AACOOLDRE
01-15-2002, 03:33 PM
WATERGATE PART 2
By Andre Austin, Playwright
Copyrights
Cast of Characters:
King Richard VI of the Blue party
Security Advisor Sgt. Kiss
Kedar member of the Yellow Party
Candace Secretary to the King
Victoria, girlfriend of Kedar
PG are prime Guards for King Richard. The Roman version of Praetorian guards
King Henry VIII who pardons Richard VI
Cadmites, Slaves to the Blue & Silver party President Finkcoln frees
Vulcans evil members of the Silver party
“Bushy: Wherein the King stands generally condemn’d
Bagot: If judgment lie in them, then so do we” –King Richard II from Shakespeare
Fictional rendition of the WaterGate scandal
In the situation room
King Richard: We have to do something quickly Kiss. I say lets burn up all the tapes. Then the Senate will have no cause to throw them articles up against us.
Sgt. Kiss: No, No, dear Richard. Lets silence Kedar up with some hush money. If we destroy the evidence we have nothing to leave our successors who will be able to indict the Vulcan’s who assassinated President Finkcoln. We can hide all the tapes with explicit orders to our servants only to release them upon our deathbeds.
King Richard: All the time you have been in my administration your words and advice have been seasoned with political salt. But now this salt has been turning into sweet, weak sugar. My grandfather taught me that:
“My counsel is my shield
We must be brief when traitors brave the field”
(Richard III Act IV scene III Shakespeare).
Now Some of all the presidents’ men do not concur with me. Kedar’s not motivated by money. Talks shouldn’t be of a bargain. There can be no truce between the Yellow and Blue party. Have you ever seen a Deer breaking bread with a lion?
Sgt.Kiss: Well I’ve seen Donkeys riding on the backs of Elephants. Be wise my King and take not counsel from King Rich the third but maybe perhaps from King David who said “The lord God is a sun and shield” Psalm 84:11 Kedar’s grandmother just died so he is susceptible to bribes.
Take my advise with reason which is wise
My counsel is the same Niccolo Machiavelli would advise
King Richard: Yes but you have do to things in seasons least the shield will turn into a mirror for the sun and burn you up into flames. The shield of the sun is none other than Venus, which is the only star that orbits the sun. But thousands of years ago Venus was Lucifer and caused an ice age upon the earth. And this is why half the world is still cold blooded today.
As Secretary Candace types up the transcripts of their conversation she talks to herself under her breath.
Just what is poor ****s panty shield
There’s a difference between those who command State power from those who wield
Kiss, kiss, and another kiss
If I had my way he would kiss this.
They think this man possesses golden words
Only if they knew he gets his advise from birds.
Poor Richard. Wasn’t not Homer who said, “Your advice is to obey a flying bird? What is a bird to me? I care nothing for birds, whether they fly east to the rising sun, or whether they fly west to the darkest gloom. We had better obey the counsels of Zeus almighty” Iliad book 12
Sgt. Kiss: Then to do well to friends and do ill to enemies is our version of Justice? But this maxim may reverse itself depending upon the times or situations.
Secretary Candace: Speaking under her breath again
Who saw Nature only through books or artificial conceits
Who spoke of love and justice, but practiced
Gross selfishness between class and class
Sex and Sex, condition and conditions –Abdullah Yusuf Ali
King Richard: Yes and its all about timing the ploughs in its proper season so that the salt of all our actions will preserve rather than destroy us. It is impossible to lay down in one general rule because the tides and courses to be followed vary with the circumstances.
Secretary Candace: Can you guys talk a little slower. It’s kind of hard for me to keep up here. You guys must have die-hard batteries connected to your motor mouths.
King Richard: Read us back the outline of our discussions Candace.
Secretary Candace: Ok well it’s not much but I have the meat of it here.
