I come from a place..

I come from a place
Where life, liberty,
and the pursuit of happiness
were promised to all.

As I grew, though, I
Learned very differently.
Our government kills,
The liberty bell itself cracked
Every time it was sounded
And the pursuit of happiness
Is a fight you fight from within
A matrix of laws and rules
Designed by just a few
Applied broadly but
Often ignored by
The very same few.

I am SICK of the hypocrisy I see
But even more, I am sick of being told:
"This is just the way it is,
And the way it will always be."

What about the lives of those
Who were here before us?
The scalps our ancestors
our ancestors were paid to collect

What about the liberty
Of shackled slaves
Chained to a boat and
Forced to row to a
Destination unknown?

What about the happiness
Promised to folks like me
Who have come to realize
Our country is built on lies?