A Call for Justice heard from long ago has meaning today

Our nation stands by like bystanders to a historic moment. The Truckers Convoy and their supporters are being rounded up by police and investigated for their part in the costly protests throughout Canada. For many of our citizens, these past few weeks have evoked confusion, fear, and anger all around. Whether you a protester, citizen of Ottawa or Police Officer carrying out the nation’s orders to bring about order, these actions will illicit future actions of protest. There is great distress, suspicion, and fear seeded within our nation. A change perhaps, a call for fundamental political and social change can be heard. This call for change brought this song to mind. This song’s call for social and political justice is alive and meaningful today as it was long ago.

If I had a hammer
I’d hammer in the morning
I’d hammer in the evening All over this land.
I’d hammer out danger
I’d hammer out a warning
I’d hammer out love between
My Fellow Citizens are all over this land.

If I had a bell
I’d ring it in the morning
I’d ring it in the evening all over this land.
I’d ring out danger
I’d ring out a warning
I’d ring out love between
all my neighbor’s all over this land.

If I had a song I’d sing it in the morning
I’d sing it in the evening all over this land.
I’d sing out about the danger
I’d sing out a warning my friend’s
I’d sing out love between
my Brothers and Sisters in this land.

***I got me a hammer
and I got a bell
I got a song to sing all over this land.
***Its a song of justice for all
It’s a bell of freedom my friends
It’s a song about love between
all my brothers and sisters all over this land.

All Over This Land.

Steven Kaszab
Bradford, Ontario
skaszab@yahoo.ca