“America is so fucked right now” grandson posts on Facebook
Chicago Spring 1968
news headline: “Martin Luther King has been shot”
rolled police cars, smashed buildings, shattered glass, smoke
rage-filled youths stone police
police batons swing through the crowd batter heads, legs, backs
white clouds of tear gas mingle with black smoke from burning store fronts
TV news
“what did you expect dad? he was a great man”
red faced father, eyes bulging, cheeks flaring
kicks open the bathroom door
pain explodes, red blood spurts on white tiled wall
shakes, slaps, kicks, furious pounding
mother views the slaughter: “stop it! stop it! stop it!”
too late…too late Mum...
she suffered the consequences …as did I
of South Side
white working-class
Catholic upbringing
anger, shame, humiliation
fear of other…
impoverished black people…
the fucking dysfunctional dissonance
of post war America
yes
it would not be for the first time my grandson....
--Peter Bauman
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