The Land of the Free: American Political Roleplay (IC III)

[Madrinpoor]

Versailles Cuban Restaurant,
Little Havana, Miami
6:34 PM

In a patio table at Versailles, an upscale Cuban-American restaurant in Little Havana, Alexander Santiago sat with three Cuban-American community leaders—Diego Valadora, the City Councilman for District 3, which contained Little Havana; Miguel Osorio, leader of the Cuban-American National Foundation; and Yali Hurtado, an Afro-Cuban-American activist. Maybe these leaders, from different personal and political backgrounds, could tell Santiago about the Cuban-Americans in Florida. What did they want? Santiago hadn't told anyone yet, but he was considering running for the House in FL-25 instead of 27. It was still early enough for him to have a shot, but he'd need to work hard. Fl-25 is much more Cuban and therefore much more conservative, but Cubans aren't that safe of Republicans. Maybe Santiago could flip them. Just maybe. But he would need to know what they supported and opposed.

"Thank you all for meeting with me. I want to help the Cuban-American community in Florida, and specifically Hialeah. You all are prominent leaders, you have a lot of connections to Cuban-American voters, and you could help me help them. I know Cubans are not a monolith, but overall what are the most important things to them?" Santiago asked.

"One of the most important things to the Cuban-American community is healthcare. They want their families to be getting good healthcare, they want to be getting healthcare that will protect them, if they need it. They want to have it available." Valadora said.

"I would add that a lot of Cubans are also worried that the government would take away their freedom. They want to be sure that they still have freedom, and that includes healthcare freedom. Conservatives use the "socialist" buzzword a lot, but that is really the fear for most Cubans. Many are scared of socialism." Said Hurtado.

"How would I approach the Cuban community then? Healthcare-wise? Do they want government-sponsored healthcare, single-payer healthcare, completely privatized healthcare..." Santiago asked.

"They want to be sure that they can afford the healthcare they need for their families. But they want to have a choice too. If you can get past the socialism buzzword, and still provide them quality healthcare, you will gain a lot of support. Especially since (not-Diaz-Balart) voted to repeal the ACA, you can argue back that he is against healthcare." Valadora said.

"What about foreign policy? Do Cubans support the embargo? Oppose it?" Santiago asked.

"In 2016, Pew took a poll. They found out that the vast majority supported resuming relations with Cuba, almost 75%, and that around 73% wanted to end the embargo. That went up from 2014, when 68% supported ending the embargo. Cuban demographics are shifting. They're getting younger. More progressive. American-born. More than half of the Cuban-American population would support ending the embargo, and support a candidate that would end the embargo. They want looser travel restrictions on Cuba. They want better lives for their families in Cuba. They don't see the embargo as something that is working." Osorio said, speaking for the first time. Santiago jotted this down in a little notebook.

"What other issues are big deals for the Cuban-Americans?" Santiago asked.

"Violent crime is one I've seen." Said Valadora, Osorio nodding in agreement. "Cubans are worried about their families. They want to make sure they're safe. They want a reduction in violent crime."

"But I have to make sure not to overstep that. Or the socialism label could come up again—" Santiago started.

"Cubans are people," Hurtado interrupted, "people are deceived by politicians every time one opens their mouth. No offense. The socialism label has no real backing in reality, and it doesn't have to — it's a label you stick on people. Reduce crime. It doesn't matter how."

"So reduce crime, end the embargo, affordable healthcare...avoid being a socialist...what about the economy. The crisis must be making Cubans hurt." Santiago said.

"Of course. It's making everybody hurt. But the government response is not favorable to Cubans. Many are business owners, large and small, and they want the government to make sure their businesses do not go under. But they don't want government control either. It is an odd paradox." Hurtado said.

"I have to find a balance then." Santiago said. Hurtado agreed.

"A balance is important in all things," she said, "political, economic, etc. You have to make sure you serve some people but not alienate others. Cubans are a very diverse group."

"Alright, well thank you all for meeting with me. Hopefully I will be able to help the Cuban-American community better." Santiago said, standing up after finishing his flan. The others stood up too, and shook hands.

"My pleasure." Valadora said smiling. "Call me anytime if you need my help."

"You should come do some activism with me sometime. Door knocking, food drives, something where you can connect with the community." Said Hurtado.

This had turned out to be a very informational evening.

[Kargintinia]

Mayor Harold Baines Press conferece
Houston Texas
Friday May 29th 2020

"Good evening and welcome everyone. Members of the press, the Houston city council, and concerned citizens.

I don't think I need to re-explain the tragedy that has befallen this nation. The loss of Mr. Marlon Ward is not just a failure of policing but a failure of human decency. The issue of systemic racism and the loss of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police officers impacts us all. How can we go on calling ourselves the land of the free while failing to provide for our most vulnerable citizens. This cannot continue.

