CSI: American Carnage (Wednesday, June 10, 2020)
UNDISCLOSED LOCATION – The half dozen or so founding members of the Antifascists of Kropotkin Wellness and Elder Care complex roll into the center’s commonroom early on a recent morning. Avril is there, his IV attached to his chair. So is Mabel, helped in by her aide, Mr. Mark. Mrs. Jansky, Earl, Martha, and Granny Oates are still ambulatory. They arrive and take seats at the table. The gathering, attended by a reporter for CSI under the condition that location and participants remain undisclosed, is a regular occurrence at Kropotkin, a large facility ravaged by COVID-19. The virus has brought down many elderly activists at a time when they believe their services are most necessary. Avril says, Are we all here? Earl says, I don’t know. Mrs. Jansky looks around and says, It seems so. I want to know what we’re going to do about these police riots. That’s the top of my agenda. We’ve lost Comrade Martin for a period of time. We don’t know how long. Earl, did he black out the cops’ radios before they took him down? Earl says, What Mrs. Jansky? Can you speak up? Mrs. Jansky shouts at Earl, Did Martin complete his mission? Earl says, I don’t know. You know I’m working on the self-defense committee. Avril says, Who’s Martin? Mrs. Jansky says, He’s leader of the Buffalo cell. You know that Avril. We talked about it last night. Remember? Avril pauses for a moment and then falls silent. Mrs. Jansky says, Have we got the plans for the bunker yet? Trump has retreated to his bunker. Earl, have you hacked into the mainframe yet? Earl says, Hard to tell, Mrs. Jansky, everything’s in some strange language. Back in the day, code was code, you could read it and move around and, I don’t know, it was different back then, and before that, there wasn’t code at all, but you could bug and tap, that’s for sure! Those were great days, Mrs. Jansky, great days. Mrs. Jansky says, Yes they were. You know, Nixon loved to play poker. He was good, but not as good as Ho, I’ll tell you that, and not as good as JFK. Boy did Jack stare down Khrushchev. And Fidel, remember the harvest of the sugar cane? Earl shakes his head, No I don’t. You know I was never in the Venceramos Brigades. Avril says, What? Speak up Earl, you always mumble. Mumble mumble mumble. I get tired of it. How can we organize anything if you’re mumbling around like a muzzled puppy dog with candy in your mouth? Can’t do it. Just can’t. Granny Oates snaps to attention. She says, Where’s Martin? Mrs. Jansky says, He was attacked by police in Buffalo. He’s in the hospital. He’ll be alright. Granny Oates says, Such a nice boy. I was always fond of him. And his mother. She could break down an AR15 and snap it back together in record time, whip around and take out a SWAT team faster than you could say Jiminy Cricket. Wonderful too with bricks and razor blades. Granny Oates gets a dreamy look in her eyes. Avril cries out, Mabel needs some help! Mabel needs some help! Mabel is shaking. Mark, her aide, says, Calm down everybody, she just needs a little insulin. Mrs. Jansky says, Well, I never. Mark you have to be more careful. Mabel’s a senior, you know. Mark says, I know Mrs. Jansky, she can be quite ornery sometimes. Mrs. Jansky turns back to the conference table and says, Alright. I think that’s it for this morning. I think Rev. Al going to be on in a few minutes with more of his liberal bullshit. Why don’t we reconvene after mid-morning snack? – Wednesday, June 10, 2020