Gale Xanders stepped out to the podium in front of her NFL Headquarters. She had just called a press conference, informing the media it was not related to any NFL business. Instead she looked out at the cameras for a few moments in silence as the reporters waited for her to speak. "Ladies and Gentleman, citizens of the United States and Gothic...I want to speak to you about the recently broadcast Inaugural address of the new Gothic City Mayor. You will recall he passionately defended the so called Registration Act and called for a similar measure in the defense of Gothic City itself. His voice is not the first to speak in such a manner, nor will it be the last. There has been an increasing ground swell of support for such an Act and I fear that it will soon come to pass."
She paused a moment, allowing her words to register before she continued, placing both hands on the podium. "About a year ago my name, my identity as Xae, was broadcast across the planet for all to see. This was a sort of forced Registration by the public terrorist group known as the Humans First Foundation. Let's consider what occurred as a result. First, I was put in immediate harm and continual threatened harm...I receive threats daily now, most of which are meaningless, some of which are not. Second, tell me who is safer knowing my identity as a hero? Who benefits? Do you? No certainly not, in fact the public gained nothing from this knowledge and even began to question how much I could be trusted, after all, it was reasoned by many that by not saying I was Xae, I effectively lied. Tell me, if you can, how many lives have been saved, how many people have been helped, knowing my identity. I can give you the number..." She pulled a piece of paper out and unfolded it, placing it on the podium. "Zero." She said simply, staring with predatory eyes at the camera. "The concept of Registration is that by knowing the person behind the mask and even, according to some proposals, their abilities, technology and origin, everyone will be safer."
She shook her head a little and continued after a moment's pause. "I ask you...how? The supporters of these Acts will talk about Satar and Dark Vengeance and any number of other famous names and how, if we just knew who they were or better yet, if we knew about them BEFORE they were adults, we could...train them. They say it's for our own benefit and theirs, the mutants and so on will be able to better use their abilities for the betterment of the planet and won't accidentally kill anyone."
She took a breath and sighed. "And uh...who trains them? Oh...of course, the Government. So now you have a government with a list of people, their powers, abilities, origins and technology...and you've been training them since they were young. Fascinating yes? Well who might these children look to as they grow older, who might they, I don't know...want to help? The Government. It's not protection people, it's enslavement with a different name. Enslave the mutant population in a way that they will never see it coming. Enslave them with training, education...GOVERNMENT, training and education. A whole generation of mutants and meta-humans who have known nothing but the Government's support and training, taught what the Government wants them to know to either act as the proud soldiers of a new era or..." She smiled a little. "What happens if you disagree? What happens, if you say 'I don't want my identity known, I don't want your training?' Well simple, now you're a criminal to be rounded up and put into camps. For training, of course. Re-education, you might call it. Are these extreme examples? Yes of course they are, but you must consider the long game, where these Acts can lead in the long term with eventually tyrannical governments. It's a fact of Human social evolution that a free society becomes increasing dictatorial. You trade freedom for security. People are afraid, it's already happening. People are beginning to talk about security instead of freedom."
Gale shook her head. "What if I proposed a law by which all African Americans must register their names, addresses and skills with the government? Is that legal, is it fair...is it free? Of course supporters will say 'but African Americans can't blow up cities on whim' neither can most mutants. Perhaps what we should do is figure out ways to deal with the threats, better ways to combat what is coming and even preemptively deal with it. When Terrorists came to America's doorstep, it hunted down their camps, it killed the leadership and it sought to establish new laws and practices that would prevent such attacks from occurring as frequently or as catastrophically. Do you know what it didn't do? It didn't force Muslim Americans to register with the government because of the actions of a few."
She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "I have residence in Gothic, when this law is passed I will be forced to register or be declared a criminal...so I'm taking preemptive action of my own. As of this moment, I am retiring from Heroic life. Do you feel safer now?" Gale asked and turned away, walking back into her building without another word.
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