Outline
1. No longer tape Kedar & the Vulcans (Silver party) on the same tape
2. Ways we can prevent Kedar from issuing a subpoena of the tapes
3. While we were bugging Kedar office our secret government squad illegally killed a Vulcan in another building.
4. Sonic Scientist, once they hear the tapes, will discover the unique sound of the TK pistols only issued to King Richards Prime Guards (PG)
5. Kedar office was bugged to prevent his Yellow party to gain control over the Blue party in next year’s elections.
King Richard: Very good Candace your excused now. I want all of this typed up and placed on my desk before you leave tonight.
Secretary Candace: Yes sir. You will have it before the end of the day.
King Richard: Very well then.
Sgt. Kiss: I think we should set up a covert meeting.
Two of King Richard’s Prime Guards (PG) went to Kedar’s work office to offer him a bribe to hush up his mouth. As they entered his office suite he was playing a tape of Gill Scott Heron give his poetic rendition of the Water-Gate Blues. Kedar’s office was on top floor of the Loraine office Buildings. His office was on the same level of the roof Top. He often times exited his bullet protected sliding doors to walk on the roof where he maintained a swimming pool he nicknamed Nun. As the two PG’s came onto his patio they interrupted Gill’s poetic music. Kedar turns the tape off as the guards walk up to him.
Kedar: Man don’t you guys know how to pick up the phone and set up an appointment.
PG: You know we operate in secrecy
Kedar: More like operating in deceit.
PG: You know how it is. So I see you still playing those ancient tapes of poets of long ago yesterday?
Kedar: Yes. But its funny how some things are so reminiscent.
PG: 1972 and 1974 was a long time ago. You’re living in the past.
Kedar: The past is the future and the future is past not so soon.
For there’s nothing new that’s under the old moon.
PG: Very good
If I could I would knock on some wood.
But I’m surrounded by your water and airs of breeze
The King offers a hundred thousand dollars if your mouth would freeze
Kedar: The revolution must be marketed. I must live on to fight another day. If I wasn’t having so much family problems I wouldn’t submit. Plus I could do a lot of good with this money like donating a portion to a black hospital and opening up an entertainment center so that young people can have something to do instead of running the streets doing nothing but robbing and stealing.
PG: Okay. You have to wash the money. You can get a $100,000 out of a bank, and it all comes in serialized bills.
Kedar: I’m following you. So I can go to Vegas and clean it up by trading it in for money chips then a couple of days later exchanging those chips for different mixed money?
PG: I see now your learning the game quickly
Kedar: I wasn’t always a revolutionary.
PG: Well you could of fooled us.
Kedar takes the brief case that’s loaded up with cash and begins to recite a line or two
Kedar: This isn’t Shakespeare’s comedy of errors
Tapes are still running sending back images like mirrors
They thinking now I’m on the take
And this shall be one of many mistakes
No I’m not like Arnold first name of Benedict
I’m going to make them the laughing stock of the Senate
Two men from a Mission
Handing out two pardons
This isn’t the Orange Juice trial
And I’m not Christ Darden
Self inflicted crisis demands
That America should have a sound mind
So that Elephants can roam the streets free
And eat all of the peanuts they can find
A pardon was given by Henry the eight
To save the country for goodness sake
But the eyes of the public became awake
That Vampires/Empires die by wooded stakes
But I like the spring not at all the fall
I desire only that which is written in laws
What’s a politician’s savior?
When he no longer has the publics favor?
I read somewhere they were seeking peace
I seek peace so please cease
A black spark causes showers of white fire
Taps on the phone getting off this wire
Before I sell you firestone tire
And dream of dooms with 200% desire
When will the madness end?
Donkeys and Elephants used to be friends?
3/5 of a vote is like an ape being muted with no voice
I pardon you because I haven’t got a god **** choice
The PG walk off the patio and exit down the elevators. Kedar’s wife, Victoria was listening in the background and came out on the patio.
Victoria: Did you just make that up honey? That was a very deep poem I wish you had more.
Kedar: When your hit by government liar’s god sends down inspiration. Some times its just one poem sometimes its three in just one day.
Victoria: I over heard the conversations with all of the Goons. I know your not planning on keeping that money?
Kedar: Honey I thought you said you knew me. You see that camera on the other building that facing us. I had one of my friends plant it there. You see this tape recorder that was playing Gill Scott Heron WaterGate blues. When I turned off the music I put a blank tape in. Now I got them on video and tape.