Before we continue, I will ask all present to partake in a moment of silence for one minute and 13 seconds, the amount of time Mr. Ward was forced into a chokehold...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I call upon all elected officials of this nation to take action on this matter and help to put an end to excessive police violence. One of the most important steps to putting an end to chokeholds, which is why today I am proud to announce that I will be signing a bill from the Houston City Council outlawing chokeholds in the Houston Police Department. Nearly 500,000 African-Americans live in this city, and it would be on me if anything was to happen to any of them due to police violence under my watch.

The Houston City council as well as myself have authorized the creation of an independent task force on policing reform designed to find new ways to de-escalate police encounters and avoid events such as what took place in Kansas today. I will also be signing a law requiring Houston PD to release body-cam footage within 30 days whenever a fatality is involved in a police operation.

In this time of mourning, we must try to come to a common understanding and prevent any further loss of life. While I will defend Houston citizens right to peaceful protest, we cannot allow our emotions to cause us to partake in senseless violence. I am placing the city of Houston under a curfew of 9 PM Central Time to 6 AM Central Time. I understand many Houstonians are justifiably upset, but we cannot let this violence lead to more violence. To all citizens of this great city, please keep Mr. Ward in your prayers tonight and help us to peacefully push for change.

I will be taking any questions the press have as well as Chief (Not-Art Acevedo).

[Louisianan]

(Image)
Mayor Harold Baines Press conferece
Houston Texas
Friday May 29th 2020

"Good evening and welcome everyone. Members of the press, the Houston city council, and concerned citizens.

I don't think I need to re-explain the tragedy that has befallen this nation. The loss of Mr. Marlon Ward is not just a failure of policing but a failure of human decency. The issue of systemic racism and the loss of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police officers impacts us all. How can we go on calling ourselves the land of the free while failing to provide for our most vulnerable citizens. This cannot continue.

Before we continue, I will ask all present to partake in a moment of silence for one minute and 13 seconds, the amount of time Mr. Ward was forced into a chokehold...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I call upon all elected officials of this nation to take action on this matter and help to put an end to excessive police violence. One of the most important steps to putting an end to chokeholds, which is why today I am proud to announce that I will be signing a bill from the Houston City Council outlawing chokeholds in the Houston Police Department. Nearly 500,000 African-Americans live in this city, and it would be on me if anything was to happen to any of them due to police violence under my watch.

The Houston City council as well as myself have authorized the creation of an independent task force on policing reform designed to find new ways to de-escalate police encounters and avoid events such as what took place in Kansas today. I will also be signing a law requiring Houston PD to release body-cam footage within 30 days whenever a fatality is involved in a police operation.

In this time of mourning, we must try to come to a common understanding and prevent any further loss of life. While I will defend Houston citizens right to peaceful protest, we cannot allow our emotions to cause us to partake in senseless violence. I am placing the city of Houston under a curfew of 9 PM Central Time to 6 AM Central Time. I understand many Houstonians are justifiably upset, but we cannot let this violence lead to more violence. To all citizens of this great city, please keep Mr. Ward in your prayers tonight and help us to peacefully push for change.

I will be taking any questions the press have as well as Chief (Not-Art Acevedo).

"Many progressives are calling for the defunding of the police. Does the Houston City Council or yourself have any future plans to listen to these requests? Also, what will you do to end the systemic racism that is rooted even within the Houston Police Department?"

[Kargintinia]

(Image)
Mayor Harold Baines Press conferece
Houston Texas
Friday May 29th 2020

"Good evening and welcome everyone. Members of the press, the Houston city council, and concerned citizens.

I don't think I need to re-explain the tragedy that has befallen this nation. The loss of Mr. Marlon Ward is not just a failure of policing but a failure of human decency. The issue of systemic racism and the loss of unarmed African-Americans at the hands of police officers impacts us all. How can we go on calling ourselves the land of the free while failing to provide for our most vulnerable citizens. This cannot continue.

Before we continue, I will ask all present to partake in a moment of silence for one minute and 13 seconds, the amount of time Mr. Ward was forced into a chokehold...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I call upon all elected officials of this nation to take action on this matter and help to put an end to excessive police violence. One of the most important steps to putting an end to chokeholds, which is why today I am proud to announce that I will be signing a bill from the Houston City Council outlawing chokeholds in the Houston Police Department. Nearly 500,000 African-Americans live in this city, and it would be on me if anything was to happen to any of them due to police violence under my watch.

The Houston City council as well as myself have authorized the creation of an independent task force on policing reform designed to find new ways to de-escalate police encounters and avoid events such as what took place in Kansas today. I will also be signing a law requiring Houston PD to release body-cam footage within 30 days whenever a fatality is involved in a police operation.

