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Barack Obama wrote the chorus. Give credit where credit is due.

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A boy went to visit his father out of town
Where he had moved, to an upscale neighborhood
It rains a lot in Florida, and it was raining on that night
But everybody says exercise is good
He went out for a walk to the convenience store
To go out and bring some candy back
But some people leave and they never come home
And that night it was all a one-way track

For the Neighborhood Watchman was driving his car
On a rainy night looking for
A young man who might have a part to play
In his personal race war
And what if this trolling vigilante
Sowing terror on racist whim
What if when he found this teenage boy
He instead had found a man more like him

What if things were different
Where would he be bound
What if Trayvon had stood his ground

When Zimmerman approached in an unmarked vehicle
When the high school student ran
What if instead he had stood there in the rain
With his Skittles and his Arizona can
What if trying to avoid a conflict with this cracker
Who was evidently messed up in the head
Trayvon had said I feel like my life's in danger
And he had shot this vigilante dead

Would this hooded youth be gingerly arrested
Treated for his wounds and then let free
Would he be hailed as a hero by the NRA
By Limbaugh, Beck and Hannity
Would he be found not guilty by any jury in this country
Would he be allowed to keep his gun
Or would he be sitting in a prison cell, watching pundits on the TV saying
That kid really should've run

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from Spies Are Reading My Blog, released November 4, 2013

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David Rovics Portland, Oregon

Singer/songwriter, writer, podcaster (on Spotify, Substack & Patreon), anarchist, dad, lover of life.

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