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

by John Price

  MSNBC’s most liberal talking head in his commentary that evening accused the Minority Leader of threatening the Speaker with violence. “When the Republican leader said ‘not by a long shot’, isn’t that actually code, for calling for gun violence? If it is, we just can’t have that in this country any more. Then, when the Minority Leader said the government should fear the people, is that a call for even more armed insurrection? These are scary comments, sure enough.”

  Most House Members travel to their home Districts over the weekend, returning to DC late Monday or early Tuesday. By scheduling the brief debate for 8 AM on a Monday morning, the Speaker purposely forced the Members to return on Sunday, which did not set well with most, even many in her own Democrat caucus. Her point was to schedule the debate early enough so that potential viewers in the nation’s eastern time zone would be getting ready for work and sending kids off to school. In the other times zones, millions would sleep through this momentous House expression of free speech. Perfect timing. That is, if one didn’t want a lot of attention.

  At 8:10 AM the Speaker gaveled the House to order and recognized the first Member to speak on the bill. “The Chair recognizes the distinguished gentleman from California for three minutes, speaking in favor of 113-S.-1.”

  “Madam Speaker, thank you for allowing me to address the reasons for passage of this most important bill. All Members here this morning recognize that we are in this Chamber in historic times, as we will soon have the opportunity, to actually make, that is, to help in making history. History will record that as we adopt this…..” The Member from California consumed his full three minutes describing the historicity of the debate over the gun bill, but without advancing any legal, political or policy arguments for its adoption.

  “Thank you. The Chair now recognizes for three minutes only, I would remind you, and time will be strictly enforced…Uh…I recognize…who is it?…yes …The gentleman from Ohio in opposition to the Hate Speech and Weapons Elimination Bill…uh…113-S.-1.”

  The Congressman from Ohio was briefly tempted to point out how the Speaker’s introductions of himself and the Congressman from California varied so greatly, but he knew it would just consume part of his time, and fair-minded viewers would have caught it in any case.

  “Madam Speaker, I rise today to oppose the McAlister Bill. Not because I favor gun violence or hate speech, but because I favor the rule of law. Let me be crystal clear in my brief time. If this Congress, the White House or the American people, for that matter, want to amend our Constitution to repeal our right to own firearms, or to curtail free speech, then they know how to do that. This bill is a reprehensible attempt to do an end run around our sacred founding document, by a mere simple majority vote of Congress. In their wisdom, our Founding Fathers knew that a day could come in this nation, as has been the case throughout history, in which the passion of the moment would be used to strip citizens of their rights. When times are scary, when the blood runs hot, when the mob demands that action be taken, they knew that it would be in those times when our freedoms would most be at risk. The writers of the Constitution knew this and required super majorities of the Congress and of the states in order to dissolve a fundamental right. They allowed it to be done, but they made it almost impossible to accomplish in order to prevent government by mob action.

  “Let us not set this most dangerous of precedents. Today, the right that may be lost is the right to express your opinion openly and the right to own firearms. Gun ownership is now not popular with the governing authorities, nor with the media, and likewise not so popular with some Americans, the truth be told. The authors of this Bill have tied together changing the First Amendment right of free speech with the more popular ban on gun ownership. What rights will we take away tomorrow, next year, the year after that? How many Americans have decided not to engage in the national debate over the McAlister bill because the President unwisely declared martial law, in a transparent attempt to shut down the debate over gun ownership?

  “Which due process rights in our Constitution do we lose by simply voting them away, as we threaten to do with the McAlister Bill? Can we so easily ‘reinterpret’, and then lose, those rights that were won for us by the many who gave their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor? May God forbid that it would ever be. Let us kill this dangerous precedent before it is born, before it becomes the road map for the loss of all of our rights as Americans. Those rights are all now hanging by a thread. Your vote, your single vote, could literally decide the fate of this Bill. Your single vote could decide the very future of our rights as Americans. Cast it wisely, my dear colleagues, cast it very wisely. A final point….Don’t let the violence that we have witnessed in our streets divert our attention from preserving our rights as a free people. Thank you, Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.”

  “The gentleman from Ohio’s time has expired. The Chair recognizes the distinguished gentle lady from New York.”

  “Thank you, Madam Speaker. I’ll use the time that you have so graciously given to me to talk about hate.

  “Hate…is…what…brings…us…together…today. What is hate? Hate is what makes us pick up a firearm and take another person’s life. Hate makes us think we should be allowed to live, while others die. Hate is what fills our streets with protestors, many using their guns, who just couldn’t abide the re-election of our President. What makes a person hate? We may not know all of the reasons why people hate enough to kill another human being, but we do know that guns kill people. So to stop the hate killings in America I am a proud co-sponsor of the Lawrence McAlister Hate Speech and Hate Weapons Elimination Bill.

