Consent of the Governed Ch. 02

Then Eldrick X. Weaver was shown saying "That was one of the most offensive displays of hatred towards People of Color that I have ever seen, and it's worse that those words were said by a ungrateful black woman that has forgotten her heritage and the lives lost by People of Color fighting white racist cops. She should do the honorable thing and get out of the race and apologize for her hate speech, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that."

Back to Bettina live: "And candidate for Governor Sharon Marshall is being strongly criticized by people on both sides of the political aisle after her own offensive words during her debate with Corey Coons. Ms. Marshall actually said she would continue the racist policies of Val Jared, and would support Police thugs like Donald Troy exercising Police brutality. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Sharon Marshall saying "I support enforcing the law and supporting our Police... yes, I absolutely will support Illegal Persons being rounded up for deportation, especially after the Town & County Police exposed and ended that ring where women are being forced into prostitution... yes, I absolutely support our Police. Who are you going to call when a rapist is breaking into your home to rape your wife and daughter, and kill you? A social worker? Yes, I say RE-fund the Police!"

Then Corey Coons was shown, saying "My opponent is totally insensitive to the abuse that People of Color endure at the hands of white Police. We must defund the Police!."

Ruby Russell (Establishment Republican) said "Sharon Marshall's racist comments and attitude towards hardworking Undocumented Workers do not reflect the true values of the Republican Party." Wilson Hammonds and Jeff Canton, both Establishment Republicans, echoed Russell's comments. They also spoke positively of Ruby Russell's performance in the debate.

As the screen went back to Bettina live, she was smiling brightly as she said: "And now let's go to reporter Carl Lemay. Carl, great job moderating that debate, and enduring Katina Jones's vicious comments!"

"Thank you, Bettina." said Carl Lemay as the monitor went to split-screen. "Yes, what Katina Jones said was really ugly. She sounded just like White Nationalists Val Jared and Sharon Marshall. I can hardly believe that a black woman could believe the things she said, much less have said them."

Then the screen went to just Lemay as he said: "The highly anticipated presentation of the Public Safety Department to the Town Assembly begins today at 9:00am. Democrats, led by Assemblywomen Coretta K. Scott and Cori Bowman, are vowing to defund the Police. Former Assemblywoman Stacy Jacobs, who refused to concede the results of her primary loss to Malinda Adams for Adams's Council seat, is calling for 'resistance'. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing Stacy Jacobs saying "I call upon the Town Assembly to defund the Police by any means necessary! Any Assembly Member that does not vote to defund the Police is racist! Everyone needs to rise up and let your Assembly representative know that you want the Police defunded and shut down!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"I wish KXTC wouldn't be so ambivalent about how they feel about Katina Jones." Lt. Commander Teresa Croyle said cattily as she, Captain Tanya Muscone, and I watched and drank coffee in my office. The Sheriff, Chief, and Deputy Chief were already at City Hall, getting ready for their presentation to the Assembly.

"I know they're politically biased," Tanya said, "but that was over the top."

"That was nothing." I replied. "And the bottle-throwing at the debate was not as bad as I'd expected. I thought the agitators planted in the audience would rush the stage and attack Katina, shutting the whole debate down."

"Why the viciousness?" Tanya asked. "Especially Bettina this morning?"

I replied: "The Media's worst nightmare is an attractive, successful black person, especially a black woman, talking about hope and opportunity for blacks instead of despair, need of Government to survive, and constant, institutional Police brutality."

I continued: "Katina Jones is making the Mainstream Media's collective head explode, and they know they can't have her win or even make a good showing. About the only thing worse for the Press would be for a conservative black woman to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court."

Teresa said "I have to be candidly honest, here. I love what Katina is saying, but I think it'll fall on deaf ears. I applaud her for trying, but I think she's beating her head against a stone wall."

Tanya replied: "Someone has to speak up, though. Someone has to take the first step, like Martin Luther King, Jr. and his fellow Civil Rights leaders."

"True." I said. "But I'll make two counterpoints. First, I've heard that about the Libertarian Party for years. They say they're 'priming the pump', that they're paving the way. And there is a deep thirst for an alternative to the cowardly Establishment Republicans, as Sharon Marshall and certain national politicians have shown. But the Libertarians never get more than 1% in the polls."

