When you get right down to it
Some people who should know better
Support the police even now
Despite all the images of brutality and murder.
A neighbor put up a sign on their lawn
Provoking us to put signs in our windows
Facing them answering back
Black Lives Matter. Stop Police Violence.
Probably someone they know asked them
To put up the sign with the blue line across
Praising cops who assault defenseless protestors
As heroes bravely defending us.
Probably they have watched too many cop shows
Making them out to be the good guys
Protecting us from all the bad people everywhere
Even as they break the law interrogating suspects.
Perhaps they have a relative who is a cop
Or the person who asked them is related to a cop
Who chooses to take the money and go against us
Serving this system of injustice and oppression.
Because it's the PBA who distributed their sign
Giving it away free to try to get a show of support
In our neighborhood where almost everyone is white
Making it the best place around to confront racism.
Where we are privileged to be safe from profiling
But not from offensive racist displays and remarks
We were happy to see a huge Black Lives Matter sign
On the lawn across from where we know a cop lives.
