Consent of the Governed Ch. 03

"NO!" yelled Stellum. "I don't give a DAMN about them! You attacked PEACEFUL protesters! You cops are the real thugs! You're the frickin' Gestapo!"

As Officers went into the scrum to grab Stellum and escort him out, he kept furiously yelling: "And you thugs attacked us! You stormtroopers attacked the Press! You have no respect for our Constitutional rights! And you can go straight to Hell!------ awk!" He was grabbed hard by the back of his jacket collar and pulled towards the door... by Captain Damien Thompson. Since it was a black Police Officer that did that, KXTC edited that out of their coverage...

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

"Well," Teresa said as we reviewed our tape of the Press Conference after it was over, "there goes my shot at Public Relations Officer." I burst out laughing at that, more at Teresa's pawky vein of humor than the actual joke. Captain Damien Thompson chuckled also, but not as much.

Chief Moynahan was not chuckling. "You did nothing wronnnnng, Ms. Croyle." he drawled, "but Stellum somehow got in some hard shots, there. And the Press is going to be playing that over and over and over again."

"I dunno, Chief." I said. "Stellum was red-faced with fury. He looked like he was demented. And what he said about not giving a damn about those that died in the bombing? They show that, and I'll be out there telling the World that that is the real Press... agenda-driven and full of pure hatred for dead babies."

Cindy Ross was shaking her platinum blonde head in disagreement. "I have to disagree, Don." she said. "The Press never sees themselves as in the wrong, nor doing wrong, and they think everyone sees things the way they do or should see things they way they do. They'll show it, even though they shouldn't."

"Point taken." I said, then added "You know Cindy, you're starting to sound like me now. And just when I get you converted, you go running to the Sheriff's Department." We all chuckled at that.

"Well, the damage is done." said the Chief. "We'll just have to see how the Public perceived it."

"Well, I apologize for letting that happen, sir." Teresa said to the Chief. "I'll stay off the podium of the Press Room."

I said "Don't stress on it, Teresa. You did well. You made Stellum pop off like a bottle rocket. If KXTC and Carmela try to make hay out of this, we can make a political ad out of Stellum going nuts and what he said about the victims, and put it out all over the State. I for one am not at all unhappy about this."

That got everyone peering at me, especially Cindy and Teresa. I could see gears turning in the Iron Wolf's head behind her eyes. Good, I thought to myself. Maybe she sees it...

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

"And we are live!" said Connie Chen after the women of 'Point Taken' filed into the studio and took their seats at 9:00am. The all-female audience applauded loudly, though they could not match the young lungs of Eastside Elementary third graders if those third graders had been there. But I digress...

"It's political season," said Connie Chen, "and that always brings out the hottest stories and the biggest controversies. First up: Yesterday, University Hospital commemorated the first anniversary of the bombing that took twelve lives, some of them infant babies. Then controversy developed when it was announced that the rebuilt Maternity Ward and Neo-Natal Center would be named in honor of Dr. Laura Fredricson."

Chen: "Dr. Fredricson has been on Staff at University Hospital for years as a surgeon and gynecologist. She is also a tenured full Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology at the University. However, she has been accused of both unethical and criminal behavior, of running a male prostitution ring out of her Psychology Department office. Both students and other professors are demanding that she be fired from her position."

Chen: "Additionally, a complaint was made to the State Medical Board, which is investigating the serious charges. Dr. Fredricson's medical license has ben suspended before," (Author's note: 'Ethical Dilemmas'.) "and student groups are saying her repeated unethical and even alleged criminal behavior warrants permanent removal of her medical license and being fired from the Staff at University Hospital-------"

"Hold on!" interrupted Dana McMahon, the only non-Leftist on the panel. "You're not telling the whole story. Her license was restored after the charges were shown to be false------"

"You'll get your chance to talk, Dana------" Connie tried, but Dana was having none of it.

"NO!" Dana all but yelled. "What you are doing is wrong! You're trying to make it sound like Dr. Fredricson did something wrong, and you're acting like a dishonest KTXC reporter when you do that------"

"Let's go to break." Connie said.

"DON'T YOU DARE GO TO BREAK ON ME!" yelled Dana. The feed went to color-bars-and-tone, then a commercial came on.