I continued: "In fact, in a US Senate race in Georgia, the Republican would have won without a runoff if the Libertarian candidate had not run and siphoned off 1% of the vote. And in the runoff, the Democrat was aided by some suspicious voter registrations, drop boxes, and ballot counting, and the Democrat won, making the US Senate 50-50. You know who I blame for that? No, not the Republicans. I blame the Libertarian Party. They couldn't win, and in that case they harmed the Republican... and in my opinion, the entire Nation."

"And my other example is this." I went on. "There was a Congressman from Georgia named John Lewis. He was one of the 'Big Six', along with MLK Jr., that organized the 1963 march on Washington, where King gave his 'I Have A Dream' speech. Lewis was one of those that marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, and was among those attacked by the local Police there in that famous incident. He served his District in the U.S. Congress for over 30 years."

Your Iron Crowbar: "When he died, his body lay in state in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, the first black Congressperson to be so honored. He also lay in state at the Alabama State Capitol and Georgia State Capitol. Atlanta renamed their 'Freedom Parkway', that goes to the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, the 'John Lewis Presidential Parkway'. Atlanta television networks gave him and his death extensive coverage, including hour-long specials on his life that ran multiple times."

Your Iron Crowbar: "Now I want to stress that I have no problem with any of that; John Lewis was a brave man standing up for a great and badly needed cause, and he deserved the honors and accolades."

Your Iron Crowbar: "But here's the 'rest of the story'. Ten days after John Lewis died, Herman Cain passed away. Like John Lewis, Herman Cain was black. Cain earned a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics, and an advanced degree in Computer Science from Purdue. He worked for the Pillsbury company, achieving success with the Burger King chain, and then was CEO of Godfather's Pizza."

Your Iron Crowbar: "Herman Cain was Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He ran for President, and had a strong following with his '9-9-9' tax plan and general Conservative principles. Then that despicable bastard Mitt Romney and the Establishment Republican Party undermined his campaign with allegations of sexual impropriety. Sound familiar?"

Your Iron Crowbar: "Now if I was going to tell Tasha, or Officer Buchannan's baby son, or any black child who to look up to as an example that blacks can achieve great things and be successful, would not Herman Cain be a strong example for them? However... when Herman Cain died, he did not lie in state at the US Capitol or any State Capitol. His death was given little coverage by the American Mainstream Media, and you certainly have not and will not see television specials about Mr. Cain's life."

Your Iron Crowbar: "My point is that the American Mainstream Media is racist. The Media does not want Blacks to achieve. The Media is working harder than any White Supremacy group or white Police Officers to keep blacks down. You will not see them extolling Herman Cain, because his success does not fit the Media's narrative and agenda."

I finished up: "And that's why you see Bettina and KXTC so viciously attack Katina Jones. She, like me and Edna Carter, wants to see black children get a good education. The Press does not. Katina is showing black children that they can be successful and overcome obstacles. The Press wants that hidden away. Katina is showing courage in standing up for her principles on behalf of the future of black children. The Press does not want black children to have courage, nor principles, nor hope of any kind. The American Mainstream Media just wants the racism and the hatred."

"Strong letter to follow." said Teresa, flat deadpan.

"And I hope I wasn't too ambivalent about it." I replied.

Part 12 - Defund or Refund?

8:45am, Thursday, October 15th. From the streets to the south, people in red Antifa shirts and black 'Black Lives Matter' and 'Black Voices Raised' shirts began streaming onto Courthouse Square, massing near the flagpole and the statue of President Thomas Jefferson, mostly to the left (south) side.

KXTC cameras were positioned in front of the State Office Building to their right (north), and on top of the building at Riverside and College, to their left (south). Once they were in position, Stacy Jacobs got a text saying they were ready. "All right, let's go!" she told her fellow agitators.

The activists faced City Hall (west) and started chanting loudly "DEFUND THE POLICE! DEFUND THE POLICE! DEFUND THE POLICE!"

Not really to anyone's surprise, heavily armed and armored Deputies, augmented by black-clad TCPD SWAT Officers, began pouring out of small doors underneath the semi-circular steps that climbed up to the atrium main entrance of City Hall. They did not advance upon the protesters, but remained in a row at the base of the steps, blocking any admission via that route.

