Talib Kweli - She's My Hero Lyrics

We do it for the babies
They say falling in love the definition of going crazy
The knowledge that makes us just cherish innocence makes it impossible
He heading for the graves, drivin' right past the hospital

There be glass in the hallway
Bloodstained floors
(Yeah) I like that one, go in

Come on, they say karma is a bitch
And when you take a life, you pay the price
But if your way of life ain't been threatened
And you safe at night
How you out here judgin' thinkin' you givin' people great advice
When those who should protect you, disrespect you, you can't take it light
Bresha Meadows, resemble my baby girl
14 years old taking a place in this crazy world
Her and her brothers lived in fear of their father's rage
He beat their mother so awful, she prayed for the day she could be far away
On Father's Day an awkward occasion, would daddy fall from grace
Embrace the alcohol, call mommy a whore, put her back in her place
With black eyes, broken ribs, slashin' her weight
No speculation, just the facts of the case
Stated: Allegedly wavin' a gun in her face
After all that he came back, and was great, right?
Tired of hearin' mommy scream "put the gun away"
She knew that when she got the courage she would run away
But what about her brothers, she couldn't leave her mother
They told the cops, but all that did was make them treat them rougher
So what was she to do?
She did what she was told to do
Exposure to violence increased the amount of violence that you open to
Why bother when the system support her father
Gradually her thoughts got darker
Do you kill yourself or kill the monster that's making you suicidal?
Decision's too heavy for the mind of a child

There be glass in the hallway
Bloodstained floors
(Yeah) I like that one, let's go

They say karma is a bitch
And when you take a life
You pay the price
We shootin' in these moments
To confuse your violence with a way of life
They funnel us from schools to the prisons, it's like they made a pipe
The conclusion that we reach is that the solution is that we take the fight to you
Bresha Meadows, took matters in your own hands
14 years old with more courage than a grown man
Grabbed the gun that he threatened to whip
Crept in the bedroom, put the bullet in his brain while he slept
It left his daughter with post-traumatic stress disorder
She the phoenix out the flames, metamorphosis
Survivin' in the meadow's house was kinda like a war
He threatened to kill her mother and her brothers many times before
The justice system is a profit
They shuffle us to prison, but shit it's just as toxic for women to get a judge to listen
At first the family freaked out, but deep down they felt relief
"Wipe the tears from your cheek, Mama you free now"
Family wearin' purple in the court room
Prosecution lookin' at the feds like make your move
Chance of beatin' this murder for life, zero
Her Mama, doin' interviews like, "she's my hero"
She shed no tears for her husband
Years to succumbing to her fears, have made her numb
From video games to war as we solve our problems with violence
It's how we speak
They either want your death or your silence