Second Term - A Novel of America in the Last Days (The End of America Series Book 1)

by John Price

  “I’m sorry, I’ve just been told in my ear piece that the AP is issuing an emergency news flash. No, it’s apparently not about the President, who remains in stable condition, thankfully, and is on his way back to D.C. But, we have some news from Dallas, according to the AP, and I quote, ‘the Senator who is suffering from a gunshot wound has now been identified as U.S. Senator James R. Blevins of South Carolina. He is…I’m repeating from the AP….‘apparently in serious condition’ …but thankfully he is still alive’.

  “The Senator is one of the President’s loyal supporters, and one of the more liberal Senators, though he’s from a southern State. He bucked the trend of conservatives elected from Southern States, apparently because his father had been an icon in the Senate for seven terms.

  “This shooting report is obviously somewhat different from the 2010 attempted assassination on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Arizona, as her shooter was caught, fortunately, at the scene of the shooting at a town hall meeting at a mall in Tucson. As you know, she survived, some would say almost miraculously, a bullet in her brain, though a federal judge and five others were killed.

  “ I will have to say, though, that the almost complete lack of information on the condition of the Vice President is troublesome. We’ve been told that the President, though involved in the shootings today, was not seriously hurt and now we hear that Senator Blevins was shot, but his condition, though serious, is apparently not life threatening. That’s all good, but why no condition report at all on Vice President McAlister?

  ““While we await further news on the mass shooting of a number of elected federal officials in Dallas, I would just like to comment about what I’m beginning to hear from our friendly competitors on cable and beginning to read on some of the blogs. Just as in the Arizona shooting where journalists and some bloggers immediately jumped to conclusions, unwarranted as it turned out, and speculated that the shooter was a ‘right winger’, I am starting to hear, actually increasingly now, that these shootings were the acts of right wingers, or the militia or tea party folks. I would suggest that everybody in my profession just hold on, be patient and let the federal agencies, and the state authorities, do their jobs. We don’t need any witch hunts at this point in time. We’ve got enough troubles, obviously, without pointing fingers, or assessing blame….this early…. and….without all the facts. Enough said. Now let’s take a quick break and we’ll be back to try and sort all this out for you.” Walter’s unsolicited advice was ignored by most American media.

  ELEVEN

  Washington, DC

  Presidential historians were soon called into television and radio outlets to put the Dallas shootings into historical perspective.

  “No, Charles, except for the Lincoln Conspiracy, all other attempts to assassinate American Presidents, whether successful or not, were by single gunmen”, replied Historian Dorene Goodwink to her network interviewer the morning after the shootings were labeled by many in the mainstream national media as the “Guns Against Government Conspiracy”.

  “But, what about the JFK assassination, there are still many who think that Lee Harvey Oswald didn’t act alone?”

  “There’ll always be conspiracy theorists who question every suspicious act, Charlie. However, let’s look at a true, actual conspiracy of men, and it appears, also women, who got together to accomplish one primary objective – to decapitate the federal government by killing its President and certain members of the President’s Cabinet. That, historically, was a confirmed joint action, a conspiracy, to violate the law through murderous acts.”

  “I take it you see similarities with yesterday’s shootings in Dallas?”

  “On its face there appears to have been a conspiracy yesterday to kill, with guns, high federal officials. Fortunately, our President is doing better than expected, we all understand. Unfortunately, Senator James R. Blevins is still in serious condition. Plus, Charlie, as you just reported on this network, the Dallas media are raising questions now as to whether the Vice President will survive his wounds.”

  “Dorene, except for the obvious fact that all three were shot at about the same time, on the same day, why do you conclude, to use your words, that there was a conspiracy, on its face?”

  “Just look at history. Secretary of State William Seward, was attacked, and nearly killed, but for his neck brace that spared him from his assailant’s knife stabs, in his home the very same night as Lincoln was shot at Ford’s Theater. The conspirators’ plans to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson and General Grant fell apart at the last minute. The conspirators were convicted and hung for working together to kill officials of the government. Plus, and this is quite important in light of what happened yesterday, they acted together for a common political purpose. The Confederate States had lost the war, with surrender by General Lee just five days before. These conspirators were trying to throw the government into turmoil and confusion, thus hoping to lead Confederate soldiers to continue fighting. They tried to change the government, and history, through violence, using weapons of violence and hate, guns and bullets.”

  “So, how is that like yesterday’s shootings in Dallas?”

  “Simple, really. Just answer these questions. Who hates this President? Who’s made it their publicly stated goal to try and derail his progressive agenda? Who’s organized in every State and every city of any size to defeat the President? Who hates the ATF and its efforts to prevent the proliferation of guns in....”

  “I apologize Dorene, but I’m hearing in my ear from my news director that the AP has just reported that Vice President McAlister has passed….as many had….feared he might. Our prayers are of course with his widow and family, and of course, for our country.”

  “I am so sorry to hear that, Charlie. It’s a very sad day for our country. These right wingers will rue the day that they tried to….”