Victoria: So what are you going to do now send this information to Senator Morning of the yellow party who is known for investigating members of the Blue and Silver party. I’m sick and tired of the Blue party trying to prevent the Yellow party from getting more political and economic power. Then they assasinated President Finkcoln of the Silver party who used to be a member of the Blue party for freeing the Cadmites. The blue party put the Cadmites back in slavery.
Kedar: Don’t forget there was speculation that the blue party killed a Vulan 6 months ago for advocating the emancipation proclamation of the Cadmites.
Victoria: Poor Alcmena they didn’t have to shoot him up like that. And just think all of this happened just across the building next door. The police have yet to find out who did it. We don’t know really who did it.
Kedar: The police know but they will not do anything about it until some one on the outside gives them evidence. The police need job security from their bosses.
Victoria: Politics really stinks.
Kedar: Stinks real bad for those who don’t wear perfume or cologne to cover up their fraud and crimes. All of them stink but it’s hard to tell because they masquerade their funk up all the time.
Victoria: So whats the next step we have to do?
Kedar: First of all I’m going to make triplet copies of all my evidence and send it to Senator Morning and one or two of my friends just in case something happens to me
Scene 2 Three days latter Senator Morning is on the phone with Kedar.
Senator Mourning. Next Monday I want you to catch a flight down here in Aton district. We are going to be holding some hearings on the attempted bribery and other related charges. It appears there was some other things going on that you didn’t even know about.
Kedar: Really? I trying to get you guys to subpoena all of the Blue party emails because I suspected that they were illegally taping into my computer phone system. I used to conduct all of my Party business on conference calls and instant message phone system because it was cheaper than using the regular phone system. Strange things were happening that caused me to speculate someone was having advance knowledge of all my moves.
Senator Mourning: Yes I recall. But I couldn’t do nothing until you gave me positive evidence now.
Kedar: And now it seems the eggs are beginning to hatch.
Senator Mourning: Yes the sun is rising and the people will no longer be in the dark. And their perfume is wearing off.
The two of them start to bust out in laughs.
Kedar: What a coincidence I was saying that just three days ago.
Senator Mourning: As each day pass we grow closer and closer on the same page. Well good speaking with you and I look forward to seeing you Monday.
Kedar: See you Monday and take care.
Senator Mourning: Goodbye
Phone clicks off
Kedar: Well honey it looks like I’m headed to Aton District.
Victoria: Finally we can get these blue devils off our backs and hopefully in jail.
Kedar: Prospects for peace for the Yellow jacket Party is near.
SCENE II At the Round table of the Senate Hearings investigating the blue Party
Senator Morning: Quiet please. I like to call this meeting to order. Today is April 1st and it is now 10am. Good Mourning Mr. Kedar Brown how are you?
Kedar: Just fine sir. Thank you.
Just before the Senator was to ask some questions all of the proceedings were cancelled. An Aton park police slipped Senator Morning a note saying that 20 prisons riots have sparked off all at the same time in all the 13 colonies. The Cadmite slaves have broken into guns and ammunition stores reeking havoc. Kedar Brown was escorted to a secure undisclosed hotel. He sat in his chair looking into his dressing room mirror. Kedar was sad and deep down in the blues and began to play Gill Scott Heron’s WaterGate Blues. Because the country was in such disarray that Senator Morning’s investigations would never re surface again.
APPENDIX 1
GILL SCOTT HERON’s WATERGATEBLUES
These are incomplete excerpts from an old 25 plus year old record I obtained from my father. It’s not 100% accurate because some information was hard to hear. You will never be able to grasp this masterpiece unless you hear it. I’m publishing this as an appendix because it inspired me in part to write this play.