  “Our colleagues who oppose this noble bill are skilled at raising legal objections about amending the Constitution. But, if you are like me, you know in your heart that we have to ban guns in America, except of course the guns we have entrusted to our military, who may well be needing them if conditions in the world worsen. Legal technicalities shouldn’t stand in the way of protecting us from gun violence. The gentleman from Ohio suggests that we have to wait, for who knows how many years, for the various states to consider a formal amendment to the Constitution. That could take possibly several years before thirty four states have the chance to consider and vote for an amendment banning hate weapons, and shutting down all of this rampant hate speech that we hear on cable TV and on the radio, and read on the internet. We can’t wait that long. How many hundreds or thousands of our neighbors, our friends, our public officials, even our family members will die, from gun violence, instigated by hate speech, while we wait on those legal technicalities?

  “No, Madam Speaker, waiting is not the answer. We must prohibit the private ownership of guns now, because if we don’t take this unique opportunity, we may never again be in a position to take away the firearms that are too frequently used to kill others. At a time when the world is worried about a war in the Middle East that could break out, we need to get this matter resolved now. No more delay. Madam Speaker, you should order a vote sooner rather than later. Stop the hate – stop the killing – vote yes on the Lawrence McAlister Hate Speech and Hate Weapons Elimination Bill. I yield back the balance of my time.”

  Tensions on the House floor were at a breaking point. If the final vote was a foregone conclusion, the Members would have been considerably less tense, knowing the outcome. But, both sides had head counts, as recently as the morning, showing a dead heat. One Member’s vote, therefore, took on critical importance. The Members of the Minority knew that the Speaker was abusing her authority, but they also knew that when they were in the Majority they had been accused of similar actions. One thing that the Members would agree upon if polled at this early morning session was that no one would change their vote based on a total of eighteen minutes of floor debate, which was just as the Speaker intended.

  The Speaker then recognized the second opponent to the McAlister Bill, Representative Adam Nation, a leader in the Tea Party Caucus of the U.S. Congress.
Congressman Nation had seated himself close to the podium so that he could quickly begin his remarks once he was recognized by the Speaker, who clearly did not like this new Member of what she thought of as her House.

  “Madam Speaker. Members of the House. My fellow Americans. There are two surprising aspects of this floor debate being held on this early morning. First, that this OBGYN from the Midwest is speaking in this Chamber today. Except for the American people rising up and electing me, and many other tea party supporters, I would still be treating hot flashes in Michigan. The second surprise to me as a new Member of this body is that I even have to defend rights as foundational and fundamental as the right to free speech and the right to defend oneself from a weapon-bearing assailant, that is, with more than one’s bare hands. What could possibly be more important to one’s life than the right to stay alive, to defend oneself, with a firearm, if necessary, and when assaulted by a criminal using a firearm? Name any right more important than the right to stay alive.

  “Madam Speaker, my second argument is also a fundamental truth about governing. An elemental truth of governing a free people is that when a nation is divided, when as many people favor a change in the law as are opposed to changing the law, nothing should be done, until or unless there is a consensus of the governed. We should have learned from the healthcare debacle that forcing through massive changes in the laws of a nation, when half of all Americans are opposed to the change, only invites trouble, and an increasing suspicion and disdain for their government by the governed.

  “Lastly, Madam Speaker, I hesitate to raise this argument, because it will undoubtedly be misinterpreted. But, the truth is that this country was founded by men with muskets, to whom we owe our freedom. If this free nation passes this anti-gun legislation, we should not be at all surprised if men with today’s form of muskets try to regain their freedom. I’m not threatening anyone. I have no inside information as to any armed overthrow of the federal government that may occur. But we’ve all heard rumors that if this Congress takes away our right to be armed, and to speak our mind freely, there are rampant rumors that there will be persons who will not abide such a decision, who will not turn in their firearms and who may even use those firearms against this government. Would they use them in this way? I don’t know, but I am suggesting to this body of legislators that before it crosses the line of public opposition to banning guns, that it first look to see what’s on the other side of that line. The killing of innocent pro-gun protestors in Omaha should be a wake-up call to all Americans This government is willing to even kill its own people to get its own way. Be warned, my colleagues, you are warned. I yield back the balance of my time.”

  As the Tea Party Caucus leader concluded his remarks, the Speaker’s facial expression could only be described as hateful.

  Spluttering, she said, “I have never….in all my years in this….I can’t recall ever hearing a Member threaten violence against our government, before. Never. I just can’t believe….Why, I should ask the House Ethics Committee to investigate the gentlemen’s threatening remarks….I….The Justice Department should….Sir, you should be very….”

  “Madam Speaker, I didn’t threaten anybody, let alone our government…”

  “Yes, you did, you very clearly said that….”

  “If the Speaker would let me finish, I only suggested what everybody has already heard, and probably already discussed, and that is, that if this bill becomes the law of the land, that the new law will not be universally obeyed, and it may lead to violence against the government itself, which has itself become violent against the people. That’s not a threat. That’s reality, Madam Speaker, and we had better be aware of reality before we…”

  The reality was that the Speaker had what she needed.

  “The gentlemen will desist. Your time is expired. I am exercising my prerogative to terminate debate in this House when it appears that decorum has been disturbed, under Rule XVII. There is no right of a Member to engage in seditious comments in this House. There will be no more floor debate. The last two Members who were scheduled to speak can submit their remarks for the Record. We will vote tomorrow, Tuesday, at 5 PM. This House is adjourned.” With that the Speaker slammed down her Speaker’s Gavel, and walked off the Speaker’s platform.

