Elephant in the Dock Lyrics

Lyric discussion by theartproject 

Cover art for Elephant in the Dock lyrics by mewithoutYou

what is you opinion on the line

"Lord, for sixty-so years I've surrendered my love, to emblems of kindness, and not the kindness they were emblems of..."

I love this line and it is really perplexing to me.

It could be the kindness associated with putting something out of misery via an act of killing.