Molly and I sat quietly as Hireman returned to the stand he was given to stand behind during the course of the debate. His opening statement was filled with misinformation, making it seem like Washerman had turned himself into a Bison-Person before he began his crime wave. I knew that to be a lie, and had vowed to myself to correct that misinformation. But, I also knew I would have to wait until the "floor" was opened up the people who had come to see the debate. So for the moment, I was quiet.
Though, I was sure our agitation at Hireman's statement was visible to those around us. That was also compounded by the fact that in the position where Molly and I were sitting, we had to essentially crouch on our legs to make sure they were not sticking out into someone's back. It made it look like were circus animals in a way, but the position was unavoidable.
Once Hireman returned to his podium to the moderator motioned over to Tabby. She then nodded and approached the central podium to address the people sitting in the gym.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Tabby began, "the present campaign has been a tough one, but one that flows around one central issue. That issue is our own morality and how we view ourselves. My opponent continually says we need to oppress Molly Rhoer-Wayne to keep her from attacking our children... yet she has NEVER betrayed any inclination to attack people. She has not attacked any children and has in fact even saved one. She has not attacked any person outside of the school where Mr. Hireman's policies are not in effect. We all know this to be true."
Tabby paused for a moment before continuing.
"Now he uses the actions of one that many would consider to be insane as a reason to further oppress Molly Rhoer-Wayne because the criminal happened to turn himself into an Animal-Person," Tabby continued, "by my opponent's words, we must judge someone, who no one has ever seen harm a human or someone's livestock, by a different individual's actions. What is that? What is the policy that attacks an individual for the actions of others, or because their different?"
Tabby then leaned forward.
"That is racism, pure and simple," Tabby began her concluding statement, "and that is the threat to our children today. I'm sure many of you do not approve of the verdict that granted people the right to purchase and use the Animatrix Serum, but that genie is out of the bottle, and likely won't be put back in. The Animal-People are here and here to stay. Our response as a society must be one of tolerance. We must show that we are above the petty tendencies of the past. We must step above that. Because if we don't and the racist tendencies that Hireman wants to teach our children is taught... we will give up our morality and when the real fight for a better future begins, it will potentially be more violent then anything we've seen in our history... when the Animal-People, who are in no way shape or form controlled by their instincts decide they've had enough of being oppressed and treated as second class citizens for their choices. And that is what this race is about. Will we so ultra-conservative that we refuse to accept the changes around us... or will we accept that change happens and advance into a new light and a new dawn and a new world?"
And with that Tabby nodded to the moderator and returned to her own platform. As she did so, a few people began clapping. More people soon joined in. This wasn't an intended response and the moderator was soon banging a gavel down to try and restore the quiet that existed earlier so he could move on to the debate. It took him a couple of minutes to get that. Once that was done, the moderator turned to begin the series of prepared questions that were the standard first part of the debate.
"Mr. Hireman, the first question goes to you," the moderator spoke, "and is intended to clarify various portions of your positions when it comes to the Animal-People in the Columbia Falls School System."
"Go ahead," Hireman replied, trying to sound polite.
"You routinely make the insinuation that your regulations and actions are the only thing keeping Molly Rhoer-Wayne from attacking someone," the moderator began, "but your opponent has raised a valid point. No one has seen Mrs. Rhoer-Wayne attack anyone outside of school and the lone supposed incident of a "tiger-person" attacking someone's cattle was proved to be a hoax created to try and drive them out. But your regulations do not apply outside of school grounds and the various City Council Ordinances, intended to be just as stringent as your policies against Molly Rhoer-Wayne and her husband, have been removed. How can you justify oppressing them as the only way to protect our children when outside of your authority, no similar measures are in place and there have been no corresponding increase in tiger related attacks?"
"They still have their human minds," Hireman answered, "just as capable of reasoning out tactics as we are. But combined with the predatory instincts of one of the world's apex predators, the danger is not in expecting an all out attack. The danger is in deviousness. More then likely, they have held back because they know and fear the consequences of a potential mistake. Which is why my measures are necessary. If there is no potential punishment for screwing up... their devious nature may decide to take advantage because they know they won't get in trouble."
"You're just looking for excuses!" Tabby accused.
"And again, in the case of George Wayne, people have been attacked, and he has caused trouble," Hireman continued, "he attacked a man in his home. He was charged and arrested on drug possession and attempted battery, but to be attacked by a five hundred pound tiger is absolutely excessive. Suppose his paw had caught the man's head or neck? The man would have been killed when his head was crushed or bleed to death when his neck was sliced open. And again during the latest series of incidents, he chased a local rancher's cattle for several miles and if it weren't for the fact that the ranchers and animal control officers were there, and were armed, he would have killed one of the cattle, representing a tremendous loss of money for the rancher in question. And he operates in the system that has foolishly removed the laws to control them. I will not make the same mistake."
I gave a low growl at that. The first charge was the domestic disturbance that Officer Barnes and I had been called to. The person I had "jumped on" had been trying to attack his girlfriend with a bat when she apparently smoked the last of "his" Marijuana. My response was merely to capture him, and I had full control over where my paws where. Hireman also seemed to fail to remember that with the exception of the Cheetah, all cat's claws were retractable. My claws wouldn't extend unless I wanted to extend them. Even if I had somehow missed the non-lethal parts of a target, someone would not be clawed automatically. Hireman knew nothing about the control Molly and I had over our bodies and how precise we could be. And the mention of moving the Ames' cattle back to their ranch was a complete fabrication. Yes, I'd chased the cattle, but not in a predatory way... I was merely part of the effort to herd the cattle back to the ranch, and I'd clung back enough that I wouldn't be in the way of anything... or to spook the cattle any more then they might have been. Only Molly's paw-like hand on my back kept me from doing any more.
The debate continued back and forth as the moderator asked both Tabby and Hireman questions on a variety of subjects. Some were related to Molly's work in the school, some was related to monetary issues, some was related to the school's sports program, and some was related to possible pet projects that they would like to do to improve the local school system. Tabby did much better this time when it came to dealing with the sports related issues, largely by shifting the focus away from buying new uniforms every year to using the money to either improve the fields and facilities, hire couches that could make the teams better, and other things to show that her ideas were not aimed at destroying the school's sports program. Hireman tried his best to make that attack, but Tabby was managing to do a better job of deflecting that attack.
After forty five minutes, the debate moved into what was more like a town hall meeting where the people could ask their own questions of the candidates.
"We will now open the floor to any questions that you may have," the announcer spoke, "Please stand and wait for an aid to approach with a microphone."
I then stood up, hunching over quite a bit to keep my head from hitting the ceiling. The moderator gasped slightly, but gave the acknowledgment.
"Officer George Wayne," the moderator spoke.
An aide slowly came up the stairs to where Molly and I were seated.
"I don't need a microphone," I chuckled to him, "I'm sure he can hear me."
The aid slowly nodded, almost chuckling with me and stood to a side, but remained near where I was standing.
"My question relates to your opening statements, Mr. Hireman," I spoke in a clear and loud voice. Not quite a full roar, but load enough that I was clearly heard by everyone. In it, you used the recent case against Horace Washerman as part of your argument for your racism. In it, you missed a lot of the details, if not all of them. My question, is from where did you get the storyline that Washerman took the Serum BEFORE he committed the crimes?"
"I beg your pardon?" Hireman responded.
"I was assigned to the case against Horace Washerman," I answered, "I know when he took the Serum in relation to his crimes. Your statement does not match up with events. How did you come to the conclusion that becoming an Animal-Person was the first thing that Washerman did?"
"Washerman was apprehended by the FBI, not the Columbia Falls Police Department," Hireman answered, "and when they made their statement to the papers, they said he was a Bison-Person... Nice try, Officer Wayne."
Technically he was right. Washerman had been apprehended by the FBI as they were the ones who had the official jurisdiction in the case, but he still missed the fact that I was there.
"Do you know they asked for my help as well as my partner's and the help of one of the local County Sheriffs?" I asked him, "I was there for his capture... and even if I wasn't there for the capture, I DID investigate his actions around the Ames' Ranch and the attack on Michael York."
"And what did you learn there?" Hireman retorted, "that Bison eat grass?"
"He was HUMAN when he committed those crimes," I answered.
"How would you possibly know that?" Hireman asked back.
"Because he was human when the FBI, myself, my partner, one County Sheriff's Officer, and several Park Ranger went to apprehend him," I answered, "and I watched him take the Serum when he found himself lost and unable to flee any farther... and even if I hadn't, his scent at the scene of his crimes in Columbia Falls was human."
"His scent?"
"Yes," I nodded, "His scent."
"Look at this!" Hireman then boasted, "more proof that they're insane and must be monitored! The cat now thinks he's a Bloodhound!"
That earned some laughter, as he was using the fact that cats weren't known to track prey by scent as a sort of stereotypical argument that cats didn't have a good sense of smell. He ignored the fact that while my sense of smell wasn't as good as a canid's, it was still far better then a human's. Scents were just as important to cats as they were to dogs.
"Laugh all you like, but I was there when Washerman took the Serum, which was at the end of his string of crimes," I finished, "and it is what resulted in his death at the hands of FBI Agents and Glacier National Park Rangers. Your statement was in error and I still want to know where you got idea that turning himself into a Bison was the first thing he did?"
"The FBI statement," Hireman replied, "that is all you need to know. Next question, please."
The moderator nodded and his aide left the area. I slowly resumed the "sitting" position I was in earlier.
"Not everyone will hear the facts," Molly whispered to me.
"I still wonder how people live without understanding the facts," I grumbled.
When the debate ended, we were met by Joseph Patten and Tabby as we made it to the gym floor.
"He really was human when he was found?" Tabby asked first.
"Yes," I answered, "it was how he was able to wound the Park Ranger and execute the FBI Agent. He then emptied the revolver he had when he fled... but those shots were wild. He could not have fired a weapon built for humans if he had taken the Serum first."
"Wow," Tabby then spoke.
"All the same, Officer Wayne," Patten said with a sigh, "that was foolish."
"What?" I gasped, "He lied about how an investigation I was involved in was run and used it to make it seem like he was controlled by a Bison's instincts."
"Yes, yes he did," Patten nodded, "but because this race has become so heated, there are fact checkers that will double check Hireman's statements for the newspapers. Which means that they will check with the FBI and with your chief, Officer Howard. All the reports needed to confirm that Washerman was human when he committed the crimes here would be proved. By countering him directly... you've allowed Hireman to turn it into a "he said/she said" match. You've spoken the truth, but he will merely say it is his word against yours in this case, and may even make the accusation that you, your partner, the desk officers at your station, or even Officer Howard himself falsified the reports that you have to make your department look better... which will make the fact checker's jobs more difficult, and will give Tabby a tougher time. And in an area where people trust the government less then they trust their worst personal enemies... creating suspicion that the government is corrupt is pretty easy."
"The reports are accurate," I answered, "and even if they weren't there, our sense of smell is good enough to tell the difference."
"I have no doubt," Patten answered, "but cats are known for having excellent eyesight and hearing rather then smell... and few people around here have studied animals well enough to know that scents are important for just about any animal... but so long as there is suspicion that the reports are inaccurate, that will help Hireman. Regardless of whether or not the suspicions correct."