2047: Hell In A Handbasket by D. Frank Green

Author:D. Frank Green [Green, D. Frank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

29/05/2047 10:20

Ed Gordon sat as stunned as the other reporters in the press conference as the President explained what had happened in New York City. He couldn't understand why the President would treat American citizens in the same way as they would an attack overseas in some small time dictatorship. He, like many others, ignored or felt comforted by the militant approach to dissent and believed the government when it said killing the odd American overseas was treating him as if he was an enemy combatant. The Supreme Court approved this rationale thirty years ago after a long and bitter court fight. It saddened him to understand this government, led by two former Rangers, had stretched this ruling to include domestic as well as foreign terrorism.

When the President asked for questions, Ed's voice was the first and loudest.

"Ed," said Barrett.

"Mr President, Ed Gordon from ZeeVid news. Sir, it's not new to identify criminal behavior as domestic terrorism. It's been done for thirty years now, but legal processes were always followed for in-country problems. American citizens are legally entitled to the power of the law with the protection of the Constitution. What is new, Sir, is that you've killed American citizens on American soil without a trial, without a judge, jury or decision. You've assassinated American citizens in their own homes, Sir, contrary to the Constitution and our legal system. Sir, who made this decision and what are the justifications for breaking the Constitution without judicial oversight? How do you justify breaking the law?"

"Ed, fair questions," sail Barrett. "The quick answer is I have a ruling, have made an Executive Order, and until it goes to the Supreme Court, as I'm sure it will, that's the law. We define domestic terrorism as armed resistance against the government of the United States. As such it will be treated as any other armed resistance. We will not put our brave police and troops in harms' way without support. We do not want criminals who prey on our citizens to go free. I reserve the right to force terrorists overseas or here in the United States to obey the law by any means possible and protect our citizens who do obey the law."

Ed shook his head and sat. He saw the President's tightening lips and eyes yet he remained silent and didn't get or fight for a followup question as the President turned to others in the room. Ed heard the questions and the answers but understood, as did they all, this was a done-deal. The decision made, the first example had been taken. There was no death count of either innocents or gang members but the shit was all the way through the fan now.

Ed knew his job wasn't to stop Presidents from acting. His task was to expose what they did to public view and present the information in an informative and entertaining way. He decided to push his new status as the correspondent for the largest vid-network.

He stood again. This was

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