Preachers of Hatred

Certain people manage to stay just within the law;

Their preaching deals with hatred and with violence and with war,

But they are very careful and astute in all they say,

So no-one can assert they’ve breached the law in any way.

Everyone may understand the message that they preach,

Especially the people that they really want to reach;

And they may taunt the police who know their hands are firmly tied,

For the actual words they’ve used must always be the guide

When deciding if a speech would constitute a crime,

And often all the police can do is watch and bide their time,

Their words may have resulted in the deaths of many men,

Who were influenced by things heard time and time again.

But those who preached them had ensured that none could ever claim,

That they were in a legal sense in any way to blame.

But sometimes those who are like this slip up and then they find,

A single phrase may mean that they are with the law entwined.

And face to face with charges that will likely mean that they

Won’t be round to preach again their bile for many a day.