The Smiths and Joneses (27 page)

“OK.”

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Sean and Wolf are discussing the program at breakfast in Raleigh, North Carolina, which is 90 minutes from the Jones’s home. Wolf sips his coffee asking, “Why has every damned talk radio program jumped on the word ‘feeling’ when there were so many other topics that came out in last night’s program?”

“Wolf, you’ve been living and reporting from the LSA for what, twelve years?”

“Yes, I moved there when we split. What does that have to do with anything?”

“You may have forgotten a few things from when you lived here; talk radio is the average person’s communication with the issues. Some of the programs are on the fringe; however, most are in the middle of the road.”

“Please tell me you don’t consider Glenn’s program or Rash’s new program middle of the road.”

“I do, as do many who live in the USA.”

“What happened to simple logic and reasoning?’

“I could ask you the same thing. Many of the progressives and very liberal moved to the LSA leaving a majority of the people behind that were either centrists or conservatives. Almost all of them believe in one religion, or another. Many remember various incidents that were based on ‘feelings.' Remember when President Obsma supported the black professor in Boston when he was stopped trying to enter his home in Boston? It was how did the professor feel? Or the case in Florida of the teen shot, it was again how did the teen feel being followed by a white man? Who wasn’t even white! Too much of the events that led up to the split were framed in ‘feelings.' It’s become a word that many in the USA despise.” 

“I don’t understand why. It’s a natural question to ask. It’s a natural way to look at another person.”

“Is it? Or is it an excuse to bend the rules for a protected class of people?”

“We don’t have any protected classes of people.”

“Sure you do. Everyone who might have had a reason or could blame someone else is a protected class in your legal system.”

“I wouldn’t phrase it that way. I’d say our courts take into consideration the perpetrator’s backgrounds more than yours do.”

“That’s one major difference between our courts. We made ‘lady justice’ blind to color and background.”

“That’s something I don’t understand. It’s been proven that a person’s background plays a large role in how they act as an adult.”

“Is that why so many of your juveniles who commit crimes are released?”

“Sean, certainly you can understand they’re children.”

“I understand they are children who broke the law.”

“You have to admit that they deserve a very understanding judge so they’re not permanently scared by appearing in court.”

“Is that why so many of your juvenile cases are heard by Department of Childhood Services managers and not legal judges?”

“We do it to protect our children.”

“So they can grow up to become spoiled adults who’ve never had to accept responsibility for any of their actions?”

“I agree we differ on the ways we treat children.”

“Wolf, a teen who kills someone isn’t a child, a teen who breaks into someone’s home or rapes someone isn’t a child.”

“They are if they were not 18 when they committed the event.”

“You can’t even bring yourself to say the word ‘crime’, can you? I’ll hate to see what happens to the LSA when this coddled generation takes the reins of power.”

“I don’t understand your concern. This generation is the best-educated anyone has produced. They’ve been exposed to the widest amount of information possible.”

“Wolf, the only thing they’ve never had to do is be responsible or be a real leader. They blame their failures on someone else. Do you think the LSA will be able to grow and prosper with leaders who never take responsibility?”

“I again agree to disagree with you.”

“Let’s agree to revisit this issue in ten years.”

“Sean, that’s a bet, I can’t wait to see you have to apologize to me and the nation.”

“Wolf, it’ll be you who will be apologizing. Let’s discuss tonight’s program.”

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At the same time Wolf and Sean are having breakfast, there’s a standoff going on in Norcross, Georgia. A teenager was interrupted trying to steal a pair of sneakers from the DSW Designer shoe store on Peachtree Parkway. The teen tried on a new pair of sneakers; he placed his old pair in the box that he took the new pair from. He placed the box back on the shelf and calmly walked out of the store thinking no one in the store was wise to him. He didn’t know the entire incident was recorded; the store manager watched the teen in real time from behind the row of cash registers; he waited to see if the teen was going to pay for them or leave the store. When the teen walked past the cashier, the manager dialed 911. A police car was only a half a block away when the 211 active robbery call went out. Officer Frank Redman had been on the force only eight months when he acknowledged the call; he flipped his lights and siren on. Officer Redman arrived at the DSW store in less than a minute; the teen hadn’t even made it twenty feet from the front door when officer Redman jumped out of his car with his gun drawn. “Stop, put your hands up.”

The teen was caught off guard by the quickly appearing police officer. He turned to look around; he thought he had one chance. He turned towards the officer, “Officer, what you want? I not done nothing.”

“Stop where you are, put your hands up.”

The teen continued to advance slowly towards officer Redman, who said, “STOP. I mean right now. Stop!”

The teen looked to his right; he saw a car starting to back out of a parking place, he dashed in the direction of the moving car thinking he could get into it and get away to safety before the driver sped up.

Officer Redman lifted his gun, “Stop, or I’m going to shoot!”

The teen continued running.

Officer Redman took aim and fired a single shot. The 9MM bullet hit the teen in the back exiting his chest after going through his heart. The teen was dead before he hit the ground. The driver of the car leaving the parking spot heard the gun shot, it scared the driver who hit the gas increasing her speed and caused her car to crash into a pickup behind her. The impact pushed the pickup into the car parked in front of it which had no gas cap, the impact caused gas to spill out of the open tank. Sparks from the accident ignited the gas engulfing both vehicles. Officer Redman called the shooting in; he called for the fire department and an ambulance.

