The following poem was written by Christopher Amat, a high school student from New Jersey. Christopher's poem became the inspiration for ID's "Generations" PSA.
Not too long ago, I came to a realization/
That the main complication with human collaboration is lack of communication/
See, I've come to the realization that,
people are fast to talk trash, despite not knowing the whole story/
Listen to the 1st half then they ignore me/
Their minds drift as they take and twist the story/
And create the annoyance we all know, as rumors/
Then others are quick to jump to conclusions/
Seeking satisfaction in violence, such an illusion/
'Cause see, I dont pick up a fight/
I'd rather sit down and write/
The pen is my weapon, and I know how to use it right/
'Cause see, I've come to the realization that,
Violence doesn't solve problems, it just causes retaliation/
So I say, restore pacification/
Stop the racial discriminations/
Stop the murders and assassinations/
We need to address the nation/
'Cause it's our obligation to asses the situation/
We are the future, our generation/
The future leaders of a new civilization/
So if you understand what I say, and can agree with me/
Stand up for what you believe/
Don't let your voice be silenced/
With open eyes I've realized, that we can stop the violence/
About the poem – From Christopher Amat:
I wrote this poem in an effort to address a problem I saw growing in my school and in society. School is a place where students are supposed to feel safe, not threatened. I was 16 when I wrote this poem and although it was the second poem I ever wrote, it undoubtedly had the deepest message. Many students hesitate to speak on school violence and because of that I felt it necessary to make the voice of the youth heard - the voice of our generation.
