Blaise Bailey Finnegan The Third

well...where are you coming from?

...well...i don't like the way the country's ran,

don't you know, and, erm...

that's pretty much what i was expressing in my poem.

the government...the american government -

they're sneaky, they're very deceitful, they're liers,

they're cheats, they're rip-offs. i mean,

the american government is one systematic government that...

that nobody can trust. i don't trust them myself.

and how long have you been writing for?

huh?

how long have you been writing for?

since i was four.

d'you do this sort of thing a lot, like, open-mic kinda questions?

oh i love open-mics, i love coming here to do open-mics, absolutely.

what kind of reactions d'you usually get?

usually, people are...are pretty much in agreement with what i'm saying.

we overheard you before talking about...

you went to court today for a speeding ticket...?

that's accurate.

right. d'you wanna tell us that story?

yes, absolutely, i wouldn't mind telling you the story. erm...

i went to court today for a speeding ticket, and i told the judge,

erm..."let me tell you something, and you listen and you listen good,

i'm only gonna say this one time and one time only, i don't repeat

myself for nobody," i said. i says..."i'm here to pay a speeding ticket,

not to listen to your lectures and hear you run your mouth for an hour."

i says "i'm here to pay off my speeding ticket...and i'm here to get

my fines out of the way and get the fuck to work." the judge says

"you can't talk like that in my courtroom, you're in contempt of court."

then i said...i told the judge, "if that's the best you can do,

i feel sorry for you." i said "why don't you just shut your

fucking mouth for once and listen." i said "i'm not gonna take any shit."

i said "i'm gonna pay my speeding ticket like i said."

i walked up to the god damn judge and i hand him my 25 dollars

and i says "here's my money, now i am leaving."

and i left it at that...

...then, before i left, i turned around and told the judge

"i'm here to state who i am and be honest with you."

i said "if they thought i was dangerous on the road like you're trying

to accuse me of, wouldn't they have taken my license

when i first got it? yes they would. and the judge says "yeah,

you have a point," he goes "you don't need to get loud,"

i said "don't get loud?" i says "i've got every right to get loud."

i says "you can't do a god damn thing about it,

because i'm expressing myself in your court,

and there is nothing you can do about it. you think you're god

because you have a robe and you can put people up

the god damn river for 20 years? well you're not."

and i left it at that...

did you walk away?

yes i did...i don't like the judicial system,

i don't like the government system, i don't like the police, i don't like anything to do with this country's government.

i just don't like it, because...they're sneaky, like i said -

they're deceitful, they're lying, they're cheats, the rip people off.

that's the american government for you. america is a third world

country, and people don't recognise it...

and i think that that's pretty god damn sad,

that they don't recognise their own country as a third world,

third rate, third class slum.

well...d'you have any weapons?

yes, i do. i own a high-powered assault rifle,

i own a 12-gauge double barrel shotgun,

i own a regular shotgun, i own a regular hunting rifle,

i own a 9 milimetre, a 357, a 45 handgun, a 38 special,

and, erm...i own an m-16 fully automatic ground assault rifle...

d'you think things are gonna get better before they get worse?

no way. things are just gonna get worse and keep on getting worse.

like i said, america's a third world country as it is and...

and we're just basically in a hopeless situation as it stands.

what d'you think this country's gonna look like in the year 2003?

y'know, i'll tell you the truth - nothing against you guys,

but i don't wanna answer that question because...

i haven't even got a mind that's that...that inhumane.

are you ready for what's coming?

ready as i'll ever be.

most people aren't.

there's a little saying...dates back for generations...

go on...

be prepared for anything at any time from anybody,

don't take no shit, always stand your ground.

people wanna come up to me and run their mouth -

guess what? i'll throw them through the fucking window...

i won't think a thing of it.

would you mind reciting your poem for us?

not at all, i don't see why...i don't see why i couldn't.

there's an evil virus that's threatening mankind

it's not state of the art, it's a serious state of the mind

the muggers, the backstabbers, the two faced elite

a menace to society, a social disease

to brainwash the mind is a social disorder

the cynics, the apathy one-upmanship order

watching beginnings of social decay

gloating and sneering at life's disarray

eating away at your own self esteem

pouncing on every word that you might be saying

to attack someones mind is a social disorder

the constitution, the government, martial law order

superficially smiling a shake of the hand

as soon as your back is turned treason is planned

when every good thing's laid to rest

by the governments hate, by the constitution and their lies

and every time you think you're safe

and when you go to turn away

you know they're sharpening all their knives

all in your mind

all in your head

try to relate it

all in your mind

all in your head

try to escape it

without a conscience they destroy

and that's a thing that they enjoy

they're a sickness that's in all of our minds

they want to sink the ship and leave

the way they laugh at you and me

you know it happens all the time

but it only happens in your mind

the rats in the cellar you know who you are...

or do you?

watching beginnings of social decay...

thank you for your time