The Punks, the Reporter and the O.P.O.
The following is a transcript of a television news story featuring Rena James of KSFT interviewing Brasidas of the Wardens. This piece was shot in a park after Brasidas caught suspects fleeing the scene of a burglary. Apparently, Brasidas had caught them in the act.
Rena James |
Wow, you made short work of these guys. |
Brasidas |
All in a day's work for the people of San Francisco. |
Rena James |
What did these men do? |
Brasidas |
They were burglarizing a toy store. |
Suspect |
We weren't doing nothing! |
Brasidas |
Note the Fisher Price toy he's still holding on to after several snap kicks to the head, four shield bashes to the face and a couple of spear thrusts to the chest and gut. |
Rena James |
Indeed. What do you think about the Office of Paranormal Oversight? |
Brasidas |
It makes me nervous. Why should I have to put my life on inspection because certain government agencies were caught off guard by terrorist attacks? We at the Wardens are caught off guard every day by the nutty things (gesturing with his spear toward the subdued suspects) people do, but we don't require you to register with the Office of Normal Oversight. |
Rena James |
What about normal people having to register with the I.R.S., the D.M.V., or other such agencies? |
Brasidas |
That's a fair point. But where do you draw the line? We pay our taxes and have driver's licenses, too. The government knows we're here. They know we want to cooperate. They know we have co-operated. But normal people have a right to privacy, and we do, too. The Office of Paranormal Oversight seems to me to be an invasion of privacy waiting to happen, and paranormals aren't going to be the only one with curtailed rights. |
Suspect |
Why don't you register? You're hazardous, man! |
Brasidas |
That comment would play better if A - I hadn't caught you stealing baby toys, and B - you weren't still holding onto that Fisher-Price toy, which is obviously not yours. |
Rena James |
(to the suspect) I know the cops aren't here, yet, but I am conducting an interview that will be run on television. You're not helping your cause. |
Suspect |
(still holding toy) You should be interviewing me about paranormal brutality! That costumed freak is running around with a bad Halloween costume and pointy spears violating my rights! |
Rena James |
(giving the suspect the talk to the hand gesture) Anyway, enough people are concerned about the issue to virtually blockade your docks in the city. |
Brasidas |
It is their right to protest, which is one of the things the Wardens are fighting to protect. But it does make life more difficult for us. (SFPD officers arrives on the scene.) Here they are, officers. Hey, I'm gonna go back on patrol. Remember, even though we can be frightening to people sometimes, paranormal registration is not the answer. With all this terrorist stuff going on in the world, anyone's rights can be restricted by the government down the
road. I think people are too good for that to happen. Most are upstanding individuals. They can overcome life's hardship with a little encouragement. The government can be helpful, it doesn't have to be stifling. |
