Thursday, May 19, 2011

When They Cried for Freedom

Too much credit
we need to be more humble
recognizing the delay
how slow we were to act
to give them aid
to give them comfort
holding onto old allegiances
not seeing tomorrow

When they cried for freedom
we should have acted
we must learn that lesson
when we are too timid
When we fritter away
the peoples’ mandate
when we remember friends
when they have brutalized their people

We must turn
live by our statements
that we should lift them up
when they cry out for freedom
Ours is to speak
to not remain silent
short-term expediency
does not excuse inaction
We must be resolute, bold,
standing with those yearning to breathe free


=============
edited January 13, 2016
When They Cried for Freedom – v3
(editing version 2)
edited January 10, 2016
The People Shall be Free – v3
(editing original and version 2)
edited November 2, 2015
The People Shall be Free – v2
May 20, 2011
The People Shall be Free
edited November 1, 2015
In a More Perfect World – 3 – v3
(editing version 2)
edited May 30, 2014
In a More Perfect World – 3 – v2
May 20, 2011
In a More Perfect World - 3
edited November 1, 2015
When They Cried for Freedom - v2
May 19, 2011
When They Cried for Freedom 
Speech May 19, 2011 by United States President Barack Obama
on the Arab Spring of 2011
and how our country will chart a new course
holding up the people more
and not just focusing on our narrower
financial and strategic interests
&
March 17, 2011
UN Security Council approval of sanctions against Libya
&
calling on President Obama and the world
to act in the Middle East, especially in Libya and Bahrain,
to stand with the people
yearning to breathe free
and not worrying about the results,
that it is always right to stand for basic human rights
&
on the transformations since the beginning of December -
all the protests in Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Syria,
Jordan, Iran, Iraq, Palestinian Territories, Djibouti, Mauritania, Senegal, etc.
and
especially the resignation of Hosni Mubarak
February 11, 2011
&
and the jubilance in Tahrir Square
versus the bloodshed in Bahrain and Libya, etc.
February 18, 2011
&
hearing claim by President Obama 2/15/2011
in a news conference that when history books tell it
we will be seen as being on the right side of history
in how the United States responded
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
“Our Revolution was like Wikipedia”
February 14, 2011
&
Post on Twitter by Wael Ghonim
 “This is Revolution 2.0: No one was a hero because everyone was a hero.
February 13, 2011
and see
A Prayer for the People of Egypt (February 3, 2011)
by Safiyah Fosua


All of my poems and photographs are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss (raymondafoss@gmail.com) for usage. See all 40,640+ of my poems at www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.

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