THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS

This is what happens

when we give fascists political legitimacy,

and let dictators dictate terms and frame policy.

This is what happens

when we couch our outrage in diplomacy,

and use parliamentary language to describe thuggery.

This is what happens

when we use euphemisms like 'social’ organization,

and refer to demagogues as statesmen,

and normalise stigmatization.

This is what happens

when we give repeat offenders the benefit of doubt,

when patterns emerge and we don't call it out,

when we don't raise our voice because we think it's rude to shout.

This is what happens

when we say they're not all like that it's the work of the fringe,

most of them are stable only a few are unhinged,

the city is not burning it's only been singed.

This is what happens

when we let them tinker with our institutions,

and then look on in horror when they come for the constitution.

This is what happens

when we set off a chain of events then pretend there won't be a logical conclusion. 

This is what happens

when we think it's just about meat and who can and cannot eat it,

when we see bigotry unfold and all we do is tweet it,

when we don't learn from the past and we are doomed to repeat it.

This is what happens.

This is what happens.

This is what happens.