I Am... (I Am Not...)
i am the unions.
miners, teachers, steel workers,
nurses, factory workers,
standing strong and united,
demanding human decency,
fair wages and benefits.
i am not communism.
i am the common man and woman,
saying prayers with their hands
as they work;
driven by the faith in family,
teaching respect, gentleness,
and firm convictions
to their children.
i am not the elite.
i am the bruised, scarred human being.
i have fallen time and again.
i have built great dreams
that time has destroyed.
but i know what i believe,
and who i am.
i am not religious.
i am the multi-colored neighborhood.
different faiths, different languages,
the same needs and desires.
i am open conversation and acceptance.
i am not prejudice.
i am the day of revolution.
i am oppression cast off,
ignorance exposed;
i am equality, dignity,
and basic human rights.
i am not 'i, me, mine'.
i am the human condition...
evolving, changing, molded by fire,
i am the river that finds
it's way home...
i am not the end of time!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Related quotes
Admiration... For Those Who Work!
i have a deep admiration
for the common working people
of the world...
having lived among them,
worked and sweated with them,
i sing their struggle!
farmers toiling day and night,
nurses pulling double shifts.
factory workers doing time and again,
carpenters and masons building.
black and white and all colors,
working their lives by faith.
and immigrants, often called illegal,
(though no human beings are illegal!) ...
who come here and work for whatever wage,
trying to build a dream for their families.
let us not forget women,
too often underpaid and treated as less...
truckdrivers, and those who work the docks,
steel workers, cooks, and trash collectors...
all leave me in awe...
there are many who cant work,
these should always be taken care of.
but the ones that could work if they would work,
who can work, and wont...
well... i have a problem there!
i was taught to work as a child...
taught respect, dignity, and honesty...
and so i believe, and so i live...
in admiration for those who work!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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On The Flag Of The Southern Cross
On the flagpost in the freshening winds the flag of the Southern Cross
That brave workers once fought under does flap and wave and toss
In Ballarat in Australia where history was made
For their rights brave men died fighting at the Eureka Stockade
The Southern Cross above where they fought in the southern winds did blow
There history was created one hundred and fifty four years ago
The happening at Ballarat became known of Worldwide
Some of the miners who fought the Government troops were badly injured and some even died
For workers rights in Ballarat the price in human blood was paid
For the rights of a fair go it did not seem a fair trade
Each time I see the flag of the Southern Cross Ballarat comes to mind
The miners there who fought for workers rights were of the bravest kind
That great flag has a history for historians to recall
It surely stands for workers rights and a fair go for all.
poem by Francis Duggan
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Birthing Pains (Day Of Change)
world in turmoil... time of the end, or birthing pains?
peoples of all countries... common, everyday, honest,
hard working, dreaming... battling against the oppression
of the few, those who control, those who profit at the expense
of human life, without remorse! and now we can communicate!
we see each other, we hear each other, as if side by side,
in the battle for human dignity.
should there be hunger? should there be families without
shelter? should there be children without chance? can this
world continue with the elite having too much, and so many
people suffering? no!
birthing pains, a new world, a new day! a cohesive journey
taken together!
freedom demand equality, acceptance without prejudice,
and a fair distribution of what life has to offer! no free rides,
all working together! accepting the need for intelligent
questioning, and for diversity!
the voice of the peoples grows stronger, almost a roar!
it is the day of change!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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2012, Ending, Or Beginning!
the curtain is drawn,
the memories of another year,
a year of hardship and need,
packed in a box,
stored away to be forgotten.
we stand on the stage,
stripped naked by necessity,
forced to choose...
ending, or beginning?
the end of economic hope,
the end of the environment,
the end of individual rights,
the end of capitalism...
the end of the common man,
the end of morality...
the end of human dignity,
the end of the road for the poor...
or a new beginning?
people of all colors, faiths,
sexual orientations, economic situations,
rich in diversity... joining hands!
sitting down with open minds and hearts,
listening, really listening,
understanding that what is good for one,
must be good for all!
understanding that when one suffers,
we all suffer!
when one is in need,
we are all in need!
standing together for freedom
of thoughts, ideas, and words!
refusing to be made to follow blindly!
standing up and demanding
world peace!
standing up for the environment,
throwing off the yoke of oppression
cast by the oil and Wall Street empire!
standing up for people,
people, not corporations,
not governments...
accepting, understanding, compassionate,
determined, driven by dignity....
the choice is ours to make!
we've run out of time,
the lights have gone dim...
day of dawning,
or time of the end!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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The Cry
the cry for justice,
for human rights,
for equality, for
human dignity...
has never been louder!