"DEFUND THE POLICE! DEFUND THE POLICE! DEFUND THE POLICE!" the red-shirted protesters yelled lustily.

"RE-FUND THE POLICE! RE-FUND THE POLICE! RE-FUND THE POLICE!"

The agitators turned to see a group of blue-shirted people pouring out from around the State Office Building, Federal Office Building, and near the Courthouse at the other end of the Square. The blue shirts had "RE-fund The Police on the front. On the backs of the shirts was "WE" in white, a red heart, and "COPS" in white below. "WE (HEART) COPS".

Katina Jones was leading a contingent of black persons, both young and middle aged. There were also white persons of various ages, many of them women that normally were dropping off their children at school. There were also a number of large, muscular white men, many with bald heads. They were wearing blue shirts like the others, so that they did not appear to be motorcyclists that the corrupt Media would call 'domestic terrorists' and 'Jared supporters'.

Yes, they were members of The Guardians of Justice M.C. And they were carrying crowbars, some red, some blue.

They massed to the right of the statue of President Jefferson, and when the red-shirted thugs shouted DEFUND THE POLICE!, the blue-shirted Patriots yelled RE-FUND THE POLICE! RE-FUND THE POLICE!"

Stacy Jacobs ordered her thugs to change their chant, and soon yells of "BLACK LIVES MAT-TER!" were heard. "BLACK LIVES MAT-TER! "BLACK LIVES MAT-TER! "BLACK LIVES MAT-TER!"

"ALL LIVES MATTER! ALL LIVES MATTER! ALL LIVES MATTER!" came the rejoinder from the blue-shirted people. Katina Jones was in front of her group, and looked over at Stacy Jacobs with a smile. She was met with a look of ugliness and hatred on Jacobs's face that even 'Teresa Cunt' could never achieve.

"Attack those racists!" Stacy Jacobs yelled. "Beat the fuck out of their racist, cracker asses!" Her red-shirted thugs pulled weapons out of their pockets: chains with locks on the end, brass knuckles, even a few billy sticks. They turned to attack the blue-shirted Patriots, and those that had crowbars moved into position to protect the others, and to engage the red-shirted thugs in personal combat. It was about to get ugly.

*TWEEET!* *TWEET!*

Everyone froze in place, then looked up at the source of the Police whistle. Standing on the portico at the top of the steps was Your Iron Crowbar.

I was wearing my black uniform with armor over it, and over that I was wearing my beige trenchcoat and khaki Tilley Hat. My badge was on my belt, the whistle was in my right hand, and the ubiquitous red crowbar was in my left hand.

As I began descending the steps, my armored LEOs moved forward in a line. They walked right between the two groups, separating them completely. They all turned and faced the red-shirted thugs, as that is where the threat of violence was (no matter what the Press might say).

As I reached the bottom steps, Stacy Jacobs yelled at me "We have the right to be here, Cracker! We have the right to protest your Police brutality!" Her red-shirted thugs cheered.

"Protest away." I said as I walked toward her, which worried my Officers. "But keep it peaceful. If even one of your thugs physically attacks any of my Officers or the people in the blue shirts, I've authorized my people to do what I just heard you say: to beat the living fuck out you."

"Go ahead! Arrest us!" Jacobs goaded me.

"You don't seem to understand, Jacobs." I said. Then I lowered my voice and said "I'm not here to make arrests. I'm here to do to you what you want to do to them. Please... give me the excuse."

Stacy Jacobs physically recoiled, horror on her face. Perhaps she'd never considered that I would withdraw the constraints that she and her political and Press allies counted on, and even tried hard to put on the Police. Perhaps she had not realized that I would authorize the use of her own tactics of violence against her, and use those tactics myself against her. This is war, bitch, I thought to myself. This is war. And Jacobs knew it, and now knew that I knew.

More and more armed and armored Police were pouring into the Square, called in from Headquarters and other places where they'd been staged to deploy. Both sides chanted their slogans until about 9:15am, but seeing that her thugs would not be allowed to enter City Hall nor cause further trouble, Stacy Jacobs had her people disperse.

"Good job, Katina." I said to Katina Jones. "Tell everyone I'm proud of them."

