Wake the F-ck Up

 Wake the F*ck Up
by Debra L. Winegarten, June 13, 2016
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Enough!
Death of young innocent queer people
Killed because of love
Because of dancing
Because of being different.

Enough!
Silly distractions
Talk of bathroom privileges
Talk of bullying
Talk of Wild West nonsense.

Enough!
Legal sale of assault weapons
To civilians
In the name of Liberty.

Enough!
Numbing with drugs and alcohol
To avoid and deny the horror
Of rampant shootings.

Enough!
Congressional paralysis
Gun lobby pay-offs
Corporate greed.

Remember Stonewall!
Remember Orlando!
It's a bad idea to piss off
Queer people.

Because we are more creative
Because we are more vocal
Because we are more loving
Because we are better dancers.
Because we are better writers
And the pen is mightier than the machine gun.

And you cannot silence us
And you cannot kill us all.
And your hate will not prevail.
And your hate will not prevail.
And your hate will not prevail.
                                                                                                                                      

Debra L. Winegarten works in the Astronomy Department at the University  of Texas in Austin,Texas. With a master's degree in sociology from The Ohio  State University, specializing in qualitative research, Debra uses her research skills to write biographies of Texas women for middle-school students. She is also on the faculty of South University, where she teaches undergraduate sociology courses.

Debra notes, "The views in my poem don't represent the AAS; I'm writing in my 'other' life as an award-winning author."

Debra is a past president of the Texas Jewish Historical Society and has written two Jewish-themed poetry books, "There's Jews in Texas?" and "Where Jewish Grandmothers Come From". For more about her and her writing, check out her web site.