The break was double the normal time, and when the show came back on, it was obvious that a furious argument had taken place. Dana McMahon's face was beet red, as was heavyset Rosie Berkmar's. Donna Roselle, the militant black woman, was scowling angrily. The very beautiful Zara Ziegler's face also looked flushed, an she looked like she wanted to cry.

Connie Chen was obviously trying to control her temper and make her voice sound calm as she somewhat sarcastically said "In the interests of fairness, it is true that Dr. Fredricson's medical license was restored... after pressure was put on the State Medical Board by Governor Val Jared------"

"That's not true!" yelled Dana McMahon. Connie Chen turned on Dana, her face ugly with hatred.

"She's right, that's not true." said Zara Zeigler, which totally stunned her co-hosts. "Dr. Fredricson's license was restored because the charges against her were proved false. Dana is right: why are you acting like dishonest KXTC reporters and twisting this around like that?"

"Connie is telling the truth!" shouted Donna Roselle. "That racist Governor pressured the State Medical Board on behalf of Fredricson's husband, Donald Troy!

"Yeah, it was a quid pro quo by the corrupt Governor-------" started Rosie Berkmar. Connie Chen cut her off.

"We're getting into the weeds here." Chen said. "The subject is that the protesters at the Hospital, as well as a lot of the Faculty of the University, are appalled that Dr. Fredricson was honored by the naming of that new wing after her when Dr. Fredricson's past and present improprieties are very fresh in our minds..."

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

All of the above was DVR'd and shown to me later. It was at the 10:00 hour that Cindy practically flew into my office like a bat out of hell, followed by Teresa. "Turn on 'Point Taken'!" she all but yelled. "I just got word from a contact that they're going to show the Stellum exchange!"

I expertly used the remote to turn on the television monitor, and we all got coffee and sat down to watch.

"And we're back." said Connie Chen. I observed from the posture, body language, and flushed faces of the women that there was a lot of tension in the room, and pointed it out to my Angels.

"We have breaking new information!" said Chen. "Less than one hour ago, this exchange occurred at a Press Conference at Police Headquarters. Roll tape."

Tape rolled, showing an excerpts of the exchange between Pat Stellum and Teresa, carefully edited to make Stellum look 'righteous', and only showed Teresa complimenting Laura and mentioning the trespassing, showing nothing of the points she'd made about the dead babies being remembered.

Then they showed what little they had of the protesters chanting and us running up to attack them, and a bit of the Police pouring out from around the side of the Hospital. They made sure to not show T-Square's Regiment helping us against the Haters.

Connie Chen said" "Unfortunately, the KXTC footage of the Police attacking the peaceful protesters was cut off, and the openly-right-wing KFXU refused to provide their video."

"Why don't you show what Commander Croyle said at this morning's Press Conference?" Dana McMahon said loudly. "Why are you only showing an edited version of what Stellum said? Why don't you show that he was completely out of control, and an embarrassment to all journalists-------"

"YOU are the one out of control and an embarrassment!" yelled Rosie Berkmar. Many in the carefully chosen audience applauded.

"And Teresa Croyle is a Cracker cop that helps Donald Troy beat up People of Color!" shouted Donna Roselle. "NOTHING she says matters! NOTHING!"

"And why not?" Zara Zeigler said calmly, goading Roselle. "Because she might be telling the truth? That the protesters were throwing water bottles, and the Police were correct to arrest them?"

Dana McMahon added "And aren't YOU being the racist, trying to suppress Commander Croyle's voice because she's white?"

"Let's go to break." said Connie Chen.

When the show came back, Connie Chen was alone off-stage. She said "We are now joining our colleagues at KSB in progress, as they review the upcoming Statewide elections." The feed switched to that program. Young whippersnappers won't remember 'The McLaughlin Group', but that KSB show was about as slow moving. It was also not live, but a recording; KSB also normally showed 'Point Taken' at that time...

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

"Wow." said Cindy. "Just wow."

"I don't watch that Freak Show." said Teresa. "How abnormal was that?"

Cindy replied "I usually have it on, as does Damien Thompson, though we don't pay rapt attention to it. Rosie Berkmar and Donna Roselle always treat the show's token non-Leftist pretty badly, and they literally hauled Lisa Fillmore off the stage once." ('Summer In The County', Ch. 01.)