"Thank you, Commander." Katina said happily. And for those who may not have yet figured it out: yes, I had 'conspired' with Katina to make this counter-demonstration. Word of the support rally had quietly spread from places like the Ladies Auxiliary Club, the Veasley Community Center, and certain Klingons that looked suspiciously like Our Sheriff. And Tanya had contacted her fellow riders of the Guardians of Justice M.C., and they'd gladly come in to help.

It's a lot easier to be courageous when one has powerful backup. Katina knew I was going to give her that backup, both during the debate the night before, and on this morning. Perhaps no other Police Force could do that, but what good is the Power of the Crowbar if it is not used to serve the Cause of Justice for All?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Where the hell are they?" snarled Town Assemblywoman Coretta K. Scott.

"They were stopped outside." said her ally, Town Assemblywoman Cori Bowman, who was black and had been Stacy Jacobs's successor when Jacobs had run against Malinda Adams for Adams's Council seat.

Cori Bowman continued: "Some protesters in blue shirts, led by that bitch Katina Jones, counter-demonstrated against Stacy's people, and the Police showed up in riot gear and got between the groups. And Sheriff Griswold used that as an excuse to shut down City Hall. No one in or out unless they work here and have their employee ID on them."

"Why didn't someone beat Katina Jones's head in?" Scott asked bitterly. "She needs to be silenced."

"The Iron Crowbar showed up." Cori Bowman replied. "And Stacy said he told her he was not there to make arrests. If someone had attacked that bitch, heads were going to roll."

"The Iron Cracker is insane. He's not playing by the rules." Coretta K. Scott said. "Okay, they're about to start..."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Like with the Town & County Council, Mayor Daniel Allgood was the Moderator for the 30-member Town & County Assembly. Unlike with the Council, the Mayor had no vote, not even to break a tie. Daniel rarely attended Assembly meetings, but he and everyone else with a pulse in the County knew that this day, and this session, was different.

At 9:00am sharp he gaveled the session into order. "The Assembly is convened, and we have a quorum." he said. "Today's business is to receive the proposal of the Public Safety Department. Sheriff Griswold is recognized."

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor." said the Sheriff. "I will call------"

"Before this begins, Mr. Mayor," said Coretta K. Scott, "I have asked that former Assemblywoman Stacy Jacobs be present at this session, but she is being denied entrance to City Hall. I would like an explanation for that, and for this session to not start until Ms. Jacobs is present."

"Is Ms. Jacobs giving part of the Public Safety presentation?" the Mayor asked.

"No, Mr. Mayor." Sheriff Griswold growled loudly. "And I will answer the Assemblywoman's question, if I may." The Mayor nodded and Sheriff Griswold said "City Hall has been closed after nearly violent demonstrations on the Square just a few moments ago. Only employees are allowed into City Hall for the moment."

"Furthermore," the Sheriff continued, "this session of the Town Assembly is closed to all but the Assembly's members, persons directly involved in the presentation, LEOs providing security, and reporters that applied for permits. For your security, Assemblywoman Scott, no outsiders are allowed."

"And who decided that?" Scott asked harshly.

"I did." said the Sheriff. "It's my duty to provide security for City Hall and this session of the Assembly, and it's my call to make on what to do about that, and that is what I have done."

"Point of order, Mr. Mayor." said Ryan Paulson, (Establishment) Republican Assemblyman. "Assemblywoman Scott was not recognized. I ask that you have the session continue, with Sheriff Griswold having been recognized." Coretta K. Scott and Cori Bowman looked daggers at Ryan Paulson, and he returned their looks of pure hatred.

"Okay, everyone," said the Mayor, "I'm going to treat this, and treat you, like I treat the Council. We can do this one of two ways; we can have manners and respect for one another, and have an open conversation. Orrrrr, I will enforce the tightest of adherence to the Rules of Order, and will have anyone removed that steps out of line."

"You do not have that right, illegitimate Mayor Allgood." said Cori Bowman loudly.

"Ms. Bowman," said the Mayor condescendingly, "this is the wrong day to play it this way. This is the day the Police make their presentation, and there are a number of Police Officers here... any one of whom will remove you, under arrest if necessary, if I ask them to. Especially the Police Officer by the door over there."

Everyone looked over to see Your Iron Crowbar standing unobtrusively to the side, next to the door (which, for those interested, was to the Assembly's right and the audience's left). The red crowbar in my hands was not nearly as unobtrusive.