17th Letter; video

[discretion]

[It's late morning, and Franz is rather fetching in a gray three-piece suit. It appears he's stopped in the kitchen for a moment. It's a pleasant scene, nearly as put-together as a magazine scene.]

Maybe I'm just in a bit of a strange mood, but, I want to know - what are you thankful for?

I'm thankful that we, as Newcomers, have each other. And I invite any of you who've just turned up on this dreadful island to please feel free to ask me anything you'd like about life here. I'm sort of an expert.

[Franz looks thoughtful, and then amused.]

I suppose I'm also thankful that I got all of my shopping done ahead of time.

Comments

[text]

[aprettybutterfly]

Thankful for incompetent cops.

voice;

[discretion]

--That's not a comforting response.

forever text;

[aprettybutterfly]

Makes it easier for justice. They're all corrupt.

voice forever;

[discretion]

[sharply] There are good cops out there.

[aprettybutterfly]

Never met a good cop. Even ex-cop. Wrote bad things in his book, told the world about stuff he shouldn't have.

All cops have an agenda. Don't care who's guilty or innocent as long as the quota is filled.

[discretion]

That's not true of the ones I've known. Cops are just like soldiers. Some of them use their power and strength to rule over others, to do unrecoverable damage - I won't deny that's true. But just as many are working hard to keep the rest of us safe. They see their job as a duty to their fellow man.

[aprettybutterfly]

Bad joke. Soldiers do what the government tells them. So do the cops. The government is corrupt, so the cops and soldiers and lawyers are corrupt.

Infestation. We need to protect ourselves from it. No one cares about their fellow man. They care about riches.

[discretion]

[Well, this person is certainly a downer. Franz can't disagree with some of the sentiment, but he's known plenty exceptions to the rule.] --Even you?

[aprettybutterfly]

[He does know a joke. But it's also a downer.]

Don't like money. Makes people act crazy.

[discretion]

So can poverty and desperation.

Or having an axe to grind.

[aprettybutterfly]

No one's safe. That's the point. That's why they need a watchman.

Axes take too long.

[discretion]

And what makes the this watchman any different, any safer from corruption? I've met plenty of men who thought they were just, and most of them just wanted to force their beliefs on the world - beliefs which held them in supremacy.

Oh, Franz, play right into my hands /cackles

[aprettybutterfly]

Who watches the watchmen? Used to be painted on the side of a wall. Better said out loud.

Still don't know the answer.

[discretion]

One way or another, what you're advocating is one man's law above all others.

[aprettybutterfly]

No. What is right or wrong. Doesn't matter the law. People do good things or bad things. Punish those who do bad things.

keywords relevant

[discretion]

Then what is the authority of right or wrong, if the law is not involved? Good and bad are subjective.

souls are irrelevant

[aprettybutterfly]

No. Good is good. Bad is bad. There is no middle ground.

[discretion]

Oh wow.

It actually kind of took me a long time to realize you're just crazy.

[aprettybutterfly]

Called it before. Doesn't make what I say wrong. There's only black and white. No grey.

[discretion]

...Being crazy or called crazy doesn't make you wrong, but seeing things in black and white does.

Well, good luck with that, I suppose.

[aprettybutterfly]

I'd say good luck to you. But you'll fail.

[discretion]

...Well, thanks for the little chat anyway. It was very enlightening. [It was not enlightening.]