Cindy: "But I've never seen Connie Chen that bad. And Zara Zeigler is usually the moderate, calm voice of reason, but I've never known her to outright take up the right-wing side like she just did."

I said "And to my knowledge, they have never cut off the show nor ended it early like that. Something must be really, really wrong behind the scenes"

It was then that we got word that the DVR'd first hour was available for viewing, and we watched it.

"That explains some of it." Cindy said when we were done watching. "Dana McMahon actually called out Connie Chen, who rarely is as blatantly dishonest as Amber Harris, but was this morning. Don, does Connie Chen have some special hatred for Laura?"

"I dunno, but I can ask." I said. And I suited the deed to the word, and texted my wife. Seconds later my personal iPhone rang. It was Laura.

"No, Darling," Laura said, "I saw it, the whole thing. Callie watched it with me. I don't know of any reason why Connie Chen was that way about me. Callie's checking up now to see if Connie Chen has any connection to any of my former patients or anyone at the University that might hate me."

"Double check on any connections with Chen or her husband to Lionel Carmela, Jan Camp, or the other radically Left professors that have shown hatred for you in the past." I said. Laura said she'd relay the message, and we disconnected.

"I would say this is 'par for the course'," Cindy said, "but I'm getting a vibe that it's bigger and more important that what we're seeing on the surface."

"I'm remembering Carole's vibe." I said. "And then I see this 'strangeness', and I start getting my own vibe that this is what her vibe was about." Cindy nodded most very vigorously in agreement...

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

4:00pm, Monday, October 19th. "Hello! I'm Greg Wallace, and with me are Catrina Pierce, Priya Ajmani, and Lisa Fillmorrrrre! Welcome to The Four!"

After the intro music, Greg Wallace said "Our first topic today: protesters attacked a ceremony at University Hospital last Friday commemorating the one year anniversary of the bombing attack that took twelve lives and injured dozens. Not only were the Hospital grounds rented for the private ceremony, meaning the protesters were trespassing, video evidence confirms that several of the protesters, mostly college students, threw water bottles and other objects towards third-grade children that were sitting in the audience."

Wallace: "After Police made fifty-two arrests, so-called 'social justice' groups complained about the behavior of the Police in stopping the protests and arresting the trespassers. And they found a very receptive audience in our competitors at KXTC. That was followed by KXTC reporter Pat Stellum going off the rails verbally attacking Police Lieutenant Commander Teresa Croyle. Roll tape." Tape rolled, showing the exchange.

Wallace live: "That was after Commander Croyle pointed out that the ceremony the agitators interrupted was for the little babies that died. But wait! there's more. On this morning's 'Point Taken' program, these exchanges happened. Roll tape." Tape rolled, showing Dana McMahon being cut off, then the program not returning in the second hour.

Wallace: "Hopefully, we'll get our full hour in. Lisa Fillmore... I know you cannot discuss the details of your successful lawsuits against KXTC and the security company that forcibly removed you from the 'Point Taken' set, but your presence here is a reminder to our viewers of the toxic culture at 'Point Taken'. What do you think will happen as a result of the despicable behavior we just saw today?"

Lisa Fillmore: "I first want to speak about the disgusting behavior of KXTC junior reporter Pat Stellum. This is the guy who showed up at the funeral of Carl Ryder, and asked mourners about Police investigating club members over his death. At his funeral! Then he showed up with those protesters at the remembrance ceremony for those poor babies and those nurses that died, and some witnesses at the scene said he was allegedly staging the protesters in their protests."

Lisa: "And then he was totally out of control, red faced, spewing lies at that Press Conference, where real journalists were trying to get some answers and had the very rare opportunity to hear from the Operations Commander Teresa Croyle, who is also a Hospital Board Member. Stellum's conduct was reprehensible in all of these cases, and he's an embarrassment to anyone else who calls themselves 'journalists'."

Lisa: "As to the 'Point Taken' situation, all I'll say is that we'll know a lot more if Dana McMahon returns to the set or not. She's not a traditional Press journalist; she was a Communications person for several Republican politicians. She's an Establishment moderate, not a Conservative like I am. The way she was treated is not unexpected, but for Connie Chen to cut her off by going to break, and for Zara Zeigler, who is definitely left-of-center, to take Dana's side against Chen? That's... going to be interesting."

