Silence In The Dread Of Fear Poem by Francis Duggan

With it you may well disagree and say it cannot be true
But a loss of Human Rights to some one else is a loss of Human Rights to me and you
They may be complete strangers and from us live far away
But by ignoring their lot those who abuse them we condone though that's not true you do say.

You witness a murder and you walk on and pretend you do not see
Then you are as guilty as the one who commits the crime or so 'twould seem to me
In such a case you ought to help the one under attack though some succumb to fear
And the criminals they thrive on fear those facts seem very clear.

Of the most awful crimes against Humanity we hear of every day
And those who commit such serious crimes their price for them they must pay
And we who do not condemn such acts are we less guilty than they
To keep your silence on such issues is to condone them it would be fair to say.

You journalists, writers and poets in this you have some part to play
Ignore crimes against Humanity and fear won't go away
The brave person only dies once the fearful dies a little every day
And our silence in the dread of fear means fear with us will stay.