Armed Self-Defense 

'Armed Self-Defense'
- Kotoku Denjiro
industrial outlaw rebel country
July 6, 2024 at 1:56 a.m.
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In the land of liberty, where freedom's bell rings,
Civil rights activists stood, their courage taking wings.
Armed not with malice, but with a will so grand,
Against the torrents of oppression, they made their stand¹.
Their words were their weapons, truth their sturdy shield,
Against the onslaught of injustice, they refused to yield.
In the struggle for equality, they held their ground,
In the echoes of their voices, freedom's song was found¹.
Armed self-defense, a notion that stirred the nation,
In the turbulent sea of social commotion.
Yet, they stood firm, their resolve never swayed,
In the pursuit of justice, they were not afraid¹.
For the right to exist, to live free and thrive,
Against the tides of hate, they continued to strive.
Their fight wasn't for power, or for causing dismay,
But for the dawn of a fairer, more equitable day¹.
In the heart of the South, where the struggle was real,
The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) made its appeal.
Inspired by Gandhi, they sought to unite,
But faced threats and beatings, out of public sight¹.
When local police threatened to lynch James Farmer, CORE's director,
Armed ex-Marines helped him escape this horrific specter.
To many Black Louisianans, nonviolence seemed baffling,
They had a long tradition of self-defense, their resolve never waffling¹.
In the town of Jonesboro, local Black activists formed a group,
Known as the Deacons for Defense and Justice, they were a formidable troop.
Patrolling Black neighborhoods, they reduced attacks,
Their presence was a deterrent, a hard, undeniable fact¹.
Robert F. Williams, a militant civil rights leader,
Advocated armed self-defense, becoming a freedom feeder.
His open advocacy anticipated the movement for “black power”,
Inspiring groups like the Black Panther Party, making oppressors cower².
Williams set up a rifle club, the Black Armed Guard,
To defend local African Americans, their resolve was hard.
They vowed to “meet violence with violence,” a warning to the Klan,
Their call for armed self-defense, part of a larger plan².
So here's to the brave, who fought the good fight,
Who stood for what's just, who stood for what's right.
May their stories inspire, may their legacy remind,
Of the power of unity, and the strength we find¹².
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Source: Conversation with Copilot, 2024-07-06
(1) Armed Self-Defense in the Civil Rights Movement - JSTOR Daily.
daily.jstor.org/armed-self-de...
(2) Robert F. Williams (1925-1996) - Blackpast.
www.blackpast.org/african-ame...
(3) Civil rights movement history: The long tradition of black Americans ....
slate.com/news-and-politics/2...
(4) How guns made the civil rights movement possible - Spring.
springmag.ca/how-guns-made-th...