Yaar Punjabi
Prime VIP
A poem in response to the Wisconsin Sikh temple shootings. Condolences and prayers to the families and community of those affected.
Shot by Tommy Su (@snapitstudio)
Written, edited, performed by jason chu (@JasonChuMusic)
Lyrics:
I'm Sorry.
You might ask - why is a young East Asian
Apologizing for the sins of a middle-aged Caucasian?
I wasn't in Wisconsin as the guns blazed
I didn't pull the trigger - I don't use my speech to hate
BUT
I HAVE sat back while they talk about the "facts"
Interchangeably used "Muslim", "Hindu", "Sikh" and "terrorist acts"
And my skin may be yellow, but that's pale enough
For me to look past when they said "brown skin" equals "he might erupt"
Deep down, we might care, but we're just glad it wasn't us
I can fly under the radar - so I kept my mouth shut
But silence is approval - and I didn't raise my voice
So, in a way, I contributed to the violence by my choice
And I wear this cross on my chest because I believe in love
But apparently Christians care more about Chick-Fil-A than we do a massacre
We raised hell to defend a CEO's comments
Organized rallies, spent money, got indignant over the drama
But I wonder if I'll see videos and famous pastors responding
To the loss of six innocent lives in Wisconsin.
So as a Chinese-American, I'm Sorry.
I am not a racist, but I also haven't fought it
When they tell jokes about turbans and suicide bombers
But I get frustrated when they make Ching Chong jokes
And no one else stands up for ME and MY folks
And as a Christian, I'm Sorry.
Sorry we fought over issues and forgot to make peace
Sorry we said it's not OUR problem when YOU were crying in the streets
Sorry that we say every person is a child of God
But we mean: every person who acts, thinks, and worships like us.
I've had chances to speak up and I've kept my mouth shut
And then I wonder why YOU don't speak up when they're slandering US.
So the next time I hear them talk about you
I promise I'll speak up - it's the least that I can do
Shot by Tommy Su (@snapitstudio)
Written, edited, performed by jason chu (@JasonChuMusic)
Lyrics:
I'm Sorry.
You might ask - why is a young East Asian
Apologizing for the sins of a middle-aged Caucasian?
I wasn't in Wisconsin as the guns blazed
I didn't pull the trigger - I don't use my speech to hate
BUT
I HAVE sat back while they talk about the "facts"
Interchangeably used "Muslim", "Hindu", "Sikh" and "terrorist acts"
And my skin may be yellow, but that's pale enough
For me to look past when they said "brown skin" equals "he might erupt"
Deep down, we might care, but we're just glad it wasn't us
I can fly under the radar - so I kept my mouth shut
But silence is approval - and I didn't raise my voice
So, in a way, I contributed to the violence by my choice
And I wear this cross on my chest because I believe in love
But apparently Christians care more about Chick-Fil-A than we do a massacre
We raised hell to defend a CEO's comments
Organized rallies, spent money, got indignant over the drama
But I wonder if I'll see videos and famous pastors responding
To the loss of six innocent lives in Wisconsin.
So as a Chinese-American, I'm Sorry.
I am not a racist, but I also haven't fought it
When they tell jokes about turbans and suicide bombers
But I get frustrated when they make Ching Chong jokes
And no one else stands up for ME and MY folks
And as a Christian, I'm Sorry.
Sorry we fought over issues and forgot to make peace
Sorry we said it's not OUR problem when YOU were crying in the streets
Sorry that we say every person is a child of God
But we mean: every person who acts, thinks, and worships like us.
I've had chances to speak up and I've kept my mouth shut
And then I wonder why YOU don't speak up when they're slandering US.
So the next time I hear them talk about you
I promise I'll speak up - it's the least that I can do