Background information. Republican John Mitchell was Chairman of CREEP or Committee to re elect President Nixon. The CREEPS was a campaign intelligence operation to discover what the DNC strategy was to elect their democratic candidate for President. Former CIA operatives were paid by the CREEPS to break into the DNC headquarters in Washington DC to plant bugs and take pictures of their records. Unfortunately they were all caught in the office by a black security guard Frank Willis. President Nixon tried to use the FBI and other governmental forces to cover it up. But Nixon left a trail of evidence against himself by installing secret recording devises in his Oval office. The Supreme Court had to force Nixon to release all of the tapes, some of which are still under seal today. The house and Senate prepared articles of impeachment that were never brought up because Nixon resigns from office effective 12 noon August 9th 1974. But without the diligent work of two young Washington Post newspaper journalist Woodward & Bernstein this story would have been covered up like the rest of the thousands that preceded it.
You pulled your own draws down to undrape
Shot yourself in the head with your own tapes
Ford to the rescue got you off the Hook
But you still had to tell America that you were no crook- A. Austin
Gill Scott:
You don’t want to be involved in this. This is going to be a blues number.
Let me see if I can dial this number
(Heron is apparently dialing the White House)
Click ringing, ringing (clicking noise indicating a recording devise)
(Phone answers)
I’m sorry sir but the government you have elected is inoperative. Click inoperative.
And for years it was though that it was only black people who could get the blues. So the blues hadn’t come into no international fame. But lately we have Frank Rizzo with the lie detector blues, and the United States talked about the energy crisis blues. And were gonna dedicate this next poem to spear head X [Spiro Agnew Vice president under Nixon]. The X second in command in terms of this question (audience “I heard that”) And the poem is called H20 G.A.T.E. And if H20 is still water and Gate is still Gate, then what we getting ready to deal on is the Watergate blues.
Just how blind America will be? (Audience “ain’t no telling”)
The world is on the edge of its seat
Defeat on the arising very surprising
That we could all see the plot
And claim that we could not
Just how blind America
Just as Vietnam exploded
In the rise crackle pop could not stop
People determined to be free
Just how blind will America be?
The shock of a Vietnam defeat
Sent Republicans to Wall Street
And when the roll was called
It was Pepsi Cola and Philips 66
Boeing and Lockheed
Ask them what they’re fighting for
And they will never mention the economics of war
Ecological warfare above all else
Destroy the land
If we can’t break the Asian will
Bomb the dikes and starve the man
America the international Jekyll and Hyde.
The land of a thousand faces
Sneaking up on you but rarely surprises
Afraid of shoeless undernourished Cambodians
While we strike big wheat bargains with Russia
Our nuclear enemy
Just how blind America will?
But tell me who was around when. Died?
And what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover? (FBI director died in 1972. Hoover was thought to have been instrumental in Martin L King & Malcolm X ‘s assassinations)
Chorus:
The King is proud of Patrick Gray (Acting director of the FBI)
While America faith
Is drowning beneath that Cesspool Watergate
How long will the cities sit and wait
Looking like Europe in 38
Did they move to stop Hitler before it was too late?
How long before America discontinue
Of keeping the schools systems segregated?
Watching the price of everything soar
And hearing complaints cause the rich want more
It seems Macabeth and not his lady went mad
We let him eliminate the whole middle class
The dollars the only thing we can’t inflate
While the poor go without a new minimum wage
Chorus: Repeats itself
But what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover (mystery surrounded this Tyrants death)
The king is proud of Patrick Gray
And there are those who say
America is drowning beneath that Cesspool Watergate.
How much more to the citizens need
That the inactions were sabotage by trickery and greed
And if this is so then who we got didn’t win
Lets do the whole ******* election over again (Florida on my mind)
The obvious thing about the charade
To run down all the games they played
…The nomination of
Supreme Court Justices to head off the tapes
Kent state, Jackson state southern Louisiana
The chaining and gagging of Bobby Seale
Somebody tell these Maryland Governors to be for real
We recall all of these events just to prove
Watergate wasn’t no news
The thing that seems to justify all of our fears
Is that all of this went down in the last five years
Chorus:
We leave America to ponder the image
Of justice from its new wave of leaders
Richard Daley Imperial Napoleonic
Mayor of Chicago who took over from Al Capone
And continues to implement the same tactics
George Wallace, Strom Thurmond Ronald Reagan (All Right Wing Conservatives)
An almost endless list
Of those who will not be missed
…And the silent white houses
With the James brothers once in concert
But we see the sour crop mafia men
Deserting the sinking white house ship
And its maimed, mindless mad mangling Ahab.
