Patriotism, a Work for the Voiceless, (A Poem) by Kelly Gneiting
September 11, 2012 Posted by: Kelly Gneiting
“Did you hear those loud clamors..,” one humbly said.
“As if voices in agony, some lame and some dead?”
“I hear nothing at all,” the other replied,
He peered out to look, yet heard not, though tried.
“They are wounded and hurt, yet what is the cause?”
“I see nothing to indicate that we should take pause!”
“But the dead and the dying are right there to see.”
“Look really, there’s a place where I need to be.”
“And what should you miss this place and the hour,
When we can yet give of our strength and our power?”
“You say we can help, but yet how can we?
The dead and the dying, I cannot even see.”
“Then turn from your journey, and look at this view.
Come, take a few steps, I’ll be walking with you.
Have faith and be sure I’ll lead not you astray.
For now is the hour, and this is the day.”
And when they had journeyed a mile or so,
The man did begin to realize and know.
He turned and he saw the misfortunes of others,
That they were his kin, his sisters and brothers.
So he turned to his friend, with eyes full of tears,
And asked “What now can I do with these hands and these years?”
“Forsake what is yours and give it away.
And take up your cross, and do it today.
Our probation is now, and now is the time.
To help and aid others, and give of your dime.
The way is prepared to take hold of the rod.
Know service and love, and ye shall know God.”
And so the man turned and took a deep breath,
He could now see those persons, that they were near death.
Truly, the harvest is great, but the laborers are few.
Some give, some give their all, which one are you?
Charity Never Faileth
Can you hear the roar of the voiceless?
But What About The Needy?
“What about the lame, the sick and the destitute? Is an often-voiced question. Most other countries in the world have attempted to use the power of government to meet this need. Yet, in every case, the improvement has been marginal at best and has resulted in the long run creating more misery, more poverty, and certainly less freedom than when government first stepped in. As Henry Grady Weaver wrote, in his excellent book, THE MAINSPRING OF HUMAN PROGRESS:
“Most of the major ills of the world have been caused by well-meaning people who ignored the principle of individual freedom, except as applied to themselves, and who were obsessed with fanatical zeal to improve the lot of mankind-in-the-mass through some pet formula of their own….THE HARM DONE BY ORDINARY CRIMINALS, MURDERERS, GANGSTERS, AND THIEVES IS NEGLIGIBLE IN COMPARISON WITH THE AGONY INFLICTED UPON HUMAN BEINGS BY THE PROFESSIONAL ‘DO-GOODERS’, who attempt to set themselves up as gods on earth and who would ruthlessly force their views on all others – with the abiding assurance that the end justifies the means.” (p. 40-1; P.P.N.S., p. 313)
Patriotism, a Work for the Voiceless, (A Poem) by Kelly Gneiting
“Did you hear those loud clamors..,” one humbly said.
“As if voices in agony, some lame and some dead?”
“I hear nothing at all,” the other replied,
He peered out to look, yet heard not, though tried.
“They are wounded and hurt, yet what is the cause?”
“I see nothing to indicate that we should take pause!”
“But the dead and the dying are right there to see.”
“Look really, there’s a place where I need to be.”
“And what should you miss this place and the hour,
When we can yet give of our strength and our power?”
“You say we can help, but yet how can we?
The dead and the dying, I cannot even see.”
“Then turn from your journey, and look at this view.
Come, take a few steps, I’ll be walking with you.
Have faith and be sure I’ll lead not you astray.
For now is the hour, and this is the day.”
And when they had journeyed a mile or so,
The man did begin to realize and know.
He turned and he saw the misfortunes of others,
That they were his kin, his sisters and brothers.
So he turned to his friend, with eyes full of tears,
And asked “What now can I do with these hands and these years?”
“Forsake what is yours and give it away.
And take up your cross, and do it today.
Our probation is now, and now is the time.
To help and aid others, and give of your dime.
The way is prepared to take hold of the rod.
Know service and love, and ye shall know God.”
And so the man turned and took a deep breath,
He could now see those persons, that they were near death.
Truly, the harvest is great, but the laborers are few.
Some give, some give their all, which one are you?
Charity Never Faileth
Can you hear the roar of the voiceless?
From Ezra Taft Benson’s The Proper Role of Government:
But What About The Needy?
“What about the lame, the sick and the destitute? Is an often-voiced question. Most other countries in the world have attempted to use the power of government to meet this need. Yet, in every case, the improvement has been marginal at best and has resulted in the long run creating more misery, more poverty, and certainly less freedom than when government first stepped in. As Henry Grady Weaver wrote, in his excellent book, THE MAINSPRING OF HUMAN PROGRESS: