Chapter Twenty

“He came here?” David Coombs, Manning’s lawyer was flabbergasted. The President visited one of USA’s most ‘dangerous’ prisoners in a clandestine fashion, not letting anyone outside of his circle know. “The media would freak if they knew there was any kind of connection there. I can’t believe he risked it.”

“It made my day,” said Manning. “He feels like this is all his responsibility, and he definitely doesn’t like playing political games, but I guess he thinks it’s the only way to do it while allowing those in the wrong to save face.”

“To be ‘moderate’ nowadays certainly looks liberal…unless you’re a liberal.” Coombs smiled. “What did you guys get into?”

“It felt like a bit of a pep talk,” said Manning. “but it’s like he’s living in two worlds. In his public demeanor, he’s solid but flexible, wise but cautious, and overall slow to change on the big issues. On the other hand, in candid moments, he’s just as hip as you or me. He knows war is stupid, he knows old money controls most of the government, military and big business, he knows corruption in the US is more rampant than ever before, but he doesn’t want to step on people’s toes. He wants them to evolve on their own.”

“Sounds like he knows you can’t force anyone to learn.”

“That’s where these feints and counter feints are so poignant,” Manning continued, “you can tell the government that the FDA has been bought and sold by Monsanto, you can tell the military their soldiers are killing civilians, you can tell the President the banks haven’t changed their ways, but if he tries to fight the status quo, they will inevitably gang up on him. On the other hand, if he sides with them…”

“The People become outraged enough to get off their asses and do something about it,” concluded Coombs. “He must be busy after the Aurora shootings.”

“He wouldn’t tell me much,” said Manning, “but it sounded as if it’s all part of the plan.”

“What, that Holmes is another Loughner?” asked Coombs.

“He used the word ‘patsy’. I couldn’t tell if he meant Lee Harvey Oswald or Sirhan Sirhan, but maybe he’s going deeper. Historically, the FBI/CIA have always known how to find killers who fit the mold, whatever their purposes may be.”

“The NRA certainly thinks he’s the boogeyman out to eradicate their ‘God-given right’ to bear arms,” said Coombs, “but then again, they do that every time a democrat holds office.”

“I got into this situation in the first place, because I believed this President was the one who could see us into the future. The old guard is stuck in their primal ways. They would rather profit from murder since they feel as if we will never evolve from it. In my fantasy, our leader says straight up: ‘WAR IS NOW ILLEGAL’. How cool would that be?”

“Hmmm…” thought Coombs, “ideal, for the average human, who doesn’t murder anyways, but what do we do with the most advanced killing machine ever created in history?”

“Penance,” said Manning. “Let them build back the countries they’ve destroyed. Let them raise the children of the parents they’ve killed. Let them feel good about being alive, instead of wishing they were dead.”

“Careful,” said Coombs, “or when you’re freed like Mandela, and you get a first class ticket to the White House, I’ll hold you to those words.”

“Do that,” relied Manning. “I dare you.”