Hypocrite essay in verse

After writing what I posted earlier today, I sat back and thought about whether I was being judgemental and hypocritical.

Sometimes I don’t follow my own advice.

Distance provides perspective

Wait

Cool off

Vent but don’t send.

Did I do that?

Partially.

Well, I wrote it out.

I read it through and edited before sending,

BUT,

Did I give myself enough distance?

  No.

Did I cool off?

  No.

Did I vent?

  Yes.

Did I send too early?

  yes.

I wrote, I read, I edited.

Heat of the moment

Rather than cool.

So now I wonder

Am I a hypocrite?
Did I judge

And cast stones?

Did I go too far

Did I do what I accuse other people of doing?

Today’s questions to ponder

Rather than “What is the meaning of life?”

I am wondering,

“What is the meaning of free speech?”

“What is too far and who gets to judge?”

Am I a hypocrite?
  A little.

Did I go too far?
  No.

I didn’t pick on anyone by name

I didn’t post a derogatory photo.

I didn’t post anything that would incite violence or harm.

Free speech determinations

Are beyond the scope of a poem

Or an essay

By an average lay person.

Free speech is a right,

But there are restrictions.

Determining those restrictions

Is left up to

The judiciary.

The closest thing to an impartial body that we have.

Their role is to interpret the Consitution

Based on the rule of law.

Of course, those interprettions,

I.e., decisions

Become the next case’s rule of law,

So being a judge

Is a rather weighty thing.

We talk about higher authority

In religious and spiritual terms.

In the case of free speech and other Constitutional rights,

Religion is supposed to be irrelevant.

After all, we are a nation of people

and a nation of religious liberty.

In God we trust and under God.

Hm.

May God bless the United States of America

Hm. I looked up where that started as a presidential speech thing.

Uh oh.

According to the HuffPost:

The first president to say it was Richard Nixon, who dropped the phrase during an attempt at damage control for the burgeoning Watergate scandal on April 30, 1973. “Tonight, I ask for your prayers to help me in everything I do throughout the days of my presidency,” he said. “God bless America and God bless each and every one of you.”

Oh my.