(This was directed towards Spiro T.Agnew who was know for using tongue twisting words that started with the same letter)
The cord has blown
Mitchell has blown
No tap on my telephone
(Repeated)
Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell and Dean
It follows a pattern if you dig what I mean
John dean, white house counsel H.R Haldeman John Ehrlichman, Presidential advisors John Mitchell, former Attorney General
(Repeated)
And what are we left with now
Bumper stickers that say free the Watergate 500
Spy movies with the same name
With cast of thousands
And in that phrase that if Nixon knew
Agnew knew (Agnew resigned before Nixon for Tax evasion)
But Ag didn’t knew enough to stay out of jail (Big laughter)
And what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover
The king is proud of Patrick Gray
And those who have seen King Richard, King Richard King Richard
I BEG YOUR PARDON
The Watergate blues the SEQUEL
Hi we like to do an idea for you that’s related to the H20 G. A.T.E. The WaterGate Blues.
In March of 1973 we wrote the WaterGate blues and 17 months later then President Nixon resign. But the story didn’t end there so we didn’t stop there.
We beg your pardon America
We beg your pardon because the pardon you gave wasn’t yours to give.
They call it due process. And some people are overdue.
We beg your pardon America.
Somebody said brotherman gonna break a window, gonna steal a hubcap gonna smoke some refer. Brotherman gonna go to jail. But the man who tried to steal America is not in jail. Get caught with a nickel bag [Five dollars worth of weed] get caught with a nickel bag sister lady on your way to get your hag fixed you will do big Ben [ten years in jail].And big Ben is time, but the man who tried to fix America will not do time. They say they gonna slap his wrist and retire him with 800,000 thousands dollars and America was shocked. America leads the world in shocks.800,000 thousands and the people protested so they said ok we will give him 200,000 dollars. Everybody said ok that’s better. I would like to retire with 200 thousands dollars some day. Sanquentin (Prison) not San Clemente , do not pass go, go directly to jail do not collect $ 200,000 thousand dollars.
We beg your pardon America. We beg your pardon because some how the pardon didn’t sit correctly. What was the cause of this pardon? They had flea bitetest. Rats bite us and we get no pardons in the Ghetto. They brought up National Security but do you feel secure with a man who tried to steal America is back on the streets again.
What are the results of this pardon will be? Because remember when there are causes there are results. And results are always deeper still. We now have Oak meal man. (Referring to Gerald Ford, Representative from Michigan who replaced Nixon as President. Michigan is also home of the Headquarters of Kellogg’s and Post who all make cereal. If this is connected to the oak meal man I do not know) Anytime you find someone in the middle,; anytime you find someone who is timid; anytime you find someone who is lukewarm. Anytime you find someone who has been in congress for 25 years and no one every heard of him you got oak meal man. Oak meal straddling uncomfortably on yards and feet of barbed wire (meaning all the tapes of Nixon?) it’s hard to live in the middle all of the time. Oak meal man who said he could fit all of his black friends in the trunk of his car and still have room for the Republican Elephant (Big time laughter). Oak meal man. “But there was no crime committed”. Oak meal man says that. America in 1975 your president will be a 1913 Ford. Regressive! Circle up the wagons to defend yourself from nuclear attack (Bush II Star Wars Panty shield). Oak meal man. Reminiscence of 1964 H20 Goodwater thank god he didn’t win. But he didn’t win. Oak meal man didn’t win (Bush v Gore 2000). I didn’t vote for him but that’s the first result. And the second in command would be the dreadful (Gov of NY) Nelson Rockefeller. Obviously be promoted for what he did at Attica. 43 dead (On death Row in Texas and 41 shots into a Blackman in NY. It would have been 43 but the cops missed twice). And once again America is in shock. (Baby face Nelson) being protected for the job he did on the streets of New York City. Where the pushers sell the drugs that the government allows in the country. And then they (black people) do the time. They do life and death or life and death behind bars while William says he is going to discontinue the furlough program. Bro Richard X of buffalo New York faces 1,365 that’s one thousand three hundred sixty five years for participating in Attica. And Rockefeller faces being the vice president of this country. And all this time they are easing upon the sands of San Clemente. (Attica prison riot erupted in September 1971 over horrible prison conditions like the lack of proper food, inadequate recreation and gross overcrowding. At the time of the riot there wasn’t not one African-American Guard employed while more than half of the prison population was Black. The State police stormed the prison shooting and killing inmates including 10 hostages who were correctional officers. Put to top it all off the state of New York had the nerve to charge some of the inmates for killing the C/O’s when their own fellow officers shot them. In 2001 Hollywood produced a movie on this American tragedy. Now back to Gill’s poetic speech.