  “Now, to be fair, Dorene, just because a large group of right wingers tried to defeat the President at the polls, and there were several instances of violence in the campaign, on both sides, of course, that doesn’t automatically mean that they had anything to do with these tragic shootings, isn’t that true?”

  “I’ve made my statement, Charlie. This is a right wing, gun-toting straight up conspiracy, and the several bullets that were fired by guns held by these gun-loving radicals are clear evidence of what I’m saying, and what the early polls this morning are showing – that most Americans think that it’s obviously the tea party, self-styled patriot wing nuts behind this. They’re the ones that were trying to change America, and change its elected and appointed leaders through the barrel of a gun. We can’t let that happen. They’re the ones who falsely claimed that there was widespread vote fraud in the past election. Again, I say, what a sad day for America”.

  “Well, thanks, Dorene, for your time today and your passionate and informed analysis. Any final words?”

  “Only this. My study of history tells me that it’s now finally time to correct that clumsily written, ambiguous, and we learn, again, that exceedingly dangerous Second Amendment. There should be no right to own hate guns particularly when those weapons are used to try to change governments. After a mass shooting Australia banned private ownership of guns. America needs to do the same thing. Let’s ban the right to own weapons of hate – and do it now, before even more good people are killed. In addition, though this may be more controversial, we need to re-examine how this country has allowed all manner of hateful speech, and violent words, to lead to more shootings….and….to lead to….well….to just more hate. The hate has to stop. We must curtail hateful speakers and we must stop their violent words.”

  “But, Dorene, don’t we have a problem with the two U.S. Supreme Court decisions, in 2008, the D.C. case, and in 2010 the. Chicago decision? Those two cases interpreted the Second Amendment as applying to individual gun ownership and applied the Amendment to the states. Right?”

  “Charlie, both of those cases were decided 5-4. Just one vote made th
e difference. With the President’s recent appointment, and the Senate’s confirmation, of Justice Sheila Newton to the high Court, the ball game has changed. Changed dramatically. Justice Newton is a known progressive, I would even use the term liberal. She replaced Justice Kennelly, a Reagan appointee, who had been a swing vote on many cases. Kennelly did vote with the majority in both pro-gun cases. Though Justice Kennelly was 76 years old, he had told friends that he would stay on the Court through the President’s first term. But, as we know, health reasons led to his resignation, and to Justice Newton’s appointment.”

  “Dorene, how do you see all of that working in the growing public demand to ban guns in this country after these horrific shootings of three federal officials, coming at the end of a violent campaign?”

  Dorene looked deep into the camera’s lens and uttered words that would be quoted for many months to come. “Charlie, if the Congress has the guts to pass a bill outlawing private ownership of guns, especially now after Larry McAlister’s passing, I think it would be quickly upheld in a test case by the Supreme Court. I’m saying that the Court would reverse itself, as it’s done in the past. It looks like it could be 5 to 4 against the gunners, Charlie, and that’s a very good thing. It’s time to change the law. Let’s give peace a chance.”

  “Well, folks, noted Presidential Historian Goodwink has sounded the alarm. Is anyone in the White House, or in the Congress, listening?”

  As it turned out, people at both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue were well ahead of the renowned Presidential historian.

  TWELVE

  Washington, DC – GWU Hospital

  No one in the national media could recall any news conference even remotely like this one. When the White House Press Office sent the initial e-mail notice, some in the media were openly skeptical of its source, but it was certainly authentic. It read:

  WHITE HOUSE PRESS OFFICE MEDIA EVENT ADVISORY

  At 1730 hours, tomorrow, the President will meet with pool reporters (confirm last week’s listing for your outlet’s inclusion) at George Washington University Hospital, 900 23rd Street NW. Check in with the SS Agent in Charge at the Main Entry to be escorted to the President’s Suite. The President will be joined by Congressional Leaders (list not confirmed at this juncture) along with Mrs. Blevins. It is expected that Vice President McAlister’s widow may also be present.

  No questions will be taken, nor answered, on any campaign issues, including polls. All statements made and questions addressed will deal exclusively with new legislation to be proposed and announced at the M.E. Note --- Network TV will be limited to one camera per outlet/same for newsprint. Questions? Contact Janice as usual. 202-555-1212 x1257

  The University Hospital’s Presidential Suite certainly lived up to its name in terms of its decor, but its over-all size limited the number of people who could squeeze into its confines, thus curtailing the media personalities who could attend. This had the effect of bruising some egos, understandably so, given recent events and the historic news-making nature of this prime time media event in a hospital with a wounded President. The closest the media had gotten to President Reagan was his wave from his hospital window. By the time of the media event, the executives of the major media had reached an agreement to rely on pool coverage, with most placing their national anchors either at desks to be set up in the lobby of the Hospital or outside, if the weather cooperated. It was anticipated that possibly as many Americans could watch this media event as had watched the moon landing or the launching of the Kuwaiti war.

