Are We Confusing

Are we again confusing Appeasement with Compassion? And is our selfishness and greed, Letting fear and hatred through the door, To blind us to any difference between the two. Have we not been down this road before? Does not Compassion paint fear and hatred out of the picture, And Appeasement draw it back in. Is not Compassion born out of a Love, Devoid of fear, with no place for Hatred to gain a foothold, And Appeasement born out of a fear, That leaves a trail for hatred to follow. Does not Compassion give us our best chance to get on with those on The opposite side of the fence, And does not Appeasement embolden them to push us to the brink of a war, Where hatred will know no bounds if one day we find ourselves, In a fight to the death. Does not Compassion show up as a strength that will beget Us the respect that will stop the bulge in the fence, Does not Appeasement make us look, Weak and contemptable, from the other side of the fence, With no respect due to us, And fenceposts being ripped up the likely result. As we sit on the side-lines wringing our hands Watching the bullies and thugs taking Centre stage, Our appetite for appeasement, Showing no sign of slowing down. Will our children still Respect us, And show us a little compassion, Or will our replacement of Compassion with Appeasement, Make them join the Bullies and Thugs Who seem to be on the winning side. Though things look grim, I can see enough lights still on And my hopes are still high, That Compassion will win out, Faith will be restored, And the chance of war will recede, With more gates appearing along the fence lines.