“In 1971 anti-war activist John Raines broke into a local FBI office, stole a cache of documents, and sent them to the press. That act of nonviolent resistance resulted in the exposure of ‘COINTELPRO.’” — ACLU
The substance of COINTELPRO,
Except John Raines and his cohort
Acted, the truth to sift and sort
Whereby lies showed to come up short.
Breaking the law betimes required
We learned the government conspired
Against the common good, and even
Committed heinous deeds past thieving—
Now open wide the gates of heaven.
Murders committed “in my name,”
Efforts to fan crude hatred’s flame,
Cannot be undone by exposure
As though truth offered victims closure
By words of magical ambrosia—
Yet, in a world where crimes are done
We must rely, each everyone,
On those who risk, as did John Raines
And his cohort, to take the pains
To find the fact which truth explains.