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(5-25)
After an entire bottle of Evan Williams bourbon, Townshend Carr Lincoln dozed off in front of his wide-screen television. Somehow, he had tuned to the local public station, instead of ESPN. As he drifted toward unconsciousness, a live program began on the channel...
The Location: WVIZ studios, Cleveland, Ohio
The Players: Nolte Khandarian, program moderator; Freda Fronk, freelance commentator and activist; Dort Munder, columnist from the Plain Dealer newspaper; Shale Seagrave, lone conservative analyst
NOLTE KHANDARIAN: “Welcome to the weekly broadcast of ‘PBS Rising Up Roundtable!’ Once again, we’ve got quite a bit of ground to cover, so let’s begin immediately...”
FREDA FRONK: “I can’t think of anything more important than President Trump trying to force companies like Apple to manufacture their products in America. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
DORT MUNDER: “I agree, we live in a global economy. I am perfectly happy buying products from China, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, or wherever! Walmart has all the best deals!”
SHALE SEAGRAVE: “Okay, I’m the oddball here, apparently. Wasn’t the value of American manufacturing once a philosophical cornerstone for those who claim to be progressive thinkers?”
(Gasps resound across the panel)
N. KHANDARIAN: (Straightening the lapel of her blazer) “I think we all want lower prices for what we buy, isn’t that correct? Who wants to spend more at the supermarket or department store? Not me! Not me! Our president is tone deaf on that subject!”
F. FRONK: (Looking sick at her stomach) “I am literally shaking! The Orange Man is living in a time warp! Nobody makes electronics or clothing, or much of anything in this nation, anymore!”
D. MUNDER: “I’d rather have a stout, European brew than talk about any of this nonsense. But there you have it, I think we all know the history of that particular moron! He’s a convicted felon and a bully! He ought to be in prison instead of the White House!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Wrinkling her pointed nose) “Congratulations, you’ve just insulted a whole group of voters who support the guy, doesn’t that matter at all?”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Peering through thick, oversized glasses) “I think that reasonable people are concerned with the trade war being instigated. I know it truly matters to me!”
F. FRONK: (Thumping her chair, lightly) “The Donald is a Nazi! He’s a Nazi! A Nazi! A Nazi!”
D. MUNDER: (Nodding in agreement) “A Nazi, indeed! Nazi, Nazi, Nazi!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Sitting with her eyes closed) “See, members of the intelligentsia and mainstream press often like to toss that word around, like playing volleyball. But when real Nazis speak out, to harass Jewish students, deny the Holocaust, and urge us to eradicate their people from the earth, you often have little or nothing to say. For example, in the current news cycle, when staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington were gunned down. The assailant chanted ‘Free Free Palestine’ while being taken into custody. I did not hear a single report that labeled him as a Nazi...”
(More gasps echo around the room)
N. KHANDARIAN: (Clearly incredulous) “I can’t let that comment go, Shale! You’ve run off the rails here!”
F. FRONK: (Raising her fist in the air) “Completely off the rails! As an independent woman, I am offended!”
D. MUNDER: (Shouting defiantly) “I am very, very offended!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Holding her breath) “Is there really a point in having me on this show? Your minds are already made up, I think...”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Shaking her head) “It is important to consider a variety of viewpoints. With that in mind, let’s move on to our next subject...”
F. FRONK: (Interrupting her program host) “No, actually, I think we ought to dig deeper, Nolte! I think we all have been very strong in opposing Nazis wherever they appear! Nazis like Elon Musk! Nazis like Donald J. Trump! Nazi groups like the Republican Party!”
D. MUNDER: (Brightening at this suggestion) “I agree! Agree, agree, agree!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Finally hitting her groove) “While the rest of you have been out canvassing supporters of Bernie Sanders, AOC, and Elizabeth Warren, I looked into some statistics. Despite the habit of protesters on college campuses and elsewhere to adopt rhetoric used by Hamas and other violent groups, not once has any mainstream, domestic news outlet identified such people as being Nazis...”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Manifesting disbelief) “Please! Your argument has no basis in fact!”