  “Madam Speaker, I challenge the…you can’t…”

  “I appeal the Chair’s ruling and ask for a division.”

  The motions were to no avail, as the Speaker had adjourned the House. No further business could be transacted. The floor debate on the Lawrence McAlister Hate Speech and Hate Weapons Elimination Bill was over. What remained was the vote.

  FORTY TWO

  Dallas, Texas

  Pastor Jack Madison had a free evening, due to a cancelled counseling session, which allowed him to look more extensively into the 223 prophetic verses that his Dad had asked him to study during his last visit. After a very long night of study, prayer and research, he wished he hadn’t done so. He didn’t sleep well in the remaining hours of the night.

  The next morning he decided to expand his study of the prophecies by asking his senior accountability group to also look into the verses. The six men in the group were all involved in leadership in Jack’s church in the Park Cities suburb of Dallas. Four had seminary training. All were students of the Bible. None were prepared for what their Pastor was about to ask them to do.

  “Men, I didn’t sleep well last night….”

  “Worried about Congress may do, or just unconfessed sins, Pastor?”, asked Scott Banks, the comic member of the group.

  Always ready for a laugh, Pastor Jack joined in the general mirth, “No, Scott, but if I think of some to confess, you’ll be the second one I call, after the Lord, of course….OK, seriously though, my sleep deprivation was caused by a late night Bible study. My dad, you’ve met him and you all know why he’s in prison, gave me several prophecy verses to study. I finally had a free evening and I did so, though I frankly wished I hadn’t.”

  “Why’s that, Pastor?”

  “You’ll soon see. Here’s a list for each of you of 223 verses. All of them are about a single end times nation. Very powerful, called the hammer of the whole earth. Extremely rich, living in luxury. Influential, referred to as the great voice. The nations of the world stream there to meet. Has a large Jewish population. A supporter of Israel. There are thirty clues in those verses to what the Bible calls the mystery of the identity of this end times nation. Mystery Babylon.”

  “Very interesting, Pastor. Sounds like you may have solved the mystery already?”

  “It might sound that way, but I haven’t come to any final conclusions. Yet, that is. I want you each to take the list, look up and read the verses, do whatever research you have time to do, then let’s discuss it next week. I’m very interested in hearing what you come up with. This subject is obviously important, otherwise God wouldn’t have devoted so many verses to it, and they may answer the question that many American Christians have asked.”

  “What question is that, Pastor?”

  “Is America in the Bible? If it is, what happens to it in the last days?”

  Thus the members of Jack’s most trusted church leaders were given what would prove to be a very challenging assignment. None would ever forget how they started down this path pursuing the contemporary application of prophecy.

  FORTY THREE

  Washington, DC – Chambers of U.S. House of Representatives

  Speaker Pelham wasted no time in scheduling the final vote on the McAlister Bill. The pending vote drew several tens of thousands of protestors and supporters to Capitol Hill, all of whom had to pass through metal detectors. The signs being carried in the plaza in front of the U.S. Capitol were many, varied and, in some cases, hateful and vitriolic, and those were the signs in support of the gun bill. Not to be outdone, opponents of the McAlister bill showed their entrenched positions against the bill, with signs such as:

  ONLY WHEN YOU PEEL AWAY

 
MY COLD, DEAD FINGERS

  AN ARMED MAN IS A CITIZEN

  AN UNARMED MAN IS A SUBJECT

  DEFEAT GUN ABOLITION

  DEFEAT SPEECH CENSORSHIP

  GOD, GUNS AND GUTS MADE AMERICA GREAT!

  KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY GUN!

  KEEP YOUR LAWS OFF MY SPEECH!

  ONLY CROOKED POLITICIANS FEAR ARMED CITIZENS

  THE ORIGINAL HOMELAND SECURITY

  THE RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS

  Gun bill supporters’ signs generally ignored the philosophical issues involved in the gun debate and, instead, reviled the opponents of the gun bill:

  DON’T LET THE PEOPLE HATERS & GUN LOVERS WIN

  SAY NO TO SLOPEHEADS

  BAN GUNS AND HATE SPEECH NOW

  ENOUGH IS ENOUGH – PASS THE BILL – STOP THE KILLERS

  NO OLD DOCUMENT

  CAN GRANT THE RIGHT TO KILL OR HATE

  GOD MUST HATE GUN OWNERS

  “The House will be in order.”

  “The House will be in order!”

  “The House will be in order!! All Members please take their seats. All Members please be seated, so that we can begin the vote tally. This is a truly momentous vote for our nation, so I would like to start…”

  The only persons who were actually listening to Speaker Pelham try to call the House to order, were not those excitedly milling in the chamber, but were instead those watching her on the three networks, and on C-Span, MSCNB, CNN or Fox, all of which were covering live the historic vote on the McAlister Bill. The House session had originally been noticed for 1 PM, but it was abruptly moved to 5 PM, when the Speaker realized that she might be as many as three votes shy of the votes necessary to pass the hard-fought, and heatedly debated, bill.