It's really not that complicated

 

At five years old

They teach you the Pledge of Alligience

Before they teach you what "alligience" means

Before they teach you how much blood was shed

So it rings and rings in your ears before bed

 

At six years old

They send you home on that September day

When the towers fell

And they said Never Forget

And used the Flag to wrap you up like a blanket

But what about Afghanistan and what about Iraq 

Children fell and mothers fell

And nobody said

A single thing 

When they fell

Their cries were silenced 

Because we kept saying

Never Forget

And our sons and brothers came home

Wrapped in the same flag

They used to use as a blanket

 

And always

At seven years old

At twelve years old 

They say don't talk to strangers

But they don't tell you to help those who are suffering

Or stand up to those who are bombing their neighbors

Instead

There they go 

And give and give and give

The wrong kind of help to the wrong people

And there they go

And give and give and give 

To Israel

But it's okay because Israel isn't a stranger

Don't talk to strangers

But it's okay to fund genocides

 

That's not really giving

When you give and give and give

Children aren't supposed to die 

 

It's really not that complicated 

There's something called empathy

But that's not something they're ever gonna teach us

 

There's no empathy

Within our borders

Within our relationships

Within our families 

Within ourselves

 

But it doesn't have to be that way 

There's something called empathy 

And it's really not that complicated