Like an individual
Who compromises on his way up
And only promotes his good aspects
While playing down the rest
A country creates a self image
Like an individual
Who cultivates a reputation
By advertizing his good qualities
And hiding his weaknesses
At a certain point in time
Like with an individual
The things that have been hidden
The bad qualities and aspects
May come back to haunt a country
Debts to the world
And bad habits within
Raise their ugly heads
Causing fear and confusion
In a country, as with an individual
During these times of fear and confusion
As with an individual
A country may find itself faced with a choice...
Should the country refuse to take responsibility
For the debts it owes to the world
And the corruption that lies within?
Should it put on a tough face
Refuse to take responsibility
Blame someone else
And bluster and fake it's way into more crises?
Or should it come clean
Take responsibilty
Pay it's debts
Clean up it's house
And face itself and the world
Like an mature individual would?
A country, like an individual
Faces times in it's existance
When the difference between its life or death
May depend on the choices it makes
In times of crisis
We are in one of those times now
We have a choice to make
As individuals and as a nation...
Between the old soldier
Who stubbornly tells us that we should fight on
In the same old way...
And the young black man
Who confidently tells us that we can change
And find a bright new day
If we, as individuals and a nation
Choose the old soldier
I fear that we will set our course
On a downward path
Like a broken individual
To a place on the back-waters of history
But if we choose the young black man
I sense that we will chart a course
On an upward path
And, like an individual fullfilled
We, as a nation
Will take our place among the stars
The old white man and his world
Must fade away
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