.

Just Say It

Two bombs exploded in Jerusalem
Today. A boy of just 15 is dead—
A Jewish student on his way to school.
And 18 more were wounded, all of them
Israeli Jews at bus stops now streaked red.
The media would play us for a fool.
It’s terror, they concede, but won’t report
What murderous group might be responsible
As if bombs sprang from nowhere like a wart.
Their cowardice is reprehensible.
Each journalist writes like some leftist minion
Compelled to say “crime’s only an opinion,”
Attacking Israel’s fair—it’s just “Darwinian”
Like Rome attacking all things Carthaginian;
That murder’s “push-back” on “unfair dominion.”
They’ll never say the suspect’s…
Look. When journalists won’t state the facts.
They’re tacitly complicit in those acts.

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Brian Yapko is a lawyer who also writes poetry. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.


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35 Responses

  1. Margaret Coats

    Thanks for saying it, Brian. You remind us that we are still engaged in a “global war on terrorism” with no defined terrorists as enemy, although we know full well that Islamicists began a war of terrorism long ago against Israel, made major attacks on New York in the 1990s, and merely escalated Islamicist war against the United States on September 11, 2001.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you, Margaret. Not a fun poem to write — it poured out in about 20 minutes and I was pleasantly shocked at how fast Evan published it. But I was furious when I read the CNN headline that said “15-year old dead after 2 explosions rock Jerusalem.” The story SHOULD have read “15-year old murdered after two terror attacks rock Jerusalem.” They made it sound like a gas-leak or something. And then to read the article it was doubly infuriating because they could not bring themselves to say who was responsible: Palestinian terror organizations — probably Hamas which celebrated the attack. I’m tired of being manipulated and gaslighted by the media. And I’m tired of Israel being the subject of a constant barrages of defamation and trivialization by leftists who think the only Jewish state in the world — one the size of New Jersey, I might add — should be wiped out.

      Thank you again, Margaret. Terrorism needs to be confronted and we can only do that if we speak of it openly and honestly. And, yes, the U.S. is also a target. I will never forget 9/11.

      Reply
  2. Joseph S. Salemi

    Brian, I’m sure the Israeli Mossad knows exactly what group is responsible for this act of murder. And I know that a bloody act of deserved vengeance will follow.

    I only wish our feckless and epicene governments here in the West would also follow up acts of terrorism with the kind of savage reprisals that they deserve.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you for this actually reassuring comment, Joseph. I think you’re right — that Mossad does indeed have a handle on the terrorists. And I’m all for reprisals and whatever it may take to eradicate terrorist organization. I’m with you on our “feckless and epicene governments.” Whether it’s China or Islamic terrorists, we keep kowtowing to pure evil because we’ve lost our moral authority and the will to do the right thing as we waste time and resources dithering like Prufrock. A military that is more worried about inclusivity than effectiveness? School policy that won’t allow a bratty kid to get properly spanked? Passing out needles to homeless addicts? “Epicene” is in every branch of government ever single day. And we keep right on planting the seeds of our own destruction.

      Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, Russel. Not a pleasant poem to write — and not a particularly good one, either. But I felt like certain things needed to be said!

      Reply
  3. Mike Bryant

    Brian, the bought “journalists” have much to answer for. They really are complicit in too many crimes to list here. The only real journalists today are the citizen journalists that won’t let the mainstream media get away with their lies and half truths.
    With this poem, and others, you have joined the ranks of true journalists.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Mike, you are so right — as I well know from your own poetry and your many well-researched comments. Journalism as an objective proposition no longer exists. There is no more Walter Cronkite. Journalism, now, is a thinly-veiled euphemism for Advocacy. Those in the media are actually invited to cherry-pick facts, ignore evidence that doesn’t match their narrative, and camouflage editorializing as fact-reporting. Ideology is now the only filter through which reality is funneled. Our media and many of our leaders and members of academia are engaged in a very dangerous game. They think the end justified the means, but the means they have chosen actually mean The End.

      Reply
  4. Susan Jarvis Bryant

    Brian, your words slice through the lies and hearten those who know the Mainstream Media is the enemy. Mike is right… you have joined the ranks of the true journalists, and what better way than poetry to get this sad and significant news out – a very powerful piece indeed. Thank you very much!!

