Incarceration Nation

On American streets the war on drugs is a war on the poor. WARNING: The N word is in this poem so if you're so politically correct you can't stand to see that word used in any context just move along.

When American Nation means incarceration 

for young black men on drug convictions 

When Habeas Corpus means you're fucked n****r

barrel to his head with justice on the trigger

All he had on him was twenty of rock 

throw him in a cage and slam down the lock 

Got hit with a five year felony sentence

so now his family has to pay his penance 

Sons see their fathers behind plexiglass

Daughters with no daddies in the poverty class

Grandma's raising baby with no mama around 

floor of a crack house is where she was found 

Police on the street like an occupying force

with racial profiling as a matter of course 

Where you can get searched for wearing a hoodie 

When cops come at you like a school yard bully 

Throw you to the ground and kick you around

Stuck you in a holding cell somewhere downtown 

White knight politicians they don't want to know

Their war on drugs is a war on the poor

It's an epic failure bleeding a generation 

The flower of youth for incarceration nation 

Author's Note

Have you ever noticed the county jail is fairly often the biggest building in town? What the fuck is up with that?

Reviews

[Travis Gibson (poetic h..]

Applause to you, bro! All of the above spoke tremendous truth. The system is built and operates to preserve the classes... with the poor carting the burdens of its sum. I am inspired by your courage and awareness. Many prefer to simply play blind, much like Justice says to be upfront... that's what I find most interesting. But, welcome to America.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you poetic heroics

[Mic]

Does seem the whole system is a catch-22, with no solution in sight. Do know the war on drugs isn't working, but neither would legalization. Can't see how there can ever be a solution as long as an hour of a doctor's life is worth hundreds of dollars and that of a cashier's, $7.25. Figure out how to right that and you'll solve all the world's woes, Ric'. 'Til then...keep on writin', my friend!

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you mic. I will

[Rita L. Sev]

The war on education is also a war on the poor... this country has such messed up priorities. This is a masterpiece of unadulterated truth, Mark...

[Baby Ricochet]

I'll write one on the war on education. Thank you Rita

[Frieda P]

I don't think you need to be PC in a poem of this nature, sad state of affairs indeed. Good read Baby.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Frieda

[Marie]

Hey. If you can't do the time, don't do the...

Well, you know the rest.

And don't think I haven't been in jail, because I have.

[Baby Ricochet]

LOL! I was never doubting you.

[Shaquana Adams]

Grandma's raising baby with no mama around
floor of a crack house is where she was found.

I like this concept in poetry. I feel like it is not talked about enough, like people just turn a blind eye as usual. Nice work :)

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Shaquana

[Mark]

Amen!!! Our justice system is far from color blind. I don't exactly know why, but the evidence is very clear. Great work, not sure about using the 'N' word, but hey... not my call. :P

[Baby Ricochet]

Yes the drug laws are racially biased and fall largely on the poor. Gee, Why would poor people have a drug problem in their community? Ya gotta wonder, right? I knew the N word would raise some eyebrows. That's why I gave it a heads up in the intro. I know if I hear that word coming out of a white person's mouth I wince but the poem needed it for impact.

[Mark]

ya... I guess everyone knows where to look for the stuff. Find the run down neighborhood and start looking LOL. We need to learn our lesson once and for all and at the very least decriminalize it all. Great work as always brother.

[Coyote Poetry]

This had been a problem for a long time. How do you fix it? Education. Some places are dig in deep in s**t and no opportunity. Detroit had 50% unemployment and pissed off people. Many excuses for the cities going to hell. Color of skin don't matter when you are desperate. Kids need one parent to stay home. In this world. Everybody must work. I was told by the media. Prisons are a good business. A interesting poem that raises more questions than answers. Thank you for the excellent poem.
Coyote

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Coyote. I'm not smart enough to think i have any answers for poverty in America. I just think the mandatory drug sentencing laws are putting non violent offenders away for piddly bullshit over a "war on drugs" that's clearly an epic fail. I don't know what the answer to that is either. In all honesty I don't think there is one. The last man on earth is probably going to die in a shootout with a giant cockroach over a 20 dollar hit of crack