(words/phrases in bold are the words on the list, except for the title of the poem; words/phrases in italics are not said aloud in the poem)
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological) is what some kids on the playground will do
You call them bullies when they try to take things from you
Parents can abuse and sometimes so can your date
The worst abuse involves beatings, torture and rape
Alcohol (beer and liquor), tobacco, and drugs have been placed
All over neighborhoods so that we may disgrace
Communities of color which once were alive
Active in movements where civil rights would thrive
Birthday celebrations (and birthdays) are important to all
They counteract our troubles and let us have a ball
Celebrating life involves food, family and friends
Dancing ‘til the dawn when the party will end
Bodily functions cause lots of giggles and laughs
But it is no joke when you look at stats and graphs
Eat more vegetables to avoid colon cancer
Healthy diet regulates, that is the answer
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Cancer (and other diseases) devastates all communities
We’d live healthier lives if we looked to the trees
Move slowly, a little sun, be active outside
Strive for a long life that fills you with pride
Catastrophes/disasters (tsunamis and hurricanes) will always exist
Facing them is something you cannot resist
If you cultivate your bravery
Then you can face your fears with your community
Celebrities are given way too much attention
Creating such leaders should be done with apprehension
Ask yourself what the values of the person are
If the person is actually great, then make him/her a star
Children dealing with serious issues are all over the world
So many struggles affect every boy and girl
Childhood is rarely innocent or ideal
I think kids would prefer that we treat them like they’re real
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Cigarettes (and other smoking paraphernalia) cause death
It’s fun when you’re young, but as you age you lose your breath
We have to keep telling young people this is true
We don’t want their lungs turning black, purple and blue
Computers in the home (acceptable in a school or library setting) are your right
Sharing few computers at school will only cause a fight
Access to information is a necessary survival tool
We already know we cannot trust our government to put access in school
Crime prevails today with harm done to Kenneth and Trayvon
In the name of helping, the vilest acts were done
The criminals are free, the right are buried and dead
I wish to God for a change in the headlines I’ve read
Death and disease are challenging and sad
But we learn many things from them, not all of it is bad
Caring for an ill friend is something that makes us grow
Losing a loved one does the same thing, I know
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Divorce is promoted as being everywhere
But there is true love all over, don’t be scared
Find good people and keep them in your life
Be honest, fun and devoted, if you’re a husband or a wife
Evolution isn’t a concept that only relates to the past
You evolve in your life, it’s just that it isn’t necessarily so fast
We change and adapt to our surroundings every day
It is not a strange idea, no matter what they say
Expensive gifts, vacations, and prizes are given on TV
Game shows like you to imagine anyone can win, him, you or me
No one ever gives anything away for free
So stop wishing for it and the happier you’ll be
Gambling involving money is a waste of your time
Spend your money on books, food or wine
Money should go to things you can see or use
Games with money attached only invite abuse
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Halloween is often touted as a pagan holiday
Perhaps it started out as that but it changed along the way
DÃa de los Muertos celebrates the dead
Days that explore our dark side are made to free our heads
Homelessness is a woman, struggling on the street
It is children who have no food or shoes on their feet
We cannot ignore this issue simply by banning the word
The voices are there, the faces are there, we can’t pretend we haven’t heard
Homes with swimming pools perhaps seem unfair
But when the pools are drained, skaters take their share
We can’t keep people from creating fun spaces
But we can let them know we also should have access to these places
Hunting for food is what we used to do
But hunting deer in enclosed fences is done by those who
Want to feel manly or powerful, with a 12-point buck
And guns proliferate our streets, all I can say is “duck!”
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Junk food is found in mostly in poor neighborhoods
The nutrient content in this food isn’t very good
People who eat it often struggle with being fat
It will not give you a good life, and that’s where it’s at
In-depth discussions of sports that require prior knowledge
Are full of information that you can often use in college
You will learn statistics, you will learn physics and geometry
Such discussions are good for you, as far as I can see
Loss of employment is rampant due to computerization
It will be our job, now, to re-envision modernization
How do we create jobs that require human hands?