We beg your pardon America. We beg your pardon once again. We find out that 7 out of ten black men in jail. And most of the men behind bars are black. 7 out of every ten black men never went to the ninth grade. They didn’t have fifty dollars and never had a hundred for a month when they went to jail. So the poor and ignorant go to jail while the rich go to San Clemente.
We beg your pardon America because we understand much more deeper than what we understood before. We don’t want to take the pardon back. We want you to issue some more pardons. Pardon brother Frank Willis the (Black) Watergate security guard. He was only doing his job. (Frank Willis died recently a poor man with hardly any money) pardon H. Rap brown it was only burglary (Recently Rap was charged with murdering two black Atlanta police officers. And I thought he was for Black Power?) . Pardon Charles Manson it was only mass murder. And pardon us while we get sick.
As unemployment rockets up to 7 percent and it seems like 70 % in my neighborhood. As unemployment rises we watch cattlemen shoot cows in their heads and kick them in the grave. Millions are starving across the world and maybe even next door (Correct) .we understand all the more deeply as Boston became Birmingham became little rock became Selma became Philadelphia became Mississippi becomes yesterday all over again.
We understand as we beg your pardon. We beg your pardon America cause we have an understanding of trauma. What goes around comes around. And we beg your pardon for all of the lies. All of the people who have been ruined and who look forward to the next year. Being we can’t stand to look at this one (Amen). We beg your pardon America being the pardon you gave this time wasn’t yours to give.
(Applause)
Thank you very much
By Gill Scott Heron
By Andre Austin, Playwright
Copyrights
Cast of Characters:
King Richard VI of the Blue party
Security Advisor Sgt. Kiss
Kedar member of the Yellow Party
Candace Secretary to the King
Victoria, girlfriend of Kedar
PG are prime Guards for King Richard. The Roman version of Praetorian guards
King Henry VIII who pardons Richard VI
Cadmites, Slaves to the Blue & Silver party President Finkcoln frees
Vulcans evil members of the Silver party
“Bushy: Wherein the King stands generally condemn’d
Bagot: If judgment lie in them, then so do we” –King Richard II from Shakespeare
Fictional rendition of the WaterGate scandal
In the situation room
King Richard: We have to do something quickly Kiss. I say lets burn up all the tapes. Then the Senate will have no cause to throw them articles up against us.
Sgt. Kiss: No, No, dear Richard. Lets silence Kedar up with some hush money. If we destroy the evidence we have nothing to leave our successors who will be able to indict the Vulcan’s who assassinated President Finkcoln. We can hide all the tapes with explicit orders to our servants only to release them upon our deathbeds.
King Richard: All the time you have been in my administration your words and advice have been seasoned with political salt. But now this salt has been turning into sweet, weak sugar. My grandfather taught me that:
“My counsel is my shield
We must be brief when traitors brave the field”
(Richard III Act IV scene III Shakespeare).
Now Some of all the presidents’ men do not concur with me. Kedar’s not motivated by money. Talks shouldn’t be of a bargain. There can be no truce between the Yellow and Blue party. Have you ever seen a Deer breaking bread with a lion?
