What will it take for you to act against a racist?
How many more American values have to be trampled?
How many more lives have to be lost?
How many more social norms have to be crumpled?

You are a coward, oh wait, spineless low-life
You are glued to the seat of power
Winning re-election is the only priority for you
That’s all you think about every waking hour

You are inebriated by the power of your seat
Yes, this seat in the House or Senate is very lucrative –
it keeps on giving even after you leave it
Holding on to the seat is your only imperative

You will sell a rope to your mother for her to hang herself,
if it advanced your selfish cause
You keep on taking Trump’s diatribes
No untoward behavior of Trump gives you a pause

Often you claim to be serving the public
The truth can’t be any farther from your rhetoric
The only person you serve is you and only you
Public service is not a part of your rubric

Trump demeans you without any hesitation in public
You still don’t denounce him in the open
It was true during his presidential campaign
And, it is as true now as it was then

You will make a deal with the Devil –
if he will do your bidding
Oh, wait, you did make a deal with the Devil!
The Devil – the current occupant of the White House, no kidding

You remain silent to Trump’s vitriol & crudity
You say to yourself you’ll need his supporters come next election
You keep on swallowing your pride (may be you have sold this too)
You know, to speak up against him, is an invitation for rejection

You need money, lots of money to contest the election
Our government is the best money can buy , call it “pay to play”
You are a puppet of your benefactors & donors
They pull your strings and hold extraordinary sway

You know well that Trump will sign any bill you send him
He doesn’t have any policies, principles or convictions
You need donors’ cash, so all the insults and rebuke by Trump
are worth the price to you without any compunctions

Trump has not shown any loyalty thus far
When it serves Trump’s purpose, he will throw you under a bus
You will get up, gather yourself and say nothing so as not to offend the base
Alas, you will keep on doing what you have been doing without a fuss

Senator Corker is one of the very few who have spoken up
Corker is right for calling out Trump for lack of stability and competence
Rubio, Graham, McCain and Flake are the other “brave” ones like Corker
The rest of you are busy dialing for dollars and building your bank balance

Mr. Ryan and Mr. McConnell, where are your voices?
You have mostly stood firmly behind the flawed president
As the “Leaders” of the the two chambers of the Congress
You need to condemn forcefully each and every racist incident

At a recent town hall, Mr. Ryan all you could bring yourself up to say is
“HE (Trump) messed up in his comments” referring to Charlottesville
Really! You know he didn’t mess up; he meant every word of it
Marchers came to terrorize, they didn’t come for a casual drill

A person to be called a Leader needs to show leadership,
Leadership demands adherence to one’s moral compass
A Leader doesn’t put his career above his principles
His value system has rigid boundaries that no one can trespass

You choose to not speak out against a racist, a misogynist
a demagogue, and a narcissist who is also a pathological liar
He is a father who incites & defends racists with deep hatred for Jews
Even when Judaism is the religion of his son-in-law and his daughter!

There is still time for you to restore your integrity
Call him for what he is, not what you want him to be
A man is known only by his values and principles
Web of lies ultimately entraps one; truth always sets one free

This dark period too shall pass
But, it will definitely leave a permanent tear
On the nations moral fabric
and leave the non-whites living in fear.

Amen.

Please see a companion piece about Hypocrisy of Republicans re. the nomination of Judge Amy Barrett for the Supreme Court.   Penned in October 2020