I'm a Civilian

(sung to Destiny's Child "I'm a Survivor")

Dedicated to Marla Rusicka, founder of CIVIC
Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict

"Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt."

"Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child."

"If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry" -- Exodus 22:21-23

Whether I'm a widow, or a child of four
You know it breaks my heart
To hear you talk of war
I could be Iraqi, or a Palestinian
Native Pakistani, or a proud American


Whether I am Vietnamese, or in Afghanistan
Living as a refugee beneath the Taliban
We're all the same,
I fear for my children
Before you start a war,
Just think who you're killing

I'm a civilian, that's who you're killing
Women and children, dead by the millions
Why bomb our schools, and blow up our buildings
The world better wake up, we ain't gonna take it


I'm a civilian, I'm not a target
Can't feed my children, sold on the market
I'm tired of running, starving and dying
While global funding, goes into fighting

While city governments
Spend several thousand
To kick low-income residents
From public housing


Swimming in a paper chase,
Rewriting their rules
We don't have printed books
To keep our children in schools.

Hey! All you feminists still out there bitchin'
Look at those of us - don't even have a kitchen

All you politicians take your power for granted
Funding 'civil wars' when you could save the planet


Think of civilians,
That's who you're killing
Women and children,
Oppressed by the millions.

You shut down our schools,
And fill up our prisons
You better wake up,
We ain't gonna take it

I'm a civilian, I'm not a target
Can't my kids from guns on the market
I'm tired of starving, struggling and dying
While public funding, goes into fighting

[SPOKEN:]
I pray for global peace, no violence in the streets
No gangs compete, to beat the big Commander-in-Chief
(Ain't paying for that)
Ain't gonna fund your greedy war machine
(Ain't paying for that)
Gotta keep my family fed, and my laundry clean
(I'm tired of that)
Why should I pay for your bureaucracy
(Ain't paying for that)
While I donate time to the charities
(I'm tired of that)
To fix the problems of government
I'm tired of paying double taxes for that!

Think of civilians, that's who you're killing, women and children, oppressed by the millions.
You shut down our schools, and fill up our prisons
The world better wake up, We ain't gonna take it
I'm a civilian, I'm not a target, Can't my kids from guns on the market
I'm tired of starving, struggling and dying, While public funding, goes into fighting

I'm a civilian, that's who you're killing, Women and children, dead by the millions
Why bomb our schools, and blow up our buildings, You better wake up, we ain't gonna take it
I'm a civilian, I'm not a target, Can't feed my children, sold on the market
I'm tired of running, starving and dying, While global funding, goes into fighting.

-- Last three images courtesy of CIVIC website

Message from the Editor: Please help CIVIC to continue their founder's dreams of bringing comfort to innocent victims of war.

Marla Rusicka gave her life to publicize the plight of civilians injured by the war.
Please send your prayers and financial support to peace groups, coalitions and charities providing
humanitarian aid and social assistance to rebuild impoverished communities and war-torn areas:

civicworldwide.org * September 11 Families for Peaceful Tomorrows: peacefultomorrows.org *
womenforwomen.org * beyondthe11th.org * rawa.org * architectureforhumanity.org *
Bruno Films: Outreach in Burma, Cambodia, Tibet * Grameen Foundation, USA - Banking for the Poor

Put your words into action: Help record poetry and music videos to raise funds for a civil rights center
and federal reparations bank in Houston's historic Freedmen's Town/Montrose Community:


Contact EMILY NGHIEM
Fourth Ward Center for Youth
1111 Genesee Street
Houston, Texas 77019
emailus@ev1.net
713-867-5998