Carton rouge means red card (in French).
It means you are removed from the game.
It means you crossed a line that was already clear.
...
I am writing about the lines we keep crossing.
We see corruption and call it strategy.
We see violence and call it defense.
We see dishonesty and call it survival.
...
We know the rules.
We agreed to them.
We teach them to children.
...
Do not steal.
Do not harm.
Do not lie.
...
Yet we excuse ourselves when it is convenient.
We protect people who break rules if they are powerful.
We punish people who break rules if they are weak.
...
Carton rouge.
This is not symbolic.
It is a direct statement:
some actions deserve removal.
...
If you abuse authority, you should lose it.
If you exploit others, you should face consequences.
If you endanger lives, you should not remain in control.
...
Instead, we debate.
We delay.
We normalize.
...
We say, “It’s complicated.”
We say, “Everyone makes mistakes.”
We say, “That’s just how the system works.”
The system works because we allow it to.
...
A red card is clear.
It does not negotiate.
It does not soften the message.
...
You broke the rule.
You leave the field.
This poem is about accountability.
It is about saying enough.
It is about refusing to pretend that repeated harm is accidental.
...
Carton rouge.
Not tomorrow.
Not after another scandal.
Not after more damage.
...
Now.
About the Creator
Ajan Lori A.
My mind screams, I write!
(Author exploring education, identity, human behavior, life between cultures, business and entrepreneurship)
Find my writing on Medium: https://medium.com/@loriaa
My books on amazon: amazon.com/author/loriaa
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