the “neutral”

the bigot walks around the empire
head held high
worrying not in the least about the rights of humans cohabitating
with the rest of us &
as long as the bigot’s opinions are not called into question
s/he goes about her/his day
taking part in the systematic oppression of others
taking part in the denial of rights to others that one unappreciatively holds
themselves &
believing in a illusion of “freedom” & “democracy”
which completely stifles the mindset of
progressive change.

however,
if the bigot’s opinions are called into question,
they certainly get ornery,
but they do not hide what they think,
rather, they wear it on their shoulder &
bear it to all who ask.

and then, there are those say they’re “neutral,”
wanting to keep things the same as they have always been,
so as to not rock their little boat
&
though they know in their own hearts that
the depriving of anyone of those things that they have so easily
gone through their own lives with is fundamentally wrong,
they do not want to admit it aloud
for fear that others will react, quite possibly differing in opinion
with them
&
again,
this would leave goose bumps on their little shoulders,
making them leave the room in tears.

when the integrity of the “neutral” is addressed
(because they have done nothing, said nothing---having not even
effortlessly supported the rights of those around them who have
been kept down for so long through signing a petition)
they get thrown into a blathering tizzy &
start throwing fingers out in random directions
claiming that now they feel insulted
by the mere accusation that the indifference which they blatantly show
is a blockade keeping others from thriving &
enjoying life in the same
manner that they do---
these “affected” individuals go on the war path
attacking everyone & anything with more vigor than
anyone could have imagined that they had inside them
only a minute ago &
any onlooker might wonder just where it came from.