On the Shooting of a Congresswoman
On the Shooting of a Congresswoman
By Elton Camp
(Note: A person is assumed innocent until proven guilty.
This is based solely on news reports and does not claim
that the suspect is actually insane or guilty of anything.)
Of his insanity, acquaintances knew
Until he acted, there was little to do
If just being crazy were to be a crime,
Prisons would stay filled all the time
This poem is not politically correct
I should write about “mental defect”
Some will rebuke me with “Tut, tut”
Because I dared to call a man a nut
Words hardly matter to those he shot
Because they were in the wrong spot
Both a judge and a mere young child
Slain by a man who was running wild
A college had sense enough to expel
The danger he posed they knew well
There wasn’t enough to lock him away
For the things the man did write and say
Most who rant and rave are only cracked
And on their irrational ideas will not act
As much as those murders are lamented,
There was no way they could be prevented
In an open society it is simply a must
To those around us to extend some trust
And be thankful for those folks so brave
Who will risk themselves, others to save
Should a congressperson have a bodyguard?
To live like that would be extremely hard
To keep meeting constituents they will care
Knowing that such events are extremely rare
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