Thought Crimes
Citizen #526-37-5989 - you are to be terminated
for thinking improper thoughts
about the State.
We have probed your mind
and come to find
that you don't believe in the System.
You're guilty of spreading false ideas
among others about our Glorious Way.
You've used unauthorized channels
to express warped views
and made statements too public
that could be easily misconstrued.
The penalty for disobedience is simple:
erasure is a necessity
The resources allocated to you
must be reused more constructively.
Obdeience to the System in Imperative:
we tolerate no heresy.
| Terri: | If one religion becomes the State, this could happen. |
| Ted: | It's chilling to contemplate. Any ideology which becomes too absolute becomes absolutely evil. |
| Chris: | We need a diversity of thought and opinion. Each way of viewing the world has some validity. However, each view must be kept in check by other ideas. |
| Tim: | Just as biological systems need eco-diversity, I believe thought systems need ideological diversity. |
Hear the author read this poem.
[*** K /.WMA file]