Civil Rivalries

They say He made you in His image; You have a heart, a mind, a soul.
  “You are just a piece of trash,”… said the white guy to the black.
      (you actually are just like me, but I need to feel superior)
They say your body is a temple; Stay pure, and clean, and whole.
 “You’ll submit to me or die”… is what she hears as she’s attacked.
      (while your body should be worshiped, to man it is inferior)

They say we have a voice; Be loud, engaged, and smart.
  “Of course you have a right to vote”… But you must stand for hours in line.
      (democracy if you agree, if not it could be mutiny)
They say true love’s divine: Two souls, two lives, two hearts.
  “Your love’s an evil sin”… Cause it’s not a love like mine.
      (my bedroom is a private place, but yours is up for scrutiny)

They say women joined the workforce; She's smart, prepared, refined.
  “I’ll hire Sue to do the job”… But at half the pay of Scott.
      (you may be better qualified, but he has the right “equipment”)
They say life is a party; They drink whiskey, beer, and wine.
  If you dare light that plant you grow, I say “lock him up to rot.”
      (that herb may save your life, but our laws still don’t consent)

They say what’s yours is yours: Your health, your life, your 'bod'.
  Birth control is frowned upon… so you got knocked up? “You whore.”
      (condoms are okay for him, but for girls it is a sin)
They say religion is a person’s choice: Yahweh, Allah, or God.
  “I have contempt for your beliefs”… may cause the next World War.
      (if you don’t believe my faith, you don’t deserve to live)
They say America is Our land; We are equal, brave, and free.
 Every day our rights are challenged, and freedoms are at stake.
      (we’ve been through this before, but keep fighting the same fights)
They say our country is the best: for him, for her, for me.
  The strengths of our United States, can bend… and they can break.
      (Uncivil rivalries for Civil Rights reveal our Weakness or our MIGHT)