When Good Men do Nothing

It’s everywhere true that again and again

Wrong things continue for none will complain;

Everyone knows, but they turn a blind eye,

And let all the wrongdoing just pass them by.

Sometimes it may be too minor to care,

And they really do feel that it’s not their affair.

But all far often, it’s major and so

It should be reported, not just left to grow.

One thinks of the breaches of safety at work,

Where those in authority wantonly shirk

Their duty of care to the workers who may

To a serious injury later fall  prey.

Or hospitals where this is little hygiene,

With no efforts made to keep everything clean,

And patients get ill, and the death rate is high,

But most people tend to just turn a blind eye.

Or where there is fraud, that is on a large scale,

Where everyone knows, but for some reason fail,

Despite it being something they’d never defend,

To take any action to cause it to end.

So many people just live with the view,

That getting involved is not something they do.

They may not approve, but that’s not the same thing

As using their knowledge and efforts to bring,

Some changes about, so that things that are wrong,

Are stamped out and do not continue for long.