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Susan, thank you for this comment and, even more, thank you for the inspiration you have given me as a poet and as someone who is slowly growing brave enough to call things as I see them. Your example as a poet-journalist (Mike, too!, Dr. Salemi, Evan and others here) has been essential to helping me find my voice. And, in this instance, to read a story, become infuriated, and take it out in poetry which I submitted before I had a chance to second-guess whether I should or not — well, I learned that from you.

      I’ve long known the Mainstream Media was the enemy in many ways, but I don’t think I have felt as fed-up with their smug, smiling, blatant manipulations as I did yesterday. The gloves are off. By the way, the musical “Chicago”? After many years of being a lawyer and fighting a hundred forms of defamation and trying to present truth, I now consider that film a documentary.

      Reply
  5. C.B. Anderson

    It’s just too much, Brian. Terrorists are one thing and can be dealt with if we have the will to do what is necessary, but how the hell are we supposed do deal with the enemies inside our gates? Yes, I mean the so-called journalists, but also the warped educators (or should I say inculcators) at e would very level of learning and all of the corrupt tax-and-squander politicians who have taken us to the brink of self-destruction. My question is a serious one, and short of nuking Washington, D.C., I really have no answer. But wait! Maybe the terrorists will do that for us, and then we will have only the terrorists to deal with, which would be far easier. Every one of these classes of godless individuals should get down on their knees thank God that I have not been appointed His avenging angel.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thanks for this great comment, C.B. You are so right — how are we supposed to fight external enemies when we’re being overwhelmed by the internal ones? I’m glad you mentioned the inculcators and a whole class of self-referential, narcissistic politicians who love social engineering so much they are power-mad with it. What does one do with politicians who are either too corrupt to govern, or so ideologically “open-minded” (I call it drunk with compassion) that their brains have spilled out? As for avenging angel, I’d vote for you in a heartbeat. We need an avenging angel who actually has faith and common sense.

      Reply
  6. Joshua C. Frank

    Brian, this one is great! Mike is right that you’ve joined the ranks of the true journalists. I get more of my news from this site than anywhere else because I know our journalists can be trusted to tell us the unbiased truth. “As if bombs sprang from nowhere like a wart” says it all about mainstream media reporting on terrorism.

    Still, I’m not anywhere near as worried about Islamic terrorists as I am about the liberals who enable them and are, as you say, “tacitly complicit in those acts.” In the days of the Battle of Lepanto, the West knew what to do with Mohammedans (back when we still called them that): go into battle and pray the Rosary for victory! But today, we’re afraid of being called bigots.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much for this comment, Josh. I appreciate being identified as a true journalist when I’m really just an obscure poet in an obscure state doing my best to call things as I see them. Still, we poets get to shine a spotlight on issues and for that I’m grateful. I am always grateful for your hard-hitting social commentary poems as well. It’s true — our journalists can’t be trusted. True and terribly sad.

      The point you raise is so important it bears repeating. We must be quite concerned about leftist influence on the media. People who go into the media in the first place usually go in with an agenda, whether its an ideological one or a simple narcissistic desire for attention. Having lived in Southern California most of my life, I can say with certainty that Hollywood is by its very nature far-left and ego-driven and people who seek media careers become that way even if that’s not how they started out. Those who go into journalism now see themselves as advocates rather than neutral reporters. And this is encouraged by powerful media magnates or political ideologues like George Soros (who someone really should write a poem about.) And, of course, actors who go into other branches of the media — film, television, etc. — often appoint themselves as social justice activists when most of the time they should really just shut up and enjoy their millions and plastic surgery. Imagine 100 years ago anyone giving a rat’s ass what Clara Bow and Fatty Arbuckle had to say about politics!

      Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi

      Prior to 1930, what we call “media” was basically limited to newspapers (radio was a brand-new thing). Journalists were ambitious persons who wanted to promote their careers, and this usually came from being a good reporter who got “scoops” (exclusive stories on interesting issues), and who produced “hot copy” as soon as news occurred. These journalists were on the make, and very competitive with each other. They were true professionals.

