The Movement

Chapter Five - Part 2

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The sun shined bright through the green-grey October clouds and the few crispy orange and brown autumn leaves calmly parachuted downwards, swaying back and forth with the warm wind until gently scraping the cold, concrete ground.

The Movement’s troops marched the streets, donning red and white uniforms. Their heavy boots drummed on the ground with each proud, intimidating goose step, echoing off the surrounding skyscrapers and into the air above.

A tall, light-skinned and long-faced bearded man dressed in a gaudy military uniform stepped up to the podium in front of an ocean of anxious, jumping bodies awaiting his first words. Amid the eerie silence of hundreds of thousands of people, President Barber began to preach in his masculine, charismatic voice to the crowded streets of Washington, District of Columbia.

“The basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions of government,” he announced.

He paused, repeated his opening line with longer pauses in between each word, then continued.

“The great, virtuous George Washington, the first president of the United States of America, believed this is how our political system should function with all his heart and mind. What The Movement – and I – promise to do is to embrace that notion, returning the United States to domestic peace and world prominence once again!” he exclaimed.

His thundering words echoed into the streets with overwhelming swarms of applauses and cheers. A long minute passed with arena-like praise before the crowd was quieted once more by President Barber’s raised hand.

He continued: “Nearly a century ago, the United States progressed atop the world, with other nations looking far up to the Red, White, and Blue from the average level of civilized humanity. However, since the end of World War II we have gradually lowered our once-proud flag while other nations have quickly raised theirs higher than ours currently rests. What The Movement promises to do is to return our peoples to our deserved place atop the world’s power structure. We will triumph!”

The crowd erupted with deafening cheers once more, this time for what seemed even louder and longer than before. Again, President Barber raised his hand. The higher his hand rose, the lower the volume of the attentive crowd until complete silence was reached with surprising quickness, as if the president’s hand controlled the crowd’s voices like a remote control.

Once it was silent, President Barber spoke again.

“The Movement will make each and every one of you significant to the United States and her beautiful rise to the top. For the last century, the government of the United States has been governed by blind cynics who had no truthful or serious intentions to raise the Stars and Stripes to a higher level in realms other than avaricious economics; yet, they also failed in that attempt. That idleness and corruption was accepted by the very same people who should have vehemently opposed it, and promised all of you Americans progress intellectually, economically, in safety, and in health. As President Washington believed, the basis of our political system is the right of the people to make and to alter our constitution and government, and we have finally spoke out and begun to do so. For many generations, oblivious and manipulated Americans not only polluted this beautiful planet to an astonishing degree, but corrupted American hospitals refused healthcare for her own loyal citizens whom contributed to progress while aiding those who had no part. Furthermore, the American population has risen to incredible, unmanageable numbers, and it has been nearly impossible to educate and discipline each young American effectively. From this lack of education, the absence of quality American leadership has sunk America’s tragic ship to below the murky waters of mediocrity. But it is not too late to change our nation’s course; we will not wave a white flag, but rather the proud flag of the Stars and Stripes. With The Movement’s necessary reforms, Americans will become disciplined scholars once more; thus, by the end of our lifetimes the United States will proudly triumph atop the world hierarchy as she did nearly a century ago, and as President Washington intended a republican government to be run.”

Again, the endless sea of bobbing heads vying for a peak at the president began to cheer before the president’s raised hand lowered the crowd’s voice once again. With astonishing confidence, charisma and volume the president capped off his inauguration speech:

 “No more crime! No more corruption! No more poverty! No more mediocrity!” he said as he lifted his clenched fist into the air. “We will defeat the insurgents and emerge as the earth’s most peaceful, enlightened superiors once more! Beginning today, The Movement is in full effect and every hard-working American will reap the deserved, honorable benefits which The Movement and I promise to each and every one of her loyal citizens—to YOU!”

With this, the crowd was finally free to celebrate without the rising, muting hand of the president. While the crowd cheered vociferously, President Barber stepped down from the podium with his arms raised high while facing the crowd. As soon as he turned his back a dozen bodyguards immediately surrounded him. He vanished behind their broad shoulders. The president disappeared into the newly built Palace of The Movement, a dazzling white-blue spectacle.