Right Here, Right Now! Poem by Eric Cockrell

when we buy clothes made in sweatshop conditions
in Asian countries, or elsewhere, because they're
cheaper, we are in fact supporting human rights abuse.
when we buy oil from Arab countries that oppress and
abuse their own people, and regulate women to 'second-
class slavery', we are a part of that oppression.
when we throw away or waste food while children
around the world are starving, we become the cause
of that hunger.
when we drive big suv's and trucks that get less than 15
miles to the gallon, we are the driving force behind the oil
spills!
when we sell away our own people's job's for a bigger profit
overseas, we become the victims of our own greed.
you say we cant fix everything, how can we be responsible?
our country gives more aid than anyone....
we give aid to the countries we profit from.
if we took the money we spent bombing other countries
into submission, and then rebuilding them... and spent it
instead on food and medicine and training for the impoverished...
would we not get a better return? would the rest of the world
hate us as much as it does now?

we are individually responsible for every choice we make, and it's
result! what we eat, what we wear, what we drive, who we vote
for, and whether we vote! ... what we watch on tv, what we read,
whether we take the time to help our neighbors when they need it
(cause believe me your turn will come, it does for all of us) ...

whether we do what we say, whether we give without asking
for anything back...
whether we stand up for education and equality and moral fairness...
and it all begins with being aware, being aware of our responsibility.

we all make mistakes, i've made more than my share... but i'm willing
to get up and try again and again... and to get involved.
it begins right here, right now!