Black Agenda Report
Black Agenda Report
News, commentary and analysis from the black left.

  • Home
  • Africa
  • African America
  • Education
  • Environment
  • International
  • Media and Culture
  • Political Economy
  • Radio
  • US Politics
  • War and Empire

If ACE Was The Place
Raymond Nat Turner, BAR poet-in-residence
28 Feb 2012
šŸ–Øļø Print Article

by Raymond Nat Turner

If those who rule really wanted kids to be Aces in life, they wouldn't rig the decks.

If ACE Was The Place

Bake sales and raffles are

Fun, yet twisted inversions,

If five-sided operations

Are four part pyramid schemes…

If ACE was the place,

Sole supplier of weapons

For waging ā€œwar on terrorā€”ā€

On the cheap—

Shipper of mirrors and razors

To Warlords of Wall Street and

Washington—mirrors for finding

Terrorists unerringly, and razors

For doing the right thing: surgically

Taking out, sans collateral damage,

Reflections threatening our planet…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could develop

Cheryl Wilson Weapons Systems for

Wrapping arms securely around

Children entering the schoolyard,

And spraying them with friendly

Fire, with report resembling praise—

Weapons launching tutors at Ayat,

4th grader from Yemen, instead of

Hellfire Missiles from drones

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could construct

Jeanette Gearring Weapons Systems for

Spying on students making super choices,

Doing good deeds during the day, and

Automatically charging them with being

Caught In The Act?

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could assemble

Angelica Perez Weapon Systems for

Plotting strategies for increasing

Jonah’s reading fluency, and

Recognizing the twins, Brooke and

Jasmin, without retina scans?

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could forge

Juan Zuniga Weapons Systems for

Listening in on conversations in

Angel’s belly, and providing food

With no oil, or strings attached…

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could manufacture

More weapons of mass instruction

For Farmer Ben and Chef Kathy

For the war on Colonel Sanders,

Popeye, Jack, and Ronald McDonald?

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could produce the next

Generation of Julie Venuto Weapons for

Launching IEPs, RTIs and other artillery

Supporting Special Forces, armed with

Love and commitment to Janvier, Danny,

Dalia, Sophia, Emeline, Michael and Elijah—

Like teachers Clementina, Chris, Rita, and Sian?

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could construct

Lorna Cross Weapons Systems for

Coordinating Joint Operations with Henderson’s

4th division in invading San Francisco by BART,

Or Yellow busses, and occupying Mission Dolores

More often?

If ACE was the place…

If ACE was the place,

Then, maybe, we could assemble

Yusef Auletta Weapons Systems for

Graduating, rather than assassinating,

Ayat’s sister, the 5th grader, Mandal

If ACE was the place…

Then, maybe, we could develop

Cheryl Wilson Weapons Systems for

Marshalling ever more extraordinary

Renditions, like Aguas, Argueta and

Aulleta— a few good A’s—

If ACE was the place…

Raymond Nat Turner Ā© 2012 All Rights Reserved

Do you need and appreciate Black Agenda Report articles? Please click on the DONATE icon, and help us out, if you can.


More Stories


  • Haiti| UN: twenty organizations say "No to the renewal of BINUH!
    Rezo Nodwes
    Haiti| UN: twenty organizations say "No to the renewal of BINUH!"
    22 Jun 2022
    The Security Council must say no to continuing interference in Haiti's affairs through the United Nations Integrated office in Haiti (BINUH). BINUH is just the latest iteration of colonial control…
  • Nicaragua a ā€˜Dictatorship’ When It Follows US Lead on NGOs
    John Perry
    Nicaragua a ā€˜Dictatorship’ When It Follows US Lead on NGOs
    22 Jun 2022
    The U.S. corporate media loyally follow the state's narrative about other countries. Nicaragua has instituted rules similar to those in the U.S. regarding governance of NGOs. But destabilizing that…
  • Britain Looks to Israel for Ideas on How to Curb the ā€œProblemā€ of Asylum Seekers
    Jonathan Cook
    Britain Looks to Israel for Ideas on How to Curb the ā€œProblemā€ of Asylum Seekers
    22 Jun 2022
    Rwanda's agreement to take asylum seekers from the United Kingdom has its roots in a similar arrangement made with Israel. There would be fewer asylum seekers if the UK and its allies did not hatch…
  • Black Agenda Radio June 17, 2022
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Agenda Radio June 17, 2022
    17 Jun 2022
    A Washington DC Black Lives Matter organizer's efforts to prove police surveillance, of her activities, an anti-imperialist summit countered the U.S. narrative at Summit of the Americas, a defense…
  • Black Lives Matter Organizer Under Police Surveillance
    Black Agenda Radio with Margaret Kimberley
    Black Lives Matter Organizer Under Police Surveillance
    17 Jun 2022
    April Goggans is an organizer with Black Lives Matter DC. She filed a Freedom of Information act request with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington in order to determine the extent of…
  • Load More
Subscribe
connect with us
about us
contact us