In this time of mourning, we must try to come to a common understanding and prevent any further loss of life. While I will defend Houston citizens right to peaceful protest, we cannot allow our emotions to cause us to partake in senseless violence. I am placing the city of Houston under a curfew of 9 PM Central Time to 6 AM Central Time. I understand many Houstonians are justifiably upset, but we cannot let this violence lead to more violence. To all citizens of this great city, please keep Mr. Ward in your prayers tonight and help us to peacefully push for change.

I will be taking any questions the press have as well as Chief (Not-Art Acevedo).

"Many progressives are calling for the defunding of the police. Does the Houston City Council or yourself have any future plans to listen to these requests? Also, what will you do to end the systemic racism that is rooted even within the Houston Police Department?"

"It is my fundamental belief that the way to stop excessive use of force by police officers is not to take away funding but to seek better, more comprehensive training for our officers. As previously stated myself as well as the City Council plan to create an independent task force to investigate new ways to reform the HPD to prevent any situations similar to that in Kansas from ever taking place."

[New Cobastheia]

Kathleen Nez
@KathleenNez

---

It's not shocking to hear that police bruality has once again taken a life today in America and it's not uncommon to think that if Marlon Ward had been White he'd still be alive today. If we ever want to see the violence of Black and Brown people face at the hand of police end, we can't just demand change, we need to take action to make our system change for the better. #SayTheirNames

Kathleen Nez
@KathleenNez

---

#BlackLivesMatter

Kathleen Nez
@KathleenNez

---

#NativeLivesMatter

Kathleen Nez
@KathleenNez

---

#HispanicLivesMatter

[New Cobastheia]

(Image) Phil Crawford @PhilCrawfordKY Rest in peace to Marlon Ward. He should still be alive at this moment. The officers should have been suspending long ago for their previous conduct, and now their excessive force led to the loss of a human life. We needed to take real action to ensure police who abuse their power are held accountable yesterday!

(Image) Phil Crawford @PhilCrawfordKY The African-American community has dealt with the trauma of abuse at the hands of the powerful for centuries, and it continues today. Racism did not end after the Civil Rights Act! The fight for equal rights must continue! I hope my brothers and sisters from all backgrounds join me in peacefully protesting for real action on criminal justice reform!

(Image)
Nereida Halloway
@DCMayor

---

I will be organizing a march through DC to show the federal government that black and brown voices are no longer to be snuffed out, not by officers, not by politicians, not by anyone. The time for inaction has long passed, and if change does not come willingly, it must be pried from our oppressors' grasp. "The future belongs to those who prepare for it today."

(Image)
John Nathan Lynskey
@JNLynskeyMA

---

Marlon Ward should still be alive, but he isn't, because of a culture in policing that perpetrates and aggravates violence and bigotry, and of a broad swathe of the political class prepared to lock arms and circle the wagons against the black communities that are crying out for justice. Reform of the police needs to come about swiftly and promptly - every one of these tragedies has been preventable, it is long overdue to take the real steps to prevent them.

Representative Ibrahim Simpson
@RepSimpson

---

“My prayers are with Mr. Ward and his family as they suffer in the wake of his death. Make no mistake- this was a cold blooded murder, the likes of which the Black community suffer on a daily basis.”

Representative Ibrahim Simpson
@RepSimpson

---

“This murders is not a wake-up call. The same alarm has been ringing since 1619. But I hope that we can finally stop hitting snooze and bring real change to policing and criminal justice out of this situation.”

Representative Ibrahim Simpson
@RepSimpson

---

“Join me tonight at a candlelight vigil and demonstration here in West LA. Visit #CrenshawBLM for more details.”

All Liked and Retweeted by @KathleenNez

[New Cobastheia]

Vice President Dietrich
@VPOTUS

“The death of Marlon Ward is a tragedy. I hope that our country can come together regardless of race, color, and creed to mourn together as one people.”

Liked and Retweeted by @Eliza

---

Nate Richardson
@GovernorRichardson

I am praying for Marlon Ward and his family today, what happened to him was a horrific tragedy. But the politicization of his death by certain politicians on the left before his family has had a chance to grieve or process what happened is disgusting and inexcusable, especially when its used to denounce and defame the police as a whole. For now I ask Americans to pray for swift justice and that some measure of peace comes to Mr. Ward’s family.

Liked by @ChipRenfusMS

Liked and Retweeted by @Eliza

[Sarenium]

Deb Feyrer
@AlabamaDeb

---

Radical Liberal Kathleen Nez's latest tweets could all be condensed into #AllLivesMatter and I'm glad to see she agrees with me and other Conservatives, that #AllLivesMatter.

[New Cobastheia]

(Image)
Deb Feyrer
@AlabamaDeb

---

Radical Liberal Kathleen Nez's latest tweets could all be condensed into #AllLivesMatter and I'm glad to see she agrees with me and other Conservatives, that #AllLivesMatter.

Kathleen Nez
@KathleenNez

---

Says the woman who thinks Marlon Ward deserved to die.