Onlookers saw officer Redman shoot the teen. They considered it murder since the teen was unarmed and didn’t threaten the officer. Three of the onlookers tweeted what they saw, they posted images of the dead teen on social media. They posted, “White cop killed the brother over a pair of sneakers. The brother was unarmed. He killed the brother in cold blood; he murdered him in the parking lot.”

Others posted the location of the shooting. When the fire department and the ambulance arrived, so did over fifty people who came to protest the shooting. The protestors talked to the witnesses; they started yelling and throwing whatever they could get their hands on at Officer Redman who called in the code 33 officer needs assistance.

Dispatch orders four cars close to the incident, to report to the scene. The first to arrive runs into protestors throwing rocks, two rocks striking the windshield. The officer calls in for more help; soon, ten cars are in transit to the DSW store, while an additional hundred people protesting the shooting arrive. The protesters throw rocks at Officer Redman; two of the rocks strike him, one in the head, opening a cut that immediately starts bleeding, the second rock strikes him in the leg. Officer Redman fires a round over the heads of the protesters causing more rocks and debris to be thrown at him. Thirty protesters lineup and start rocking the first police car; they get it to flip onto its side with the officer still inside. A couple of the protesters bang on the car’s gas tank to break it, one pulls a knife out cutting the rubber gas line, when the gas starts flowing, another throws a lighter into the puddle of gasoline. The car explodes in a fireball; windows break in buildings close to the car, the officer trapped inside burns to death.

Officer Redman calls in the attack requesting SWAT; his request is approved. Peachtree Parkway is jammed with people trying to get away from the location and those trying to get to the location. Five minutes later, the protesters swarm Officer Redman, who shoots two of them, before he's overrun and beaten to death by the protesters who kick him in the face, groin, and chest. Two of the protesters stomp their boots on officers Redman face, crushing his head, killing him. Shortly, additional protesters arrive; some are armed and exchange fire with the on scene officers. SWAT arrives in the middle of a firefight. One calls back describing the scene as an active war zone.

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              Wolf’s phone rings, he looks at the caller ID and turns pale, “Sean, excuse me a minute, I have to take this call.” Wolf gets up from the table while saying, “Hello, this is Wolf.”

              “Hello, Mr. Blazer, please hold for the President.”

              “Hello Wolf, I watched last night’s episode, I’ve also spoken with the Director of DepLIES, we seem to be losing the battle for the hearts and minds of the people in the USA. I understand we’re getting mocked and laughed at on their talk radio. I want you to find a way to discredit their major talk radio hosts. I’m going to have our special work department generate a few special press releases about the hosts that should give you all the ammunition you need. Wolf, need I remind you I don’t want you to spend the rest of your career reporting from the frozen Northwest. I, and the entire LSA, are counting on you to ensure we’re always shown in the best light. Do you see any problems fulfilling this request?”

              “No, Mr. President. Everything should proceed as planned. While their talk radio is mocking us, many of their people are starting to question the USA government’s programs.”

              “Excellent. Keep my staff informed. I’ll be watching tonight’s program. Wolf, try to work in the danger of owning firearms.”

              “Yes sir, I’ll work it in.”

              Wolf returns to the table where Sean is waiting.  Wolf has a strange look on his face. Sean’s eyes look into Wolf’s eyes questioning the strange call he received. It’s clear to see Wolf is worried, the call upset him. “Wolf is everything alright?”

              “Perfect. I think we’re going to have a good show today. Want to get started? We have at least a 90 minute drive, maybe more with traffic. We don’t have the local police closing streets for us like we do in the LSA.”

              “Sure. I’m ready to go, let me check with the crew.”

              Wolf sits; he picks up his coffee, taking a mouthful, he makes a face in disgust.”

              Sean laughs, “What’s the matter, don’t like cold coffee? Next time doesn’t leave it for ten minutes. I’ll flag down the waiter for some fresh coffee.”

              “Thanks.”

              Fifteen minutes later the broadcast vans arrive in front of the hotel. They begin their journey to the Jones’s home.

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              Social media posts ponder what surprise will come from tonight’s program. Many posts support the LSA’s policies trying to understand the background and motivation of criminals before handing down sentences. Many posters say criminals shouldn’t be held libel because of their upbringing. Others post that the law is the law, or the country will lose the rule of law. Either the law is blind or the law can be changed depending on who is in charge of the government. Some posts state this is a slippery slope, once started it’s almost impossible to stop the slide to tyranny and to become the same as the LSA. If the rule of law is overturned then the founding constitution is finished. Government will be able to do whatever they want.

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              The broadcast crew is delayed due to traffic caused by a three car accident, after two and half hours they pull up to the Jones’s home. Bob sees them driving down his street, he and Carol meets the crew at the street, Carol tells Wolf and Sean, “We were starting to get worried, we wondered if something happened to you or if you were cancelling the program.”

              Sean responds with a smile, “Carol, we ran into a lot of traffic; there was a three car accident on the freeway. We sat there for an hour while the police untangled the accident. We wouldn’t have cancelled without calling. We’re very much looking forward to today’s program. How’s Beth and Leon?”

              “Beth can’t wait to see you; she’s all dressed up in her princess dress. Leon will be home in a couple of hours. He took his bike out to visit some friends.”

              Wolf says, “We’re happy to be here, come, let’s get into your home, to be honest, I’d like to start with using your bathroom, I had a little too much coffee this morning and then we got stuck in traffic.”

              Bob smiles, “I understand, you know where it is.”