Humanity's Inhumanity

The people who are different are
     Ostracized as pariahs,
     Labeled as abnormal,
     Profiled as threats,
     Segregated as unequal,
     Branded as outlaws,
     Even attacked as unhuman.

And those of us who are particularly civilized--
Or at least those of us who think we are--
Lynch, incarcerate, ban, search, deride, or shun them
To preserve our stock
Lest they          infect          us.

But it's the perpetrators of these acts who should be
     Ostracized as pariahs,
     Labeled as abnormal,
     Profiled as threats,
     Segregated as unequal,
     Branded as outlaws,
     Even attacked as unhuman.