"Dream"
by Tige
Comments send to: thcommunist@hotmail.com
Disclaimer: yadda yadda yadda. Danny Concannon and any other WW
references are not my property. They belong to A. Sorkin, Warner
Brothers, and NBC. No copyright infringement intended.
And on with the Show. No spoilers...it's freaky people, I don't even
know if India even has a Prince or anything, but just read and you
might understand that statement. Bear with me. *g*.
-----
There was inside TV coverage of an Indian Prince and his family who
fled to the United States to escape religious and political
persecution. For some reason, Danny Concannon was covering it.
I was watching it with my family with great interest. We were at my
grandmother's, sitting in the living room, the center of political
discussion of my extended family. Somehow, I got my family to sit in
a relative silence watching the meeting with the press and Prince.
Believe me, that's unheard of.
Danny was sitting on the left end of the front row of the middle
section. There were three sections in the auditorium of sorts made
up of aluminum folding chairs. The Prince was living in a mansion,
and I guess this was grand hall, maybe the ballroom with a
stage...that's where the Prince was standing.
Every few minutes when the press and watching crowd went wild, the
press question moderator and Danny jump up to stand in front of the
twenty year old prince (can't understand that one.) The *strangest*
thing about Danny going up there is that there was a Press camera in
his hand. After a few more minutes of Q and A, the Prince's family
walked on the stage: a group of about 9 small princes, an harem of
wives (and probably mistresses), and a few princesses. They were all
introduced, and the Prince announced he must go and have dinner with
his family. The press moaned and groaned because they weren't able
to ask the important hair raising questions. I walked out of the
living room into the kitchen, wondering why Danny Concannon was at
*this* press conference...with a camera.
I wandered around the kitchen getting a piece of my grandmother's famous
chocolate pie, and casually turned on the TV that was on the
end of the bar. they're showing him eat dinner with his family?! I
knew CSPAN was dumb most of the time, but this is just plain
stupid. As if my by magic, Bronson walked up behind me with my
mother, asking about the same question...and adding the same remark,
scared the life out of me. But I kept watching just the same, when a
certain blazing red headed reporter popped up on the screen--eating
dinner with that Prince and his family!
"All men are created equal..." Danny was saying intensely. There
was a side shot of the Prince looked miffed and a bit angry.
The Prince mumbled something incoherent in his native
language. "Your highness, does this mean you expect to live here for
the rest of your life, as you said in the conference, and do not
intend on following the Constitution of the country?"
The Prince of India did not answer. "These servants, aren't they
slaves? That's violating the Constitution, did you know? Also, you
are allowed one wife at a time. You may divorce them, but it takes
months and years, sometimes. But probably not with you, because
you've allowed them no property, no rights. Women are allowed rights
in this country. They vote, they run the Senate and House or
Representatives. They do not serve as mere objects, but as people
who change the world as we know it for the better. The White House
Press Secretary, if you recall upon your visit to the White House,
is a woman, who has tackled and handled tougher issues far more
successfully than her male predecessors."
"She's a woman, aren't they supposed to be vindictive liars in this
country?" The Prince said, laughing at his remark. Danny gave a
cold stare of warning back at him.
"Say that to CJ Cregg, The Press Secretary, and you wish you were
never born."
"Defending her, Mr. Concannon?"
"No, I'm protecting you from a ferocious wrath." Danny said with
experience.
Danny set aside his napkin, and continued on the path of fighting
words with the Prince. "Sir, getting back to your servants. From
what I have researched, you have always had slave servants. That's
not allowed in the United States, stated by the Constitution. That's
why they put "All men are created equal", although, many didn't
follow that. So, there was the Emancipation Proclamation issued in
1863, and the 13th amendment completely abolishing slavery that went
into effect in 1865 to end any misunderstandings on the
interpretation."
"Mr. Concannon, for your sake, I think you better leave before the
insults grow too great."
"All I was asking your highness, what is expected of each member of
the United States. You say you wanted to become a full fledged
citizen, then you must abandon certain institutions you have, that's
all. And even if you weren't a citizen, the political heyday of
having unconstitutional practices would be so outrageous, you'd have to
expend them anyway."
"Goodbye, Mr. Concannon. I has been very interesting."
"Good evening, your highness, and thank you."
The cameras, no doubt, came in with Daniel Concannon, and were
forced to leave with him. Danny didn't look a bit angry, but almost smug
with inside interview he gave that produced many contemplations by
all who watched the telecast.
"I've seen that interviewer before, but I can't place where." My
mother mentioned.
"Senior Reporter to something...well, he looks old enough for
the 'senior'." Bronson said gruffly.
Correcting, I said, "Danny Concannon is the Senior White House Press
Correspondent. And he's not at all old. Danny's just the best of
the White House Press Corps reporters. Insiders say he's carrying a
torch for the White House Press Secretary, CJ Cregg."
"Who cares??" Bronson grumped.
"I care!" I cried.
"Would you quit it, you two?!" My mother said with finality in her
tone. There was arguing heard in the background. "Grandma and Barry
have already started the political debates."
"I'm definitely getting to get in on that action." I announced. The
arguments were always colorful and incredibly enjoyable. I walked
back into the living room where my brother Barry was bantering with
my feisty and highly politically opinionated grandmother. For the
sake of the arguments, Barry took the opposing side of her view. We
all knew it happened every time, but Grandma always continued to
argue.
I sat back and smiled as I awaited my turn to voice my opinion,
marveled by how much we see on television could be so utterly
thought provoking.
As I woke up the next morning, I kept on thinking about the
instance...and realized it was all a dream.
FIN.
-----