Have you noticed — a poem
Contestant: Shoshana Stern is a 17-year-old student at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati. Image by Courtesy of Shoshana Stern
Editor’s Note: The Forward is featuring essays, poems and short stories written for our Young Writers Contest. Today’s entry was written by Shoshana Stern, a 17-year-old student at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati. You can find more work from our young writers here.
Have you noticed
“This is a free country”
Has turned from
A prideful statement into
A defensive justification
“This is a free country”
Morphs freedom of speech
Into “I can say whatever I want”
Regardless of who it may mislead
Regardless of who it may hurt
“This is a free country”
Spins the right to bear arms
Into “I can buy an assault rifle”
Regardless of their training
Regardless of their background
“This is a free country”
Changes the wage gap
Into “I pay what I think you earn”
Regardless of progress reports
Regardless of personal bias
“This is a free country”
Whisks walking down the street
Into “Damn girl, why don’t you smile”
Regardless of what she wears
Regardless of whether she “asked for it”
“This is a free country”
Modifies freedom of press
Into “If you don’t look like this, you’re ugly”
Regardless of realistic expectations
Regardless of mental health
Have you noticed
“This is a free country”
Has turned from
A proclamation of independence into
A pitiful excuse
Because I have
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