[Attaches picture of the following tweet]

(Image)
Deb Feyrer
@AlabamaDeb

---

If you carry drugs and shove police officers, you get what you get. Nothing to see here except the usual COASTAL ELITE, LIBERAL MEDIA exaggerating a small-town issue.

[Madrinpoor]

Alexander Santiago
@SantiagoForFL

---

Marlon Ward's death shows that systemic racism is unfortunately very much alive and present in America. However, the solution isn't abolishing the police forces -- it is diverting money to them for better training so they can stop the violent crime epidemic and the police brutality crisis. #BlackLivesMatter #ReformThePolice

[Deblar]

Mayor Hugo Fitzgerald Press Conference
Pasadena, Texas
May 29

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. For those following my campaign for the House, I had activities planned today, but given recent events, I don’t think it would’ve been appropriate to continue as usual. The death of Mr. Ward has been felt across the country, and I do want his family to know that my thoughts and the thoughts of the entire city of Pasadena, Texas are with them. Before we continue, let’s have a moment of silence for Mr. Ward.

(25 second moment of silence)

“Thank you. Now, you are all free to ask questions.”

[Gordano and Lysandus]

(OOC Note: Reasonably certain I've dated this to the night before the BLM incident.)

Speaker Caroline Simone
Washington, District of Columbia
Wednesday 27th May, 2020

Boy, oh boy, this was a time to be holding this particular fundraiser, with the chaos unfolding around them. Building on the success of the prior corporate fundraiser here, and Dan Ziegler's one back in Colorado, it was time to crack into the activist base. Winning over major activist groups, encouraging them to throw both their human and financial resources behind the push for a big Democratic win this November. Stressing the importance of both up- and downballot in the hope of achieving the biggest push since FDR on so many policy areas. Energizing these activist organizations, getting them behind the fight for a trifecta, was vital. Caroline knew that, and wasn't going to diminish it - though anyone like the Sunrise Movement wasn't going to get a foot in the door - this was for serious people. EMILY's List, HRC, civil rights groups, unions. The kind of people who had long been the bread and butter of the Democratic Party and weren't to be neglected.

A more traditional fayre would be laid out this time, not so much the spiced delicacies of the Near East as it had been last time, instead Caroline had dedicated a significant amount of time to acquiring various hors d'oeuvres that could be laid out on trays inside her house and out. It was a lot easier to do all this without the Secret Service involved, even if she did have to rush across the street to grab a gallon of milk from the Walgreens. Dressed in a light floral blouse and loose blue pants, she flitted around and set about getting all the drinks ready, as she waited for the guests who were likely to come - along with fellow Democrats who would want to engage with the activist base in this manner, be it their nominee or other figures like the ascendant Kathleen Nez. Hoping all was right as she leveraged the cork out of a bottle of sparkling rosé, she waited to see who'd help leverage those activist dollars.

[Dentali]

Andrew Gardner Campaign Stops May 26th, 2020 - May 29th, 2020

Date: Tuesday May 26th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Cobb County, Georgia
Guest: GOP Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Manufacturing, Education


Date: Wednesday May 27th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Henry County, Georgia
Guest: GOP Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Manufacturing, Education


Date: Thursday May 28th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Henry County, Georgia
Guest: GOP Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Manufacturing, Education


Date: Friday May 29th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Douglas County, Georgia
Guest: GOP Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Manufacturing, Education



James Moore Campaign Stops May 26th, 2020 - May 29th, 2020


Date: Tuesday May 26th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Goldsboro County, North Carolina
Guest: Local Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Racial Justice, Education


Date: Wednesday May 27th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Wake County, North Carolina
Guest: Local Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Racial Justice, Education


Date: Thursday May 28th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Guest: Local Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Racial Justice, Education



Date: Friday May 29th, 2020
Time Spent: 10 Hours Retail, 2 Hours Meetings/ Fundraising, 2 Hours Rally, 2 Hours Town Hall
Location: 3rd Congressional District, Michigan
Guest: Congressional nominee
Area of Focus: Suburbs, African Americans
Topics: Economic Recovery, Racial Justice, Education

[Dentali]

James Moore
@MichiganMoore

I am filled with rage and despair at the death of Marlon Ward. This was a murder and we must do everything in our power to seek justice for Marlon and others who have suffered at the hands of those sworn to protect. Right now I am heading back to Michigan immediately to work with local leaders to urge calm, but rest assured I will have plenty of business in Washington very soon.

[Vaquas]

Senator Greg Kost
@SenatorKost

---

The death of Marlon Ward is unacceptable and horrific, those involved should be held accountable and due process of law should be allowed to proceed free of political interference. It must also be made clear that this killing cannot be used as an excuse to commit additional acts of violence against law enforcement or anyone else, and the vast majority of police officers across this nation want nothing more than to fix the issues that led to this terrible tragedy. My offices will eagerly be taking calls from concerned Floridians and I will be meeting with experts to determine how to best tackle these issues going forward.