One way is to value artists: painters, writers, bands
Nuclear weapons are completely unnecessary
Anyone claiming the value of them should make you wary
Nagasaki, Hiroshima, look up those words, too
Know the history, my children, so it doesn’t happen to you
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Occult topics (i.e. fortune-telling) are most often used for fun
Horoscopes, lighting candles, are usually decorative, at most, for everyone
But they also allow us to think about the universe, connections between you and me
These topics lead to discussions about ethnic religions such as Santeria, or about philosophy
Parapsychology covers our psychic connection
Many people believe this is a crazy person’s invention
But sometimes our parents, friends or children understand us well
Without a word, they know what we’re thinking, a silent show and tell
Politics is how power is applied
Most people believe all politicians have lied
We influence politicians, too, people sometimes forget
Our numbers are pure power, and they notice, you can bet
Pornography takes advantage of natural sexuality
You’re going to look, chalk it to vitality
The real perversion is when poor girls or boys are forced to do it
Sexual slavery isn’t a turn on, so you should definitely eschew it
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Poverty is not natural, it is created
I know that idea has been widely debated
We have enough housing and food for everybody
Yet we still have shanty towns and projects that are shoddy
Rap Music began as a community celebration
Caribbean Blacks and Latinos/as created groups like the Zulu Nation
They rapped about civil rights, equality and culture
Corporations stole the idea and made it about bling; corporations are culture vultures
Religion allows people to gather and share their beliefs
Unfortunately, some people want to impose their ideas which causes much grief
I like ideas from lots of religions, I gather them in a mix
These ideas help me deal with problems when I’m in a fix
Religious holidays and festivals (including but not limited to Christmas, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan)
Are some of the best parties on the planet—oh, boy can they be fun!
Let’s all share our religious holidays and celebrate with each other
Let’s take our religion’s best ideas and treat each other like sisters and brothers
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Rock-and-Roll music was started by poor Southern folks
They played blues and country on old guitars, drank whiskey and told jokes
Chuck Berry, one of the inventors, saw them say rock wasn’t Black
But now the Afro-Punk movement has worked to take the credit back
Running away is something that maybe everyone has wished for
To leave our problems behind, run off and close that door
If your parents are abusing you, perhaps do it, but find a safe place
If not, then look at the problem for solutions—there’s nothing you can’t face!
Sex is crazy and it drives everyone crazy, you can’t avoid it
Your parents will be completely engulfed in paranoia
But, if you try, you can learn to have really good, safe, fun nookie
The idea is to be with worthwhile, interesting people, don’t worry about being a rookie
Slavery still exists in the form of our prison system
Prisoners work for slave wages, we barely have to pay them
Lots of men and women in jail are doing time for non-violent offenses
Many of them wouldn’t be there if they had good lawyers present for their defenses
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Terrorism is a word that is used for unclear crimes
I wish someone would explain to me what it defines
In Arizona, someone could be detained because of how they look
They also believe that to save our country they must resort to banning books
Television and video games (excessive use) create a state of hypnosis
No one has created terms for this addiction diagnosis
Humans learn by copying—it’s how we learn to speak
So if we copy TV and games, I can’t imagine the havoc it will wreak
Traumatic material (including material that may be particularly upsetting such as animal shelters)
Or how we process chickens or deaths caused in the borderland desert swelter
Are not subjects I think need to be kept from our young minds
It is worse to keep the youth ignorant and mentally behind
Vermin (rats and roaches) are found in poor areas because our cities don’t pick up the trash
If we talk about these issues, are folks afraid of a backlash?
We all pay city taxes, so our money should pay for clean streets
But the cleanest roads are in the rich areas, yet another issue on the list of defeats
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Violence is waged on people who are considered weak
Women, children, the elderly, and communities which don’t have a voice to speak
Negotiation is always better and some leaders have suggested this
Others disagree; perhaps they have never been hugged or kissed
War and bloodshed, what is it good for, absolutely nothin’
Say it again, war, what is it good for absolutely nothin’
Our soldiers come back home mentally and physically destroyed
They aren’t guaranteed work or even healthcare, yet they are continually deployed
Weapons (guns, knives, etc.) were once used against beasts
We would hunt a boar and cook it for a special, happy feast
Today, automatic weapons are found in neighborhoods or schools
I wish we could change the current intent behind the tools
Witchcraft, sorcery, etc. is a myth that few know of
Witches were community healers and their sorcery was love
They would mix up herbs into a wonderful stew
That would heal many diseases, rendering the ill, new
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have
Banning is bad
Banning is bad
The more you ban
The less information you have