Human Persons

[Micah Bournes:]
It's 2014 and you might think we preaching to the choir
Who doesn't believe in equality these days?
Only the crazies on the fringes
The primitive macho men who beat their chests like apes
God, I hate sexists!
And the brainless racists who still see in black and white
And the homophobic hyper-religious
If only the true God would smite these bigots
So the rest of us can live in peace

[Both:] Slow your roll revolutionaries

[Micah Bournes:]
Let us be careful not to demonize our oppressors
Lest we become just like them
Calling humans something other than human
And I know it's natural to hate your enemies
But we of faith cannot be slaves to our nature
"I'm only human!"
No. Being human is not an excuse for wrongdoings
It's what makes them unacceptable
We are human

[Propaganda:]
I think when it comes down to it, we've been asking the wrong questions
Appealing to assumed emotions
Barking up the wrong trees
I think the real question is: "What is person?"
We who have managed to maintain this mortal coil
Must continue to answer this question
Oddly enough, the answer was much more fluid than I expected
Oddly enough, the answer depends on when, or where it was asked
Well, "We are protoplasm,"
"We are chemical reactions,"
"We are closed ecosystems,"
"We are overgrown primates with egos"
That still can't explain pyramids
Or love
And I asked my estranged father
How he knew he was in love
He said, "Son, if I knew, I'd write a book. Be a millionaire."
Persons
These truths we hold to be self-evident
That my grandfather was 3/5 of a person until full persons could reach a compromise
Persons, that until their documents become un-unned, are aliens
Persons! We don't even know when we become them
At conception, at birth, or when you name 'em
Or when you simply decide you're gonna keep 'em
Persons
Does a person become a person
Because of other persons
Or is a person a person independent of other person's perceptions?
And silly us! Can a person own property?
Can a person be property?
Persons

[Micah Bournes:]
We are human
Possessing a consciousness which bucks against animal instinct
And calls us to be human
And love our enemies
Bless those who curse us
Do good to those who hate us
Pray for those who persecute us
Yes; these are things only humans can do because only we are fashioned after divinity
A God who became that which He made and died naked while praying for the forgiveness of those killing Him
That, my friends, is a revolutionary concept
That is the only type of justice which moves beyond
Dictators playing King of the Hill
So be responsible and vote
But know that most injustice is legalized
Most truth speakers are crucified
And policy change requires sacrifice
Amendments are written in the blood of martyrs and victims
Justice is victor only when those alien to her are per-soni-fied

[Propaganda:]
And I can tell you lies
Sweet little lies
I can feed your dirty little mind
Go head, shut ya eyes
No, tighter!
Better yet, put on one of those lil sleepy masks
Maybe the stars will disappear
Close your curtains
No, tighter!
Maybe the sun will cease to exist
It's a stupid question; of course falling trees make noise
And slavery is real, and business is booming, thank you very much
So go ahead, write your little songs
Twerk your little heart out
Be the best culture vulture you could possibly be
Make it rain until all your rent money
Lands in the backpack of a monster
That has no concept of self-perception
And no that he is just that a monster
That has no idea what "person" is