RESPONSIBILITY

Responsibility’s a word, that’s out of use today
When people see an evil act they’d rather turn away
It’s no one’s fault when Johnny steals a CD from a shop
His parents aren’t the ones to blame, they cannot make him stop

The social workers pat his hand and say that he’s repressed
They say we mustn’t punish him in case he gets depressed
Then Johnny goes and steals a car and plays with the police
The court case is a waste of time and ends in his release

So Johnny goes and smokes some dope, gets high on speed and crack
He never had his limits set so there’s no turning back
He’s no respect for anyone and least of all himself
If he had a conscience once before he left it on the shelf

A robbery with arms goes wrong and Johnny winds up dead
They blame it on the drugs of course for messing with his head
His parents blame the teachers who had always both hands tied
The papers blame society ‘cos poor old Johnny died

The social workers still get paid and take another case
They haven’t got the time to care they must pick up the pace
The blame gets passed around and round but every thing’s the same
For no one has the guts to say that Johnny was to blame

For everyone is given choice in how they can behave
With Johnny’s choice now limited to lying in a grave
And all because he never learned in order to live free
We all must learn the meaning of responsibility

(c) February 2006 Written at Popanyinning, Western Australia.

Big Bend, Murray River, South Australia

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