Greg Wallace said "Priya, you once worked for KXTC-------"

"Please, don't remind me!" Priya said humorously. Everyone laughed.

Wallace: "And we're glad you came in out of the cold and joined us. My question for you is this: it appeared that Connie Chen was taking the 'Point Taken' narrative in a certain direction, and McMahon and then Zeigler derailed it. What do you think they intended to talk about?"

Priya: "There is one common denominator in the protests at the Hospital and the 'Point Taken' narrative: Dr. Laura Fredricson. The protests were about her. The signs they were holding were about her, and allegations she was running a male prostitution ring out of her Campus office. And the Point Taken fight started when Connie Chen tried to carefully parse her words to make Dr. Fredricson look bad, and McMahon came in and said to tell the whole story."

Priya: "I know those women on 'Point Taken'. Donna Roselle is all-out militant. She deeply hates all white people, and especially hates Police Officers. Rosie Berkmar is not as militant, but she's very, very Leftist in her views, and despises any view that opposes her and the person making that opposing view. Roselle and Berkmar usually do the hatchet jobs on that show. But this time, it was Connie Chen, the moderator, leading that charge. So I'd say there was an agenda there, beyond just discussing those issues, and the anger and cutting off the show, literally ending it early, was because McMahon and Zeigler truly derailed that agenda. And after Lisa won her lawsuit against them, they can't just forcibly remove Dana McMahon from the set."

Catrina Pierce: "One thing the videos did not show was what Commander Croyle had been talking about when Stellum humiliated himself and KXTC. She was showing a photo of a premature baby when it was born, and that baby after the flash-fire caused by the bombing. That baby was one of four that burned alive, died horribly, and Commander Croyle was pointing out how disgusting the agitators were in protesting there and then."

Catrina: "I believe Stellum went nuts because the Left, the Democrat candidates, and the Mainstream Media have shown that they don't care about those infant deaths, they don't care about the protests interrupting the remembrances of those deaths, they don't care that the protesters were committing illegal and even violent acts, and they don't care that the Police did their jobs, did their jobs correctly, and did them well. Not one Democrat, from Eldrick X. Weaver, to Edgar Silas, to Bruce Finneran, to Stacy Jacobs, will condemn the protesters; they're tripping all over each other to get to Pat Stellum and his KXTC microphones to condemn the Police and accuse them of Police brutality..."

Part 19 - The Saga Continues

"This is Bettina Wurtzburg, KXTC Channel Two News!" shouted the redheaded MILF reporterette at 7:00am, Wednesday, October 21st, from the rooftop of the building at Riverside and College, with City Hall in the background. "The Town & County Assembly begins their Budget deliberations!"

After the hard-charging intro music, Bettina began: "The Town & County Assembly heard the School Board's presentation yesterday, which is the last of the presentations scheduled to be made. The Assembly will begin putting together the Budget for next year, which must be passed by midnight, October 31st. Let's go to trusted reporter Amber Harris for more on this important issue. Amber!"

"That's right, Bettina!" said the athletic blonde reporterette, from the parking lot of the Veasley Community Center across Riverside Drive from City Hall, with the back of City Hall behind her. "The Budget process has become a big issue as well as controversial due to calls by the black Democrats on the Assembly to defund the Police!"

Amber: "The Assembly is evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats, 15-15, and while the Mayor is the Moderator, he does not have a tiebreaking vote. Thirteen of the fifteen Democrats are black, but two are white, and have not committed to the cause of completely defunding Commander Donald Troy's Police stormtroopers that violently suppressed peaceful black protests this past year, and also violently put down a protest of peaceful college students last week."

Amber: "We have with us Assemblywoman Cori Bowman, one of the black Democrats calling for the Assembly to defund the Police." The camera panned out to show Cori Bowman next to Amber. "Ms. Bowman, how can you stop the white Republicans and white Democrats from ramming a Budget fully funding the Police through the Assembly?"

Cori Bowman: "Thank you for having me on this morning, Amber. First of all, we fully expect our white Democrat colleagues to hold the line with us, and support our mission to fully defund the Police. And any Republicans that do not vote to defund the Police. are racists that support Police brutality against People of Color."