Senator Greg Kost
@SenatorKost

---

I also want to applaud President Tawney for appointing Senator Bragg to serve as the next Attorney General of the United States, as I know full well that he will be more than capable of overseeing the Department of Justice at this important juncture in our history. I look forward to his swift confirmation by the United States Senate.

[Vaquas]

Fox News
@FoxNews

---

BREAKING: OFFICERS FOWLER AND PETERS, SEEN IN MARLON WARD VIDEO, ARRESTED

[Vaquas]

---

May 30, 2020
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Mayor Nereida Halloway (D-DC)

---

A procession of African-American men and women, some quite old and some very young, led by the Mayor of the District of Columbia Nereida Halloway, marched their way through the Capitol building of the United States to the office of the House Speaker. This gathering of individuals in particular, organized by Halloway in an effort to get the attention of Caroline Simone and and start talks on the glaring issue at hand, had within it the President of the NAACP, the head of the DC chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Reverend [Not Jesse Jackson], and numerous other civil rights leaders. Cameras capturing the group's trip through the building to the Speaker's office, Halloway considered that this would likely not be the last time she would be having this conversation. Her hopes were not high for true reform, with a Republican Senate of racists and relics likely to stand in the way of the most basic changes that could be made. She would be lying if she said she thought many Democrats were much better, at least privately.

She had to explain to her daughter why they did that to that man in that video. The mayor's rage was barely contained, for the entire time since she'd seen it herself she had been fighting a losing battle to push it to the back of her mind, but to no avail. There was very little she herself could do, but if she could just leverage some of her standing...

"Here we are." she muttered to the man beside her, opening the Speaker's door without a knock and making her way into the center of the room, the many bodies filling its confines.

"Speaker Simone."

[Greater Arab State]

Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.

Friday 29th May, 2020

Having issued his tweet regarding the incident in Wichita a few hours beforehand, the House Minority Leader proceeded to hold his weekly press conference. There was no alteration to his usual introduction and thus, the press was soon able to begin asking its questions.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

(Image)

---

May 30, 2020
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Mayor Nereida Halloway (D-DC)

---

A procession of African-American men and women, some quite old and some very young, led by the Mayor of the District of Columbia Nereida Halloway, marched their way through the Capitol building of the United States to the office of the House Speaker. This gathering of individuals in particular, organized by Halloway in an effort to get the attention of Caroline Simone and and start talks on the glaring issue at hand, had within it the President of the NAACP, the head of the DC chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Reverend [Not Jesse Jackson], and numerous other civil rights leaders. Cameras capturing the group's trip through the building to the Speaker's office, Halloway considered that this would likely not be the last time she would be having this conversation. Her hopes were not high for true reform, with a Republican Senate of racists and relics likely to stand in the way of the most basic changes that could be made. She would be lying if she said she thought many Democrats were much better, at least privately.

She had to explain to her daughter why they did that to that man in that video. The mayor's rage was barely contained, for the entire time since she'd seen it herself she had been fighting a losing battle to push it to the back of her mind, but to no avail. There was very little she herself could do, but if she could just leverage some of her standing...

"Here we are." she muttered to the man beside her, opening the Speaker's door without a knock and making her way into the center of the room, the many bodies filling its confines.

"Speaker Simone."

Caroline knew this was coming, and frankly she welcomed it. She was not the person to dictate on this matter, as authoritarian as she often could be when it was handling matters in the Democratic Caucus. In this case, she had to be the one to sit back and listen, to absorb and accept and bend, because the arc of history demanded it. And so letting that gaggle of civil rights leaders into her office here on Capitol Hill was all very easy to accommodate, and she went to shake Nereida's hand with a solemn expression, going to shake hands with the bustling group, repeating a warm greeting to each. "I'm glad you could come, thank you for coming, I appreciate that you could be here..."

It was not long after that that they filed out of that antechamber and into the conference room that formed a part of the Speaker's suites in the Capitol Building, where they could sit down with glasses and pitchers of water, flavored with slices of lemon or cucumber, as was typical. Noticeably, Caroline had the seating arranged so she and Mayor Halloway would sit on the longer sides of the table, rather than at opposite ends. She wanted nothing to be perceived as adversarial. Senior black members of the House and Senate Democrats were, of course, welcome to the gathering, as the Speaker meshed her fingers together and nodded.

"I can't begin to imagine the agony that your community is feeling at a time like this, and I want to promise you out of the gate that there will be action on this. The question is what sort of action you feel will meet this particular moment, and I know that Mayor Halloway has been a pioneer on police reform, so I'm very grateful to have her here. I want to press ahead with a bill within a fortnight, if not sooner. So, my question for you all is this: What does the African-American community need in that bill?"

