Howard Zinn said we live in a world that’s topsy-turvy
And in a society that is truly crazy
Where the wrong people are in jail
And the wrong people out of jail
So we see Chelsea Manning sentenced to 35 years– the remainder of her youth
For exposing the American people to our Empire’s grisly truth
For revealing the chilling scenes of collateral murder
of innocent civilians, a photographer and a reporter
This civil disobedience was done out of compassion and in my eyes
Worthy of the highest honor—a Nobel prize
But instead abused, tortured and imprisoned
And treated by our oxymoronic peace-prize winning president with derision
In a just world we hope we eventually come to see
The imprisonment of Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney
And all the others guilty of lying to launch that war of aggression and insanity
Representing the worst kind of crime against humanity
But everywhere we look our legal system is broken
Wall Street brokers get a slap on the wrist – a token
Where we know that the obvious reality
Was this required unbridled fraudulent criminality
These evil doers dine at the White house with impunity
And because of their power and influence been given immunity
And Chelsea a small woman –and seemingly frail
Bravely faces a miserable lifetime in jail.
How could the German culture turn bad
And a whole society go totally mad?
I believe our society has done the same
And our topsy-turvy world is irrational and insane
People like Chelsea who speak up to evil and are willing to face
Draconian consequences are the salvation of the human race
Their selfless sacrifice to truth should give us pause
Since we live in a world with dubious laws…
HP Charman MD
8-21-2013