i don’t approve or support Capital punishment, violent retribution or waging wars. You cannot justify taking another human’s life or waging a war but when all other peaceful, corrective means fail, then stronger measures are justified. However, century old religious ‘Grudges’, commercial interests or any other prejudices must not be allowed to play any role, before undertaking these measures. Civilians must be protected and no innocent ever tainted, or ‘eliminated’, for that matter. But one cannot and should not submit to violent and criminal blackmail of terror by individuals, organisations or states.

Human life is sacred. Killing people, any people, is no solution and is an act of brutality. But you cannot solve the problem by ignoring or by keeping your eyes shut, either. You got to take strong, lasting, defensive measures so that humanity at large can live in peaceful and secure environments, and not at the mercy and whims of a small minority of fanatical, unethical, mad terrorists, violent murderers or rapists.

When anything important happens anywhere in the world, i am naturally concerned and affected, like rest of us, but if ‘it’ hits me hard enough, my heart works overtime and sometime reacts rather strongly. One such occasion was last presidential elections in America.

i didn’t like 'all pervading intellectuals' and 'the mighty media’ running down and taking Mickey out of presidential candidate George W Bush jr. Diatribe of childish questions, to test history and geographical 'knowledge' of a presidential candidate, seemed to be of more importance to them than anything else. To me, heart and heart alone, mattered. If anybody put ten questions to these ‘high & mighty’ or to me for that matter, half of the questions will remain unanswered or will be wrong. Anyway, i heard his speech on foreign affairs on television and was bowled over by his sincere, straightforward, honest and down to earth attitude.

i like people who don’t mince their words (especially the ones in power) and talk straight, and from their heart. The straightforwardness and honesty shone through his eyes. In any case, i have and will always fight for the underdog.

These poems came out of my system during that Electoral Tempest in that sequence and order: Saint Soldier (17.11.99), Millennium, Absolute Power, Sunshine (19.09.2000), Al Bore (23.11.2000), Media Pundits (8.12.2000), Rules & Principles (13.12.2000).

i want to share my feelings of that time with my friends.

~jetty Singh