Somalia!
Tibet!
Syria!
Israel!
Libya!
Haiti!
Russia!
China!
the United States
the right to work,
to eat, to housing,
to medical care,
to freedom of speech,
to religious freedom.....
the cry for the truth!
for positive change!
this world's in turmoil....
a new day is coming
no matter the cost!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Justice And Equality.....
justice and equality...
two very human dreams,
and the hope that allows us
to bring children into the world!
cannot be defined by color,
nationality, religion, or sex...
cannot be regulated by class,
cannot be different for those
who have and those who have not...
cannot allow poverty,
cannot allow hunger,
cannot allow oppression...
to continue!
must be worked for...
everyone has a part,
everyone has a responsibility.
respect,
dignity,
hard work,
sharing of needs...
we are destined to be family.
nations are egos,
we are citizens of the world.
the man fighting to feed his family
across the ocean is your brother.
the ones you're dropping bombs on
are your children.
the ones you kill crossing the border
looking for hope have the faces of god.
justice and equality...
think about it!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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I Hear The Cry
i hear the cry....
oppression, enslavement,
beatings, torture, rapes,
and killings.
people of heart,
slaughtered like sheep.
monks self-immoliating,
crying out for justice,
and freedom,
for basic human dignity,
for basic human rights...
i hear the cry...
of Tibet on fire.
and am ashamed
to be part of a world
turned blind and deaf!
free Tibet!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Either the United States will destroy ignorance or ignorance will destroy the United States. And when we call for education we mean real education. We believe in work. We ourselves are workers, but work is not necessarily education. Education is the development of power and ideal. We want our children trained as intelligent human beings should be, and we will fight for all time against any proposal to educate black boys and girls simply as servants and underlings, or simply for the use of other people. They have a right to know, to think, to aspire.
quote by W.E.B. Du Bois
Submitted by Veronica Serbanoiu
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Life is not a matter of place, things or comfort; rather, it concerns the basic human rights of family, country, justice and human dignity.
quote by Imelda Marcos
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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So what we're talking about here is human rights. The right to live like a human. The right to live, period. And what we're facing in Africa is an unprecedented threat to human dignity and equality.
Thoughts On Revolution.... (Number Two)
when we speak of revolution
we often speak of justice...
do we understand the concept?
justice has nothing to do with
class, religious beliefs, skin
color, or economic station...
it has nothing to do with revenge!
it cannot be used for political
purposes...
justice looks, smells, tastes, and
feels the same for all people!
justice is marked by a true sense
of equality.
doesnt sound like what we have now?
therein lies the reason for revolution...
it we dare to risk all for change,
we must do so to restore human dignity!
all people must have a chance... to live,
to love, to have shelter and work.
there can be no prejudice allowed!
it goes back to the beginning motion
of changing ourselves... that's where
the real revolution begins!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Roots of Democracy
true democracy
never conquers
by force... never
walks on the rights
of any human being
in the name of profit...
never excludes anyone
because they are different.
never panders to the big
at the expense of the small!
true democracy liberates
the human inside the human...
preserves dignity by equality,
allows questioning, and doubt...
true democracy cant be bought,
and cant be sold...
maybe now's the time to
get back to our roots!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Moral Fiber!
true moral fiber...
is grounded in respect!
respect yourself!
respect the earth!
respect your neighbor!
(everyone is your neighbor)
respect the search for truth.
respect justice!
respect the rights of human beings
to be human beings!
respect the need of each and all!
living thus...
will not allow you to respect,
acts of injustice,
acts of ignorance,
acts of prejudice,
acts of greed!
be respect!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Against Their Human Rights
How many times have I heard them say
it’s against his human rights
when a killer goes to court?
Hey, but what about the victim
and his or her family.
Don’t they have human rights too?
Is it only the killers who have human rights?
It really makes you wonder.
They commit a crime against
someone innocent in our society.
Then you get some idiot
starts shouting their punishment
is against their human rights.
Now what would happen if that idiot
lost a family member to some killer?
Would they still be shouting
and waving banners about his human rights?
I sincerely doubt it;
they’d probably say like a lot of us
that the killer has no human rights.
They forfeited them the day
they took someone’s life.
We may forgive them
for what they do,
but they must still take the punishment
the Courts of the land hand down.