F. FRONK: “It sounds like poppycock to me!”
D. MUNDER: (Sneering) “A stupid claim for stupid people!”
S. SEAGRAVE: “You have to understand the mindset of those who live in fear, every day. They are well aware of the history involved, of the Holocaust and such evil deeds perpetrated upon their people. They may vary in political views, and opinions on the government of Israel. But none of them deserve to be targeted for who they are...”
D. MUNDER: (Condescendingly) “That just isn’t happening!”
F. FRONK: (With indignation) “Look, I’m no bigot. As a proud warrior for justice, I’ve earned everything I have! And I stand with those who share my beliefs! End of story!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Sighing loudly) “You’re missing the point, friends. People here on our own soil have become radicalized in a way never seen before. They chant slogans that are dangerous and incendiary. The end result is what we have seen with this tragic incident...”
F. FRONK: “Elon Musk is a disgusting piece of filth! A Nazi! That’s where you find a real disciple of Hitler! I refuse to retract what I know is true!”
D. MUNDER: “A Nazi!”
N. KHANDARIAN: “I agree! A Nazi!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Speaking with frustration) “See, you’re all doing it again. Going back to playing word games with your terminology. When the Governor of Pennsylvania was attacked, at his official residence, did you call the perpetrator by that name?”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Looking confused) “Umm... I haven’t read anything that says he was a Nazi like Elon Musk, or Herr Trump!!”
F. FRONK: (Stiffening slightly) “No, not a Nazi that I know of!”
D. MUNDER: (Tapping his fingers on the conference table) “No one has called him a Nazi!”
S. SEAGRAVE: “In both cases, Jewish individuals were targeted because of who and what they are, and you have no comments to offer?”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Looking confused) “I haven’t seen anything that says either offender was a Nazi like Elon!”
F. FRONK: “No, not a Nazi that I know of, honestly! Not Nazis like the Fox News gang!”
D. MUNDER: “No one has called him a Nazi!”
S. SEAGRAVE: I can’t believe that this is hard to understand...”
N. KHANDARIAN: “What is your point, Shale? You’ve lost me completely!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Folding her hands) “When you hear certain people say things that are anti-Semitic, and extreme, hesitation keeps you from clapping back. You want to parse words and use care in passing judgment. But then you are clumsy with the terminology involved, when it comes to addressing your opponents. Bold when calling out those with whom you have a partisan disagreement...”
F. FRONK: (Reddening) “Not at all! I speak truth to power!”
D. MUNDER: (Beginning to sweat) “I am proud to traffic in the truth!’
N. KHANDARIAN: “The truth, and nothing but the truth!”
S. SEAGRAVE: “The real story here is about how protests in the United States are being fueled by outside activists and agitators. Haven’t you wondered about any of the details?”
N. KHANDARIAN: (With a blank expression) “Honestly, no!”
F. FRONK: “Umm... no!”
D. MUNDER: (Frowning) “Of course not! No!”
S. SEAGRAVE: “The use of extreme language here in our own country is only making it more difficult to bring about peaceful change. This is how the Holocaust sprouted from seeds planted by the genuine Nazis, in Germany during the 1930’s. Did you know anything about that?”
Jaws dropped around the table.
N. KHANDARIAN: (Turning pale) “Honestly, no!”
F. FRONK: “Umm... no, no, no!”
D. MUNDER: (Frowning) “Well, honestly, no! I think you’re making things up!”
S. SEAGRAVE: (Taking a deep breath) “I would suggest that instead of throwing stones at the opposition, you need to start looking for clues about how to solve this awful conundrum!!”
N. KHANDARIAN: (Waving to the camera for a quick exit) “Annnnnnnd, that’s all the time we have! Thank you everyone! Tune in next week for another episode of the PBS Rising Up Roundtable! Thank you very much! Stay vigilant! Stay strong against fascism! And stay informed!”
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