But Wha, Wha, What About The A.C.L.U.
(Visit the American Civil Liberties Union)
An anthology of poems of liberty infringement cases
Casper and Elmer, Waldo,
Jacob, Hilda
Dorothy, Wanda,
Sylvester, and Arnold
the role of the American Civil Liberties Union
and a Conclusion
By Father John R. Green
An Episcopal Poet
Copyright © by John R. Green
Shown with his blessing
Casper and Elmer
Casper watched with sardonic elation,
The unwarranted search of Elmer's station.
"Why should Elmer a warrant demand,
Unless his domain harbors contraband?"
"Elmer's rage concerns not me,
Alone in his misery let him be;"
Then brushing aside all pleas for reason,
Casper retired to write for a season.
Now for the story he readied to pen,
Casper obtained the document of crafty Ben;
Which contents revealed rare findings,
About the disappearance of Henry Briandings.
Then on dreary early morning,
Bulls of the Law storm in without warning;
Seizing the papers so starkly revealing,
That a shaken Casper was desperately concealing.
"Where is you warrant?" cried Casper in vain.
As they ransacked and scoured his domain;
Then confiscating the treasure of crafty Ben,
Left Casper alone to rave in his den.
"You must have been hiding from the Law,
Which you should hold in reverence and awe."
Cried Casper's neighbors scorning his wail,
"The upright and righteous are immune from jail."
Waldo
"What is the source of your creation?"
Thundered the defense attorney at Waldo's revelation.
"This is a secret sacred to me;
To have and hold Waldo is free."
But high court moguls were not so kind.
"You must reveal whose knowledge was on your mind:
When you described this machination,
Which wrought such public indignation."
"Does no one care when liberty is compromised?"
Lamented Waldo in consternation surprised.
Well, not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U.?
Jacob
Now Jacob delighted with town father's order,
To contain Nazi March at city border;
T'was shocked by court's grant of procession,
Lest liberty be channeled into recession.
"Why should the promulgators of Hitler's devastation,
Display freely their arrogance in our nation?"
Raged Jacob when asked if he knew,
The Nazi's permit was defended by the A.C.L.U.?
"The Nazi demons have no right
To share in Freedom's holy light.
So what if they are American born,
From the A.C.L.U. I am now torn."
Smoldering with anger and indignation,
Jacob strode by the Greyhound Station;
Soon to see before Town Hall,
A Nativity Creche, red and tall.
Crying for the powers to heed,
Who had the Creche's construction decreed;
Jacob's spirit vexed at State's embrace.
Of a religion uncommon to his race.
"Does no one care when freedom is distorted?"
Wailed Jacob, his integrity demeaned and contorted.
Well, not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U.?
Dorothy
Now Dorothy waxed in indignation,
At the Progressive magazine's revelation:
Of how the Hydrogen Bomb works;
"Where there is such printing our enemy lurks."
But then came chilling information
About leaking Atomic plant radiation;
Near the hamlet where Dorothy dwelled
Abetting the terror Nuclear catastrophe for her held.
"Cease the protest or face incarceration,"
Warned the troopers to the collective demonstration;
And when not all seemed fit to disperse,
The act of arrest was duly terse.
"Does no one care when the right of petitions is denied?"
Dorothy and Laura in their cells cried.
Well not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U.?
Wanda
Now Wanda shrilled and contended strongly,
That the ERA Amendment would treat women wrongly:
"Why provide more years to produce the Amendment,
When we have all we need for our contentment?"
Dismissing ERA pleas as liberty's prattle,
Wanda hastened to meet with boss Battle;
Who announced her dismissal from job at Tom Atlas
Since pregnancy was now her primary status.
"Does no one care when women's rights are affected"?
Bitterly lamented the contributing secretary unprotected.
Well, not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U.?
Sylvester
Now Sylvester dismissed as liberal wailing
The pleas of the prisoners form for humane jailing.
"Let their incarceration them remind,
They have forfeited the right to speak their mind."
Sylvester then trained his reflection sour,
Upon his employer's corporate power;
But after the Evening News described his blast,
He learned from Personnel his job would not last.
"Does no one care when expressed thoughts are curbed?"
Raged Sylvester wrathfully disturbed.
Well, not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U..?
Arnold
"I am tired of hearing about Blacks on the jury";
Let us be done with this Southern fury,
Cried Arnold shunning financial appeal
From advocates of racial equality zeal.
Then returning home to his grave dismay,
Told of what had happened to his daughter Wrey;
Jailed while hitchhiking in another state,
With adult prison population - an horrendous fate,
Held without hearing or access to phone,
Four days of no communication with home;
Shocked by happenings in the land of the free;
Terrorized by the threat to her integrity.
"Does no one care when due process is defaced"?
Anguished Arnold while over his lawn he paced.
Well, not when the hurt is felt by so few,
But wha, wha, what about the A.C.L.U.?