Editor’s note: This poem is part of our #SpreadTheWord poem of the week series, featuring work by Chicago artists based on Injustice Watch reporting. The poem was inspired by the article, ‘Cops Around The Country Are Posting Racist And Violent Comments On Facebook’. For more poetry in this series, click here.

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I can’t teach you to care for me, for her, for him, for them
There comes a time to realize compassion starts within
A state of caring equally for those who bleed the same
The mind plays tricks in phenotype, it’s us we have to blame

A gun, a knife, can take a life but words can hurt akin
Judge us based on character not color of our skin
Stop think twice or take a life, which one will you choose?
Picking love instead of hate you’ll surely never lose

Some take sides, some take lives
They filled our minds racial divides
Made us rely upon the lie
That we should fear for our lives
The lies yield hate, the hate takes lives
The lives that mattered, same that died
The truth is warped, the people mourn
Cry at dawn and strike till morn’
We laugh we cry, we fight we sigh
Don’t want to die, don’t take our lives
I can’t teach you to care for me, for her, for him, for them
There comes a time to realize compassion starts within

Sabrina is just a human passionate about making this world a more humane place

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Within us

by Sabrina Haddad, Injustice Watch
December 16, 2020

<h1>Within us</h1>
<p class="byline">by Sabrina Haddad, Injustice Watch <br />December 16, 2020</p>

<p><em>Editor’s note: This poem is part of our #SpreadTheWord poem of the week series, featuring work by Chicago artists based on Injustice Watch reporting. The poem was inspired by the article, <a href="https://interactives.injusticewatch.org/cops-troubling-facebook-posts-revealed/">‘Cops Around The Country Are Posting Racist And Violent Comments On Facebook’</a>. For more poetry in this series,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.injusticewatch.org/commentary/spreadtheword/">click here</a>.</em></p>
<p>I can’t teach you to care for me, for her, for him, for them<br />
There comes a time to realize compassion starts within<br />
A state of caring equally for those who bleed the same<br />
The mind plays tricks in phenotype, it’s us we have to blame</p>
<p>A gun, a knife, can take a life but words can hurt akin<br />
Judge us based on character not color of our skin<br />
Stop think twice or take a life, which one will you choose?<br />
Picking love instead of hate you’ll surely never lose</p>
<p>Some take sides, some take lives<br />
They filled our minds racial divides<br />
Made us rely upon the lie<br />
That we should fear for our lives<br />
The lies yield hate, the hate takes lives<br />
The lives that mattered, same that died<br />
The truth is warped, the people mourn<br />
Cry at dawn and strike till morn’<br />
We laugh we cry, we fight we sigh<br />
Don’t want to die, don’t take our lives<br />
I can’t teach you to care for me, for her, for him, for them<br />
There comes a time to realize compassion starts within</p>
<article id="post-247200" class="hnews item post-247200 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-spreadtheword category-commentary featured-media featured-media-image">
<div class="entry-content clearfix">
<p><em>Sabrina is just a human passionate about making this world a more humane place</em></p>
</div>
</article>
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