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Road kill

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I mention terrorists who killed for Islamic State, but its important to remember that others use terror for other causes, for instance an environmentalist (Ted Kacxynski)mailed letter bombs to people he deemed anti-environment, and Tim McVeigh put a truck full of explosives next to a government building, and detonated it.   Some of my fellow Jews were members of the "Weathermen", who placed bombs, fully intending to kill, for a leftwing utopia.  And finally, in the process of writing this poem, I found a Wikipedia page on "List of vehicle-ramming attacks" which shows that there's been a lot more than I mentioned, and quite a few have nothing to do with Islamic State (though some do).


 

They saw a 19 ton truck rampage their way Death came to France on Bastille day 86 French folk died that patriotic date when Mohammed Bouhlei drove for Islamic State. At a Christmas market also sudden death She looked at an oncoming truck, drew her last breath 11 others died with her on what should be a happy time Anis Amri drove the truck, was it war, or just a crime? Death on a bridge over an English River Khalid drove the car, no shame, not a sliver A car can be a weapon - a use that breaks our trust That in a peaceful day it couldn't happen to us. Civilization depends on trust every day Drivers stay in their lane; people don't get pushed off the subway If you work in a building that bursts into flame It could a killer finding a new use for a plane. He was shopping in Sweden, then a stolen truck drove fast The sight of it was to be his last. Another holy warrior, felt that five should die He claimed that revenge was his reason why. Another rented a truck, drove it down a path Manhattan cyclists plowed and split in half A guy called Younis drove a van in Barcelona Spain I shrugged at the dead, didn't bother to learn their name Bourbon Street, New Orleans, a self-righteous guy Saw a celebration, thought happy folks must die He drove a truck, I'll spare the gory details In an open society, terror never fails. What's with these killers you might ask, you might not understand You feel you didn't do nothing: you don't have a bloody hand But as a member of a group, that's all some need to wipe you off the map and take pride in the deed. IF you march for a cause, that's OK, that's free speech But if others do this kind of murder, that's overreach Perhaps the peaceful types who ignore means for ends Are courting their own death, where the sidewalk ends. Barcelona, Bourbon Street—the same refrain: A van, a truck, a cause, the dead remain. I admit I don't remember one name. Or feel the waste, the shame, the pain.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Book: Reflection on the Important Things