[Vaquas]

(Image)

---

May 30, 2020
Capitol Hill, Washington D.C.
Mayor Nereida Halloway (D-DC)

---

A procession of African-American men and women, some quite old and some very young, led by the Mayor of the District of Columbia Nereida Halloway, marched their way through the Capitol building of the United States to the office of the House Speaker. This gathering of individuals in particular, organized by Halloway in an effort to get the attention of Caroline Simone and and start talks on the glaring issue at hand, had within it the President of the NAACP, the head of the DC chapter of the Black Lives Matter movement, Reverend [Not Jesse Jackson], and numerous other civil rights leaders. Cameras capturing the group's trip through the building to the Speaker's office, Halloway considered that this would likely not be the last time she would be having this conversation. Her hopes were not high for true reform, with a Republican Senate of racists and relics likely to stand in the way of the most basic changes that could be made. She would be lying if she said she thought many Democrats were much better, at least privately.

She had to explain to her daughter why they did that to that man in that video. The mayor's rage was barely contained, for the entire time since she'd seen it herself she had been fighting a losing battle to push it to the back of her mind, but to no avail. There was very little she herself could do, but if she could just leverage some of her standing...

"Here we are." she muttered to the man beside her, opening the Speaker's door without a knock and making her way into the center of the room, the many bodies filling its confines.

"Speaker Simone."

Caroline knew this was coming, and frankly she welcomed it. She was not the person to dictate on this matter, as authoritarian as she often could be when it was handling matters in the Democratic Caucus. In this case, she had to be the one to sit back and listen, to absorb and accept and bend, because the arc of history demanded it. And so letting that gaggle of civil rights leaders into her office here on Capitol Hill was all very easy to accommodate, and she went to shake Nereida's hand with a solemn expression, going to shake hands with the bustling group, repeating a warm greeting to each. "I'm glad you could come, thank you for coming, I appreciate that you could be here..."

It was not long after that that they filed out of that antechamber and into the conference room that formed a part of the Speaker's suites in the Capitol Building, where they could sit down with glasses and pitchers of water, flavored with slices of lemon or cucumber, as was typical. Noticeably, Caroline had the seating arranged so she and Mayor Halloway would sit on the longer sides of the table, rather than at opposite ends. She wanted nothing to be perceived as adversarial. Senior black members of the House and Senate Democrats were, of course, welcome to the gathering, as the Speaker meshed her fingers together and nodded.

"I can't begin to imagine the agony that your community is feeling at a time like this, and I want to promise you out of the gate that there will be action on this. The question is what sort of action you feel will meet this particular moment, and I know that Mayor Halloway has been a pioneer on police reform, so I'm very grateful to have her here. I want to press ahead with a bill within a fortnight, if not sooner. So, my question for you all is this: What does the African-American community need in that bill?"

"What we need is for y'all to stop killing us." muttered a younger member of the assembled group from the corner of the room, just loud enough for Simone to hear. Halloway cleared her throat and spoke.

"What we need is a bill that makes it clear, Madam Speaker, that this isn't a game. This isn't a tit for tat, I'm tired of playing a game where a black man gets murdered in broad daylight and in response white politicians in this building signal and signal and signal until they're blue in the face and then nothing happens. We built this country, brought over in chains and raped and beaten and forced to slave in service of a nation that lied in its foundational promises that all were equal under our law. I'm tired of the perception that we're some little interest group to be thrown a bone to when we're the only reason. This bill is going to reflect that." she made clear, earning sounds of heavy agreement all over the room.

"We need cameras, mandatory." she said, earning affirmative vocalizations from the others. "And if one of those officers decides to turn it off its ought to be criminal." she added. "We need to get rid of chokeholds, just blanket ban, no exceptions. Harsher use of force standards, demilitarizing the police." she continued. Another person spoke up, from a local organization. "Legalize marijuana. We're sick of being made criminals and thrown in prison for a plant." Halloway nodded. "You need a federal misconduct registry." [Not Jackson] said, "Ban police departments from hiring these so called "bad apples" if they truly don't want them."

The NAACP President spoke up. "Grants for departments that hire a certain percentage of black officers." he suggested. "If we're not involved, we're not a part of those department level conversations." Another person spoke up. "You need to further empower the justice department to prosecute things like this, make it a federal priority." he suggested.

"I suppose those are some baseline suggestions." Halloway stated.

[Gordano and Lysandus]

"What we need is for y'all to stop killing us." muttered a younger member of the assembled group from the corner of the room, just loud enough for Simone to hear. Halloway cleared her throat and spoke.

"What we need is a bill that makes it clear, Madam Speaker, that this isn't a game. This isn't a tit for tat, I'm tired of playing a game where a black man gets murdered in broad daylight and in response white politicians in this building signal and signal and signal until they're blue in the face and then nothing happens. We built this country, brought over in chains and raped and beaten and forced to slave in service of a nation that lied in its foundational promises that all were equal under our law. I'm tired of the perception that we're some little interest group to be thrown a bone to when we're the only reason. This bill is going to reflect that." she made clear, earning sounds of heavy agreement all over the room.