13 February 2008
poem by David Harris
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United Front Song
And because a man is human
He'll want to eat, and thanks a lot
But talk can't take the place of meat
or fill an empty pot.
So left, two, three!
So left, two, three!
Comrade, there's a place for you.
Take your stand in the workers united front
For you are a worker too.
And because a man is human
he won't care for a kick in the face.
He doesn't want slaves under him
Or above him a ruling class.
So left, two, three!
So left, two, three!
Comrade, there's a place for you.
Take your stand in the workers united front
For you are a worker too.
And because a worker's a worker
No one else will bring him liberty.
It's nobody's work but the worker' own
To set the worker free.
So left, two, three!
So left, two, three!
Comrade, there's a place for you.
Take your stand in the workers united front
For you are a worker too.
poem by Bertolt Brecht
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Distance, Or Connection?
it is time to throw the damned tea into the harbor again!
every thought we have, every feeling we have,
every word we speak, every action we do...
either creates distance between human beings,
or creates a connection!
distance equals death,
connection equals life!
i am sick and tired of the bullshit that says:
we are right and they are wrong,
we are good and they are evil.
our religion is right, and theirs is wrong.
we're going to heaven, they're going to hell...
a damned lie!
every human being deserves the right to be human.
every human being deserves the right to love, and be loved.
every human being deserves the dignity of equality.
every human being deserves the right to work,
to have shelter, to be fed, to dream!
every human being deserves to be free!
i choose connection!
if you choose distance, walk away.
my religion is human interaction.
poem by Eric Cockrell
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Deep Level Concern
deep level concern;
our own national parks
used as collateral
on loans from China!
water rights to the Great Lakes,
and other bodies of water here...
sold to China!
our jobs, Joe blue collar working
families.... sold to China!
our oil profiteer wars,
financed by China!
sleeping with the country
with the worst human rights record,
dancing with the devil!
and now, our own police forces
committing acts of violence
and oppression against Americans!
against American people protesting,
standing up for freedom and equality!
standing against the profiteers!
reacting the same way,
and with the same types of oppression,
as China!
our rights,
...our freedom,
......our dignity.
even our rights to work and survive....
sold to....
.....and even worse,
...........sold by!
poem by Eric Cockrell
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A Human Body
Words and music by roger taylor
They were talking in whispers
In bear skins and fur
Captain scott and his heroes to be
To have laboured so long
To have made it this far
Ooh its been such a long ride
Ooh you know its been a long way
For a human human human
For a human body you see
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
Do you believe do you believe or really care
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
To a human human
With a human body you see
There aint nobody gets out of this moonlight
Today is surprisingly fair
Oh oh oh oh woo woo
Weve got problems the lone ranger cant fix
The invisible man couldnt see
It takes a tough guy
To learn some new tricks
Ooh it takes such a long time
Ooh its been such a long way
For a human human human
For a human body you see
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
Do you believe do you believe or really care
Can you believe it happens?
Now it happens here
To a human human
With a human body you see
You know its been such a long while
Its been such a long while
Takes such a long time
It takes such a long time
Its been such a long way
Been such a long way
Its been such a long while
Been such a long while
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!
Its gonna be a long ride
song performed by by Queen
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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A Fair Go For All People
A fair go for all people to such I can relate
Whatever be their culture their race, beliefs or faith
Down with rank and class distinction and here's to the fair go
In an egalatarian society peace and harmony would grow
A fair go for all people how marvellous that would be
Outlaw discrimination and hunger and poverty
Outlaw rank and class distinction of them remove all trace
Make human rights a sacred thing as well as equality of race
The equality of humanity I may not live to see
Amongst Nations and different cultures it would lead to harmony
Egalatarianism amongst human kind of such we cannot boast
But a fair go for all people to that I will drink a toast
We cannot expect those different to respect us if respect to them we do not show
Here's to peace, justice, freedom and equality and to all a fair go.
poem by Francis Duggan
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The Cost of Freedom
Syria...
violence in the streets...
peaceful protesters
marching for human rights,
equality, and change
being slaughtered
by their own government...
now here...
shadows of Kent State...
common people
pushed to the edge
in the battle for
survival, human dignity,
and hope for a future...
already abandoned
by our own government...
will it take being
killed to get their attention?
will it take dying
to give our children
a chance?
you say it cant happen here!
open your eyes, your ears,
your hearts...
it's already begun!
what is the cost of freedom?
poem by Eric Cockrell
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