  The pool picture of the President, on an I.V. and a pulse monitor, setting upright in his hospital bed, surrounded by his family and Congressional leaders, made page one of newspapers not only in the U.S., but in most of the world. There had never been a Presidential photograph quite like it, a fact confirmed by Historian Goodwink later that night in network color coverage of the historical event.

  What took pool reporters by surprise was what the President didn’t say, which was to say, he said nothing. The First Lady graciously thanked the media for coming, thanked the Secret Service for protecting her husband and thanked the medical staff at Parkland and now at GWU for their excellent medical care. She then explained that the President would not be making public comments at this media event, because, she said, the President’s doctors had advised, because he was on pain killing medication for his shrapnel wounds, he should not yet make public comments.

  Political strategists for the President’s opponents also thought that the President was right not to speak, or at least was smart not to do so. The media event turned out to be adversarial in nature, but the ominous words spoken were by others, not from the President. The President’s sole visible contribution was a wide, winsome smile when a pool reporter at the end of the media event shouted out, “How’re you feelin’ Mr. President?” The hospitalized President responded by raising a single thumb up with his left hand, careful not to move his bandaged right arm and shoulder. Click. Click. Click. Photo Op Number Two.

  Thus, the opposition’s advisors concluded, the President got the best of both worlds. He gained additional sympathy as the surviving intended victim of a Presidential assassination attempt, plus, he was able to send a message to the party faithful, but with words spoken by others. They were his words, but he didn’t have to say them.

  The First Lady led the attack, with a few carefully chosen, rehearsed, words. “My dear husband is here today, and alive today…….because a bullet missed its target – his heart. His heart is as compassionate as America’s heart – which in the last few days has cried out to solve this national peril that we all face. Anyone of us could be killed, taken down at any stage of life, by a bullet fired from a weapon of hate…..a gun. I know that my husband will want to work with the Congress that the people choose to elect to insure that weapons of hate are weapons of the past.

  “He has asked these leaders of our nation’s Congress to be with us today, as we move towards that goal. Continuing to fix our nation’s economy that was broken when he took office will remain a major goal, but ridding our nation of hate weapons, and eliminating the hate speech that inflamed our nation through the past violent campaign, will be his priority goals for passage by Congress in this new session of Congress. The President will thus prioritize along with gun control the control of this nation’s increasing hate speech, as the two so frequently go hand-in-hand. We need to honor those many Americans who paid with their lives due to hate weapons and by hate speech by getting rid of the guns that caused their untimely deaths.

  “Judy McAlister is here with us today, as you know. Judy, we love you and pray for you and your wonderful family. Your loving husband, Vice President Larry McAlister, sacrificed his life in the service of his country. In our minds he’s a true American hero whom we will never forget.

  “My husband has also asked me to urge Americans who are grieved by the injuries that he suffered in Dallas to avoid any more street demonstrations. Too many have been injured, and tragically, even some killed, in these shows of support for the President. We can’t accomplish what we need to do as a nation with violence, but we can get where we want to go as a nation once Congress votes to outlaw hate and those who hate.

  “Finally, I just want to say….to add….that whoever tried to keep my husband from serving his….whoever did this horrible thing….whom many in the media are speculating must be from the radical right….though we don’t know yet, of course….must be caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. May God bless America and its voters as they decide next Tuesday the future direction and fate of our great nation.”

  Many in the room found that they had moist eyes as the First Lady spoke. The First Lady then introduced the Senate’s Majority Leader, Senator Harold Reese and the soon to be returned to power House Speaker Nadia Pelham. The two Congressional leaders then spoke briefly, as they issued a prepared statement to the media:

  EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE

  UNTIL 1330 HOURS

&nb
sp; JOINT STATEMENT

  OFFICE OF THE SENATE MAJORITY LEADER

  OFFICE OF THE HOUSE MINORITY LEADER

  Senator Reese and Speaker Pelham join in assuring Americans that the nation’s long nightmare of gun violence and death will soon come to an end. To achieve this essential outcome, we will join together with the Administration to draft a bill to be considered by the new Congress in January to address our nation’s hopeless addiction to guns, and also to put teeth in the Shepard/Byrd Hate Crimes Prevention Act. Hate weapons and hate speech must be curtailed, even eliminated in most cases, if we are to survive as a free people. We will name this new law after our brave fallen Vice President, Lawrence McAlister, taken from us too soon by an act of hate and violence. The sponsors of the bill, to be announced next Thursday, have agreed to denominate the legislation, to be introduced as 113 – S.-1, the Lawrence McAlister Hate Speech and Hate Weapons Elimination Act. We look forward to its swift and fair consideration by the new Congress, as well as its early passage and adoption into law. We are both committed to expediting the scheduling of hearings and mark ups consistent with the urgency of this critical legislation. The hate-mongers among us, who terrorized America in this bloody campaign, have gone too far this time, as they will soon learn. This nation will deprive the haters, by law, of their weapons of hate and curtail their hateful words. Our American way of life deserves no less.