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No, You Cannot MAG

November 6, 2008
By Anonymous

It is a new nation,
a nation that proudly proclaims:
“Yes we can.”
But what power holds “yes we can,”
when America has told many of our
brothers and sisters
“no, you cannot”?
You cannot follow your heart.
You cannot move forward.
You cannot take a hand.
You cannot break the mold.
“Marriage is a holy bond
for a man and a woman
it is not yours to taint,” they say.
Where is the future?
Relentlessly we must
keep striving for a better day.
We must stop this hatred
and bring about change in the
wake of defeat.

© Anonymous

The author's comments:
This piece was written after Prop 8 was passed in California, a national tragedy at the state level.
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JOIN THE DISCUSSION

This article has 396 comments.

youngspeare BRONZE said...
on Dec. 4 2011 at 4:06 am
youngspeare BRONZE, Nairobi, Other
1 article 0 photos 273 comments

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We wouldn't ask a rose that grew from the concrete for having damaged petals; in turn we'd all celebrate its tenacity, we'd all love tz will to reach the sun well we are the roses n these are my damaged petals don't ask me why thank God and ask me how

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This is fabolous! The flow, the words, the style all epic.. :)
Check out my work if you have time. Would appreciate it. 
ilovearianna PLATINUM said...
on Dec. 4 2011 at 12:34 am
ilovearianna PLATINUM, Denver, Colorado
23 articles 0 photos 2 comments

Favorite Quote:
One day your life is gonna flash before your eyes, make sure it is worth watching.

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i love it. nice job.
sarahmichelle98 said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 11:19 pm
its very choppy. the message you attempt to send is definetley an interesting and controvercial one, but that doesnt mean that you can heavily rely on that and just leave the flow of the poem to be...well, nonexistent (excuse my spelling and grammar, trust me i dont usually write like this)
emattox SILVER said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 7:34 pm
emattox SILVER, Onancock, Virginia
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You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. -Ghandi

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Wow, Torch, that was just about the most naive comment I have ever read.
Dreammer GOLD said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 11:36 am
Dreammer GOLD, Montrose, Pennsylvania
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I really love this poem .. It's very true please look at dome of mine if you'd like
EnigmaticBeing PLATINUM said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 12:41 am
EnigmaticBeing PLATINUM, Santa Barbara, California
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&quot;Be careful what you set your heart upon - for it will surely be yours.&#039;<br /> James A. Baldwin

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The message is understandable, but whether or not I agree with it isn't something I'm sure about.
indimcmathz BRONZE said...
on Nov. 12 2011 at 12:37 am
indimcmathz BRONZE, Vancouver, Other
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I love this, and I love the message.
Lexie96 GOLD said...
on Oct. 23 2011 at 6:56 pm
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I really like it, and I agree with what you are saying also. How do we have freedom of religion in America when everything is ruled with principles based off of religion? If you or anyone else could check out my work sometime that would be great!
TheIntellectualOne said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 9:28 pm
the viewpoint of this message is a bit unobstructed
directorchick419 GOLD said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 9:02 pm
directorchick419 GOLD, Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania
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at what point, though, does the "yes we can"s cross the line, and breach the moral code?
LarztheSquirrel BRONZE said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 7:29 pm
LarztheSquirrel BRONZE, Rolla, Missouri
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inspirational
AlwaysAntlers SILVER said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 7:01 pm
AlwaysAntlers SILVER, Kingsport, Tennessee
5 articles 0 photos 72 comments

Favorite Quote:
&ldquo;Don&#039;t forget - no one else sees the world the way you do, so no one else can tell the stories that you have to tell.&rdquo;<br /> ― Charles de Lint, (from his book,The Blue Girl)

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I agree with you, but I also agree with the Jaded Memories person. I'm a teen, and I'm not stupid.
inspiredbytheworld BRONZE said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 6:45 pm
inspiredbytheworld BRONZE, Rockford, Michigan
3 articles 5 photos 30 comments
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This is a beautiful poem, and I entirely agree with your views. I do not believe that homosexuality should be looked down upon. In my opinion, to outlaw same-sex marriage is to imply Christian principles. The government of America is supposedly represented by the people, for the people, but how did we end up making same-sex marriage illegal when some Americans are Atheist? I believe that if two men or two women want to marry, they should be free to do so. If America is a free country, then why aren't we free to marry who we want? I would also like to add that this comment is entirely my opinion and mine only, so everyone who reads it is free to agree or disagree. :)
HollonCharlsie BRONZE said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 1:26 pm
HollonCharlsie BRONZE, Nicholasville, Kentucky
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i really like it. your words give out so much power and emotion. its wonderful:)
maraquette.koss SILVER said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 9:11 am
maraquette.koss SILVER, New City, New York
9 articles 0 photos 13 comments
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This is a beautiful pice! i like the intesity of it
me me lala gitl said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 9:05 am
me to but it was a great story
AmayaSakaruta said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 8:44 am
AmayaSakaruta, Borger, Texas
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i believe in christ too, but christ never, never, n-e-v-e-r wanted us to force Him upon others. besides even if He did this is still a FREE country and we as Americans have no right to tell others what to believe.
Narene_baby SILVER said...
on Oct. 21 2011 at 12:05 am
Narene_baby SILVER, Scappoose, Oregon
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I really like the power in your word... If you could check out my stuff. Just trying to get some feedback. Thanks. :D
deleteddeletedFoff said...
on Oct. 20 2011 at 11:31 am
deleteddeletedFoff, Columbus, Ohio
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good but it would be better if it were thikened up. just a bit.
cayaTW PLATINUM said...
on Oct. 12 2011 at 7:45 pm
cayaTW PLATINUM, Yuma, Arizona
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I loved your opinion.  I loved the way you portrayed it in your poem. I just read some of the comments and it makes me mad that some people are so closed minded especially one in particular.