Vitriol and the Foolish

By Cliff Lake

 

Vitriol and the Foolish

 

I have had enough of vitriol.

Pouring salt in the wounds of the chronically salty?

Forgive me if I believe that will be of no benefit.

Whether you agree or not with a person,

Their death by violence remains just that:

Death by violence.

One does not qualify equality –

What is injustice against you and yours,

Is the same injustice against someone you dislike.

Our First Amendment still holds,

At least for today,

And though that person may have said things that you did not care for,

This day he was allowed to say those things.

Now he cannot.

Not by his choice,

But by the hand of another.

That is not equitable by any measure.

Already I see celebration of this violence.

A celebration of violence!

What kind of lowlife does that?

Displaying hatred of the murdered will only encourage more violence.

Have any of you considered that may have been the entire point?

Or perhaps that this wasn’t politically motivated at all?

How dare anyone celebrate murder?

What sort of retaliation do you hope for then?

Yes,

Your insensitivity may just do that:

Spur an angry movement to uncontrollable rage.

Who then would be responsible?

The perpetrator,

Or the gleeful prick

Bathing themselves in the blood of a despised mouthpiece,

When they could have offered condolence to his survivors.

Shame!

Shame on those expressing gratitude for that death!

You would hurriedly revile any who did as you

Should a liberal be the fallen!

I urge anyone and everyone

Displaying less than empathy

To carefully reflect on the consequences of the words they publish,

That will be read by an already resentful crowd,

Now maddened by spilled blood.

One reaps what they sow.

Antagonizing the antagonistic is hardly what I would call a plan.

I would call it foolish.

It is very foolish.

 

Cliff Lake 9/10/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Orem, UT, USA

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