      This was still generally true right through the 1950s and early 60s. A reporter who latched onto a hot story didn’t care about anything except how to publicize it and make a name for himself in the business. News was news.

      All of that is gone today. The journalism schools have bred it out of anyone going into media. The only thing that is important for our fake journalists in MSM is that a story conform to the dictates of left-liberal ideology, and be suppressed if it can’t be spun in a way that supports such ideology. The New York Times (our so-called “newspaper of record”) is now nothing but the left-liberal Pravda.

      Reply
      • Brian Yapko

        Thank you for the historical context, Joseph. It’s easy to forget how remarkably swift the coming of various forms of media has been — even radio. I well remember movies like “His Girl Friday” which are all about that news scoop, and yes. People cared about the news, not their personal or ideological spin on the news. I suppose that’s not 100% true when it came to newsreels (World War II, for example.) But, again, you knew what you were getting and why. The West had every reason to disdain propagandists like Leni Riefenstahl or Tokyo Rose. They were the Enemy. Now, the enemy is as much domestic as foreign. And you are right about the New York Times. It’s worse than Pravda because the NYT fraudulently purports to be objective. I won’t touch it.

  7. Sally Cook

    Dear Brian —
    Thanks for saying what we all know. 12th century terrorists have no mercy. They will not learn. Eye for eye.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, Sally. I believe in forgiveness, but only when repentance is sought. An eye for an eye seems more than merciful when dealing with life-despising, anarchist-loving, stupifyingly-ignorant terrorists.

      Reply
  8. Patricia Redfern

    SomeAmericans think this is Israel’s problem alone?
    Most Americans do not know that America is considered “ The Big Snake” and Israel,” “The Little Snake.” We are hated here as well. With the border invasions, we are in danger. With the paucity of ConservativePress and news outlets, the entire country is extremely Far Left and we end up being called Nazis? We are up for an attack too. The destruction of all freedoms. More than accurate verses, Brian..
    Bibi’s new book came out Tuesday last! Like Trump, he is hated.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, Patricia! It’s true, this is America’s problem no less than Israel’s. A big difference is that Israel refuses to commit suicide, while much of the U.S. seems perfectly content to give away everything in this country that has ever mattered. That seems to be what the far left wants — the complete destruction of America. World government or who knows what strange ideology goes through their minds. I’m interested in Nethnyahu’s book. Thanks for letting me know about it.

      Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi

      It’s important to note that Bibi Netanyahu is hated not just by American left-liberals, but also by a huge number of Israelis. To me, this is simply incomprehensible. Why would any Israeli vote against the one man with the cojones to hit Islamic terrorists hard and pitilessly? Do they want to be “pushed into the sea,” as Hamas promises? Have they forgotten what happens to nations that are not armed to the teeth?

      All I can say is that a suicidal death-wish hangs over the entire Western world, and that traditional inherited religions (whether Christian or Jewish) are being replaced by the succedaneous religion of left-liberal wokesterism in all of its various forms.

      It’s not just the foreign terrorists. It’s the people who reflexively and mindlessly support them or defend them, and who live right next door to you, and work with you.

      Reply
      • Brian Yapko

        Joseph, ever since your comments on “Drunk With Compassion” I’ve been contemplating your description of succedaneous religion and I’m now fully convinced that you are right and that it is much more dangerous than fictionalism. It’s as if entire populations of Jews and Christians (perhaps other religions as well?) who once believed in the doctrinal theology of their faiths have decided to cherry pick what to accept and have substituted-in their own self-referential and/or politically-motivated concepts of social justice. They then congratulate themselves on what incredible human beings they are. These people have indeed embraced a successor religion of leftist ideology slowly and surely, almost in the way a piece of wood becomes petrified into something entirely unlike it’s original state. This transformation happens so gradually and may go unnoticed to the point where it may be too late to reverse course. Is this the first time in history that this has occurred? For example, did Abolitionists or Prohibitionists use their Christian faith merely as a springboard for a new faith based on the social changes they sought? At what point do social justice causes supersede the religions that nurtured them?

