When in the Course

“Statues has nothing to do with us now!” (LeBron James)

Tell me, where does the problem start?
It grows within the human heart.

It is a glorious thing to see,
    The icons coming down,
Statues of Generals Jackson, Lee,
    Southerners of renown,

Who waged, with their confederates,
    A war to keep men slaves,
An institution in their states
    That no excusing saves.

For slavery, and tyranny,
    They fought upon the side
“On the wrong side of history”
    As cannot be denied.

Today, men of their ilk, though littler
    Strive hard to raise them up,
And even to a goon like Hitler
    Raise an admiring cup.

(Indeed, the president of these
    United States has studied
His copy of Mein Kampf, and he’s
    Eager to get hands bloodied.)

Yet even statues coming down
    Strikes not the problem’s root;
The seeds of bigotry were sown
    When men were not astute.

A captain came to water them,
    And gave the parasite
(Which reason told us to condemn)
    Ample food and light,

Until the fearful canopy
    Now shades the light of men,
Reason eclipsed, and infamy
    In blossom yet again.

Oh tell me, where the problem starts?
It grows in multitudes of hearts.