common sense ? For there are those who are children which read what we have chosen to bare from our souls, Some would cuss, Damn our government ! And say that freedom of speech no longer exists! There are those that take the very foundation of what this country is based on and abuse it ! Why ? I take exception to this ! Don't get me wrong ! I too.... protested, Doubted the older generation, Was made to believe that anyone over the age of 30 was not to be trusted, I asked those question that needed to be asked, And I still do ask them, But to go overboard is not the answer, To reside in those dark corners where filth...pornography...abuse... rape...and other taboo subjects, Where pain completes an emptiness that some are ready to hear, There is enough of this already ! If you want to go this route, Find someplace else to go ! I don't know about you, But I have enough pain to last me a lifetime, Yes... we need to educate, Yes... We need to resolve these problems, But we can do it with tact, And embrace what we need, a little at a time, My heart goes out to those who have been hurt, abused, rejected. I empathize with those who have knocked down, beaten, raped, verbally abused,emotionally abused. Why ? Because I've been down that road, No... I've never been raped, But I have been beaten, verbally abused, emotionally abused. And I'm still finding ways to resolve my anger, That's part of the reason I do write, To get these feelings out & deal with them. I go to anger management classes every Monday night at 7:00 to 9:00. So to those who say that I don't know what I'm talking about. Walk in my shoes for a little while, I understand pain ! I embrace it ! For so long I feared it ! I was afraid of myself, I was afraid of the anger that resides in me, Now... I try to understand that dark side of me, I know those of you who fight the dark side of depression, I have friends here, where I live, that deal with it too ! And I try to help the best that I can, When they need a shoulder to cry on, I listen ! And if anyone here needs a friend, Just ask ! And I'll be there, Yes... for you ! But back to the subject at hand, Freedom of speech, Do I believe in it ? Yes, I do. Why ? It's one of the things that made me a writer, a poet, a connoisseur of words, But in that I too must find ways that my younger audience can too read what I have to say without showing a perverseness that some in delight in showing, Language is beautiful thing ! But don't we have enough smut, foul language, and pain within shouting distance ? Take a look at the Internet, cable, x-rated movies, I could go on & on ! But why ? Why give it the satisfaction of even listening to it ? I'm no saint, But in that sense... I was taught proper things belong in proper places, That there were certain subjects that you don't talk about in mixed company, Or where there were children around, I'm sorry that's the way I see it ! So if you take exception  to those who object in finding these subjects on this site, Walk in their shoes for little while, Try to see things from their eyes, They are trying to tell you from their own words, But you don't listen ! Why ? Some of you have made a game of this & try to involve the rest of us in your petty disputes, When all we want to do is write& show our hearts, But for some that's not enough, You have to go to other poets & leave nasty notes. Why ? If you don't like the other poets material, Then don't read them, Simple as that, They have a right to write without the pain the goes along with it ! If I'm getting on my soapbox, I'm sorry ! But I'm telling you how I feel ! I warned you that I'm a very plain spoken person, And I'm not afraid to say what I think ! So here I'm expressing my freedom of speech, I know there are some of you who enjoy my creativity, In that I thank you ! For poetry is the essence of my soul, And I think that I have found a home where my writing is accepted, In that I thank you ! For so long I searched for a voice that I could be accepted for, You've given me that, So if I reach out & lead, I accept that responsibility, I was given this challenge & I accept it gladly, Even with open arms, But let's show others what we can do, If need be by example, I'm not afraid of that, Are you ? Feb. 25, 2002 Written February 26th, 2002 © on Feb 26 2002 08:06 AM PST, Billy E. Whitehorn    0 • 10