By Kayla Henry*
In rhetoric, parrhesia is candid speech, talking freely. It implies not solely freedom of speech, however the obligation to talk the reality for the frequent good, even at private danger.
“your feelings have no relevance in the crusade for truth”
“it was never gonna be just a few days”
It’s been like this perpetually.
This isn’t a change of climate.
Freedoms hanging by a thread right here
whereas we binge Netflix and TikTok…
Now, I’m not right here to guage you.
I do know we’re all scared and drained
and we’ve been so hardwired.
Media fueled the mistaken fires.
We’re depressed, we’re dying
whereas billionaires are crying
with laughter—
And we’re simply working quicker
away from actuality.
Well … Why wouldn’t we?
They’ve obtained weapons and we’ve obtained household.
This isn’t conspiracy—
theories have been delivered to gentle
all through historical past.
We’re in a cave considering we’re free.
Won’t go to the sunshine,
it’s simpler to not see.
Can we return to dictionaries?
When definitions have been clear?
We don’t learn, we simply worry.
Words manipulated we didn’t know existed.
Let lecturers repair it
so mother and father could be distant.
Mess with youngster improvement.
“Just leave it to the government,”
allow them to draw our paths
‘cause we gave them the pencil.
We can erase this if we face it.
Us against the faces
that convince us drugs
will solve our problems
while they profit from our consumption.
Stop listening to stars and politicians
and begin using intuition,
Discerning fact from fiction.
Stop paying into our addiction
of listening to a system
that’s turning us into victims
of our lack of knowledge.
If you don’t see it now,
it’s okay to be confused,
however don’t throw rocks at those that do.
Take a step again and also you’ll see who
is piloting this ruse:
A bunch of people
profiting out of your residuals,
placing our cash
into propaganda and riot police
as a substitute of into our failing healthcare system.
They’ve at all times achieved this:
saying they want our money to repair the roads
whereas they experience non-public jets and fancy boats.
No surprise we are able to’t keep afloat…
We’re proper the place they need us:
distanced and inconsiderate,
avoiding one another
so we are able to’t focus on
what’s mistaken with this image.
Instead we write our emotions—
caps lock on with phrases vomiting
out of our thumbs
with out data of actual arguing.
Why can’t concepts be shared
with out ruining friendships and careers?
Just ‘cause someone got offended?
Never learned emotional intelligence?
Your feelings have no relevance
in the crusade for truth.
If they gave any credit to the people
we wouldn’t have censored data.
We simply see one aspect on each station
pushing separation between one another
so we’re too busy judging moms
who surprise why their youngsters
are being smothered—
Masks in fitness center class, name out the opposite
when he pulls down his masks.
How do they even be taught in school?
Ads promoting issues not options.
Our establishments advised us
following was the answer.
‘Cause if you think for yourself
“you’ll go nowhere with an F.”
But I can inform you
the individuals who got here out impartial
have been those who have been observant.
I needed to unlearn to develop into current,
and yeah, I’m nonetheless engaged on it,
however I make selections for myself.
This isn’t about well being.
If it have been they’d inform us:
“get your vitamins”
“go for walks whenever you can”
“do sports and eat well”
“have interactions – real human connections”
“raise your kids with healthy immune systems”.
Instead they punish insurrections
that combat for freedom from the infectious
illness that’s management.
They swallow us complete.
Keep us indoors.
Special therapy for big-box shops,
however give us fines after we’re not sure
what martial legislation is in place right now.
Throw us cheques to remain
on our good aspect,
maintain us misplaced and afraid
‘cause we can’t afford
a rising mortgage or lease
since we misplaced our pay.
It was by no means gonna be only a few days.
* Kayla Henry is a bilingual actor primarily based out of Montreal