        Your bafflement at the disdain many Israelis feel for Netanyahu is rational and well-supported. And you answer your own question. Even in Israel there is a large group of Jews who have embraced wokism and social justice as their new religion and who triage the very existence of their country below that. They think it makes them moral people. Personally, I call that insanity.

  9. Brian Yapko

    Before the day gets away from me, I want to offer a huge thank you to Evan for publishing this contentious poem. I did the easy part by writing it. Evan did the hard part by deciding to actually publish it thereby allowing it to be read by the public, for better or worse. That, fellow poets, takes real courage. The Society of Classical Poets and its publisher are two things which are on my Thanksgiving gratitude list.

    Reply
    • Patricia Redfern

      Brian, A magnificent soul you are. What do I mean?
      Humility is the sign of greatness and you do have it!
      I have zero patience with peacock poets. Wherein, the poem is all about them, not a concept. Sorry if that’s a tad confusing. You are in this poem, to be sure, but a peacock poet? NO!
      BIBI years ago, warned the USA about our large border area being a problem. How right he was?
      Especially with a madman as POTUS! Heaven help this country. ~ Patricia

      Reply
      • Brian Yapko

        Gosh, Patricia, thank you! You’re way too generous and I’m not at all sure I deserve it. But I love your concept of the peacock poet and when I write I do indeed strive to stay out of the way!
        As for your other comments, you’ve said a mouthful. “Heaven help this country” is right!

  10. Cynthia Erlandson

    I agree — this is an excellent message. I also noticed the very clever rhyme scheme, which starts out spacing the rhymes a-b-c-a-b-c; then goes to four lines of rhyming every other line; then 5 rhymes in a row, then 3 in a row! Very original. Was there a conscious (or maybe unconscious?) purpose for this sort of spreading out, then cramming together of rhyming lines? Anyway, great job.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, Cynthia! I’m glad this message resonated. I love your question about the poetic form because I’m usually so OCD about trying to be just so with meter and rhyme. In this case, the reason I went with all those “-inian” rhymes was to hammer, hammer, hammer home the point that no one in the media will come out and say “Palestinian” but will use every possible type of evasion to avoid saying it ad absurdum. Line 16, which is left incomplete is the key. Had the line been completed (the reader is forced to fill in the blank) it would have said “They’ll never say the suspect’s Palestinian.” This is one of the few times I’ve messed with form to try to make a point concerning content.

      Reply
      • Cynthia Erlandson

        Thanks, Brian. I hadn’t figured that out, but probably should have.

  11. Jeff Eardley

    Brian, a cutting-edge piece of work on a heinous act of terror on innocent young people. This made our news in the UK as did far too many mass shootings over there. Absolutely well done with this one.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, Jeff. As I’ve said, it’s not a poem I planned on writing or wanted to write, but I felt compelled to do so by a painfully callous media.

      Reply
  12. Brian Yapko

    For anyone who’s interested, it would appear that the refusal to use the word “terrorism” and describe the source of the bombs comes primarily from the BBC.

    https://camera-uk.org/2022/11/27/bbc-news-website-coverage-of-jerusalem-terror-attack/?fbclid=IwAR0_hOsGovJ_b5QAEStZkp6J92vxugGo5vNxs–9CCrJb3lZePMRCoKZjkE

    “Although many countries – including the UK, Canada, the US, Turkey, the UAE, Bahrain, Bulgaria and Georgia – issued statements rightly describing the bombings in Jerusalem as terrorism, the BBC continues to employ its long selectively applied policy of refusing to call attacks against civilians in Israel terrorism while having no qualms about using that term in relation to similar attacks in the UK.” – CAMERA UK’s Hadar Sela

    Reply
    • Joseph S. Salemi

      The BBC is completely controlled by Left-Labourites. It has been for decades.

      Reply
  13. David Whippman

    Brian, you said neatly and cleverly what I and many other Jewish people think about this topic and the bias of so much of the media. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Brian Yapko

      Thank you very much, David. It’s frustrating to see such manipulation in the media — and always blatantly defamatory towards Israel. I could no longer be silent.

      Reply

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