"We need cameras, mandatory." she said, earning affirmative vocalizations from the others. "And if one of those officers decides to turn it off its ought to be criminal." she added. "We need to get rid of chokeholds, just blanket ban, no exceptions. Harsher use of force standards, demilitarizing the police." she continued. Another person spoke up, from a local organization. "Legalize marijuana. We're sick of being made criminals and thrown in prison for a plant." Halloway nodded. "You need a federal misconduct registry." [Not Jackson] said, "Ban police departments from hiring these so called "bad apples" if they truly don't want them."

The NAACP President spoke up. "Grants for departments that hire a certain percentage of black officers." he suggested. "If we're not involved, we're not a part of those department level conversations." Another person spoke up. "You need to further empower the justice department to prosecute things like this, make it a federal priority." he suggested.

"I suppose those are some baseline suggestions." Halloway stated.

The anger in the room was palpable, it was understandable, and Caroline said nothing to protest against or push back at what they were saying. It was not for her to interject, it was not for her to speak over. Folding her arms gently and leaning back, she paid each member of the working group her clear attention as they spoke. Nothing seemed to be outrageous to her, at least, these were all highly reasoned assertions that would be very much at home in a policing bill.

When it was time for Caroline to speak again, she gave a gentle nod. "I appreciate that you're all willing to come here and have this conversation despite the fact that you've been failed in this effort by this institution time and again. There's nothing I can say which can atone for those many crimes, but I can be clear when I say that I'm no more interested in signals than you are. I am not a person who naturally abides inaction in the face of injustice, and when I took leadership of the party, I was clear that I wanted to do policing reform in the span of this Congress. The fact that this hasn't happened so far is a failing, it is my failing, and I am sorry." She paused, hoping that the mea culpa would be accepted. Whilst Caroline had managed to wrap up wages, and so many other bills, she had not managed to conclude a proper policing bill so far.

"We did pass a marijuana bill this Congress. Wolf pocket-vetoed it, and I'd be happy to take another shot at it, but I don't expect we'll get a better response from Tawney. That said, I'm adamantly confident that if we win in November, Senator Dayton would sign the bill, and that ending the War of Drugs is a first 100 Days priority for the next Congress. That's not a reassurance to you, I know, but it is a promise that I can knowingly make that I should - if all pans out right - be able to keep. I am sure that some of our Senators can ask Arthur Bragg in his confirmation process about it as to whether he'll be ending Michael Jones' policies on that frontier."

Swallowing, she nodded her head again. "Everything you've said with regards to policing reform is entirely valid and entirely just, and when it comes to writing the policing bill, I'll make sure that it is in the language that the House passes. Is there anything I can do personally to help nudge this process along?"

[Louisianan]

Mayor Hugo Fitzgerald Press Conference
Pasadena, Texas
May 29
(Image)

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. For those following my campaign for the House, I had activities planned today, but given recent events, I don’t think it would’ve been appropriate to continue as usual. The death of Mr. Ward has been felt across the country, and I do want his family to know that my thoughts and the thoughts of the entire city of Pasadena, Texas are with them. Before we continue, let’s have a moment of silence for Mr. Ward.

(25 second moment of silence)

“Thank you. Now, you are all free to ask questions.”

"What is the current rioting threat level? What is the department doing to prepare for such riots, and how will you handle the protests should there be any? Also, how do you plan on ending the systemic racism found in our very own police department?"

[Vaquas]

CNN
@CNN

---

Video: Footage of a white policeman hugging a crying African-American protestor in Sacramento, California in front of City Hall has gone viral on social media today as large-scale protests sweep the nation.

[Vaquas]

"What we need is for y'all to stop killing us." muttered a younger member of the assembled group from the corner of the room, just loud enough for Simone to hear. Halloway cleared her throat and spoke.

"What we need is a bill that makes it clear, Madam Speaker, that this isn't a game. This isn't a tit for tat, I'm tired of playing a game where a black man gets murdered in broad daylight and in response white politicians in this building signal and signal and signal until they're blue in the face and then nothing happens. We built this country, brought over in chains and raped and beaten and forced to slave in service of a nation that lied in its foundational promises that all were equal under our law. I'm tired of the perception that we're some little interest group to be thrown a bone to when we're the only reason. This bill is going to reflect that." she made clear, earning sounds of heavy agreement all over the room.

"We need cameras, mandatory." she said, earning affirmative vocalizations from the others. "And if one of those officers decides to turn it off its ought to be criminal." she added. "We need to get rid of chokeholds, just blanket ban, no exceptions. Harsher use of force standards, demilitarizing the police." she continued. Another person spoke up, from a local organization. "Legalize marijuana. We're sick of being made criminals and thrown in prison for a plant." Halloway nodded. "You need a federal misconduct registry." [Not Jackson] said, "Ban police departments from hiring these so called "bad apples" if they truly don't want them."

The NAACP President spoke up. "Grants for departments that hire a certain percentage of black officers." he suggested. "If we're not involved, we're not a part of those department level conversations." Another person spoke up. "You need to further empower the justice department to prosecute things like this, make it a federal priority." he suggested.

"I suppose those are some baseline suggestions." Halloway stated.

The anger in the room was palpable, it was understandable, and Caroline said nothing to protest against or push back at what they were saying. It was not for her to interject, it was not for her to speak over. Folding her arms gently and leaning back, she paid each member of the working group her clear attention as they spoke. Nothing seemed to be outrageous to her, at least, these were all highly reasoned assertions that would be very much at home in a policing bill.

When it was time for Caroline to speak again, she gave a gentle nod. "I appreciate that you're all willing to come here and have this conversation despite the fact that you've been failed in this effort by this institution time and again. There's nothing I can say which can atone for those many crimes, but I can be clear when I say that I'm no more interested in signals than you are. I am not a person who naturally abides inaction in the face of injustice, and when I took leadership of the party, I was clear that I wanted to do policing reform in the span of this Congress. The fact that this hasn't happened so far is a failing, it is my failing, and I am sorry." She paused, hoping that the mea culpa would be accepted. Whilst Caroline had managed to wrap up wages, and so many other bills, she had not managed to conclude a proper policing bill so far.

"We did pass a marijuana bill this Congress. Wolf pocket-vetoed it, and I'd be happy to take another shot at it, but I don't expect we'll get the same response from Tawney. That said, I'm adamantly confident that if we win in November, Senator Dayton would sign the bill, and that ending the War of Drugs is a first 100 Days priority for the next Congress. That's not a reassurance to you, I know, but it is a promise that I can knowingly make that I should - if all pans out right - be able to keep. I am sure that some of our Senators can ask Arthur Bragg in his confirmation process about it as to whether he'll be ending Michael Jones' policies on that frontier."

Swallowing, she nodded her head again. "Everything you've said with regards to policing reform is entirely valid and entirely just, and when it comes to writing the policing bill, I'll make sure that it is in the language that the House passes. Is there anything I can do personally to help nudge this process along?"

"You can let the CBC take the lead." Halloway said. "And you can make this your number one priority. Don't waste time."

The DC Congressional Delegate, who had been quiet, spoke up.

"And get the caucus in line. We don't need people all over the place right now."

[Federal States of Xathuecia]

The anger in the room was palpable, it was understandable, and Caroline said nothing to protest against or push back at what they were saying. It was not for her to interject, it was not for her to speak over. Folding her arms gently and leaning back, she paid each member of the working group her clear attention as they spoke. Nothing seemed to be outrageous to her, at least, these were all highly reasoned assertions that would be very much at home in a policing bill.

When it was time for Caroline to speak again, she gave a gentle nod. "I appreciate that you're all willing to come here and have this conversation despite the fact that you've been failed in this effort by this institution time and again. There's nothing I can say which can atone for those many crimes, but I can be clear when I say that I'm no more interested in signals than you are. I am not a person who naturally abides inaction in the face of injustice, and when I took leadership of the party, I was clear that I wanted to do policing reform in the span of this Congress. The fact that this hasn't happened so far is a failing, it is my failing, and I am sorry." She paused, hoping that the mea culpa would be accepted. Whilst Caroline had managed to wrap up wages, and so many other bills, she had not managed to conclude a proper policing bill so far.

"We did pass a marijuana bill this Congress. Wolf pocket-vetoed it, and I'd be happy to take another shot at it, but I don't expect we'll get the same response from Tawney. That said, I'm adamantly confident that if we win in November, Senator Dayton would sign the bill, and that ending the War of Drugs is a first 100 Days priority for the next Congress. That's not a reassurance to you, I know, but it is a promise that I can knowingly make that I should - if all pans out right - be able to keep. I am sure that some of our Senators can ask Arthur Bragg in his confirmation process about it as to whether he'll be ending Michael Jones' policies on that frontier."

Swallowing, she nodded her head again. "Everything you've said with regards to policing reform is entirely valid and entirely just, and when it comes to writing the policing bill, I'll make sure that it is in the language that the House passes. Is there anything I can do personally to help nudge this process along?"

"You can let the CBC take the lead." Halloway said. "And you can make this your number one priority. Don't waste time."

The DC Congressional Delegate, who had been quiet, spoke up.

"And get the caucus in line. We don't need people all over the place right now."

Cassius Parker had quietly shuffled into the room, sitting with a small pen and notebook in a chair in the farthest corner of the room. A few of the members of the meeting had noticed his entrance, nodding their heads at him as he gave a few of the younger fellows fist bumps.