Sgt.Kiss: Well I’ve seen Donkeys riding on the backs of Elephants. Be wise my King and take not counsel from King Rich the third but maybe perhaps from King David who said “The lord God is a sun and shield” Psalm 84:11 Kedar’s grandmother just died so he is susceptible to bribes.
Take my advise with reason which is wise
My counsel is the same Niccolo Machiavelli would advise
King Richard: Yes but you have do to things in seasons least the shield will turn into a mirror for the sun and burn you up into flames. The shield of the sun is none other than Venus, which is the only star that orbits the sun. But thousands of years ago Venus was Lucifer and caused an ice age upon the earth. And this is why half the world is still cold blooded today.
As Secretary Candace types up the transcripts of their conversation she talks to herself under her breath.
Just what is poor ****s panty shield
There’s a difference between those who command State power from those who wield
Kiss, kiss, and another kiss
If I had my way he would kiss this.
They think this man possesses golden words
Only if they knew he gets his advise from birds.
Poor Richard. Wasn’t not Homer who said, “Your advice is to obey a flying bird? What is a bird to me? I care nothing for birds, whether they fly east to the rising sun, or whether they fly west to the darkest gloom. We had better obey the counsels of Zeus almighty” Iliad book 12
Sgt. Kiss: Then to do well to friends and do ill to enemies is our version of Justice? But this maxim may reverse itself depending upon the times or situations.
Secretary Candace: Speaking under her breath again
Who saw Nature only through books or artificial conceits
Who spoke of love and justice, but practiced
Gross selfishness between class and class
Sex and Sex, condition and conditions –Abdullah Yusuf Ali
King Richard: Yes and its all about timing the ploughs in its proper season so that the salt of all our actions will preserve rather than destroy us. It is impossible to lay down in one general rule because the tides and courses to be followed vary with the circumstances.
Secretary Candace: Can you guys talk a little slower. It’s kind of hard for me to keep up here. You guys must have die-hard batteries connected to your motor mouths.
King Richard: Read us back the outline of our discussions Candace.
Secretary Candace: Ok well it’s not much but I have the meat of it here.
Outline
1. No longer tape Kedar & the Vulcans (Silver party) on the same tape
2. Ways we can prevent Kedar from issuing a subpoena of the tapes
3. While we were bugging Kedar office our secret government squad illegally killed a Vulcan in another building.
4. Sonic Scientist, once they hear the tapes, will discover the unique sound of the TK pistols only issued to King Richards Prime Guards (PG)
5. Kedar office was bugged to prevent his Yellow party to gain control over the Blue party in next year’s elections.
King Richard: Very good Candace your excused now. I want all of this typed up and placed on my desk before you leave tonight.
Secretary Candace: Yes sir. You will have it before the end of the day.
King Richard: Very well then.
Sgt. Kiss: I think we should set up a covert meeting.
Two of King Richard’s Prime Guards (PG) went to Kedar’s work office to offer him a bribe to hush up his mouth. As they entered his office suite he was playing a tape of Gill Scott Heron give his poetic rendition of the Water-Gate Blues. Kedar’s office was on top floor of the Loraine office Buildings. His office was on the same level of the roof Top. He often times exited his bullet protected sliding doors to walk on the roof where he maintained a swimming pool he nicknamed Nun. As the two PG’s came onto his patio they interrupted Gill’s poetic music. Kedar turns the tape off as the guards walk up to him.
Kedar: Man don’t you guys know how to pick up the phone and set up an appointment.
PG: You know we operate in secrecy
Kedar: More like operating in deceit.
PG: You know how it is. So I see you still playing those ancient tapes of poets of long ago yesterday?
Kedar: Yes. But its funny how some things are so reminiscent.
PG: 1972 and 1974 was a long time ago. You’re living in the past.
Kedar: The past is the future and the future is past not so soon.
For there’s nothing new that’s under the old moon.
PG: Very good
If I could I would knock on some wood.
But I’m surrounded by your water and airs of breeze
The King offers a hundred thousand dollars if your mouth would freeze
Kedar: The revolution must be marketed. I must live on to fight another day. If I wasn’t having so much family problems I wouldn’t submit. Plus I could do a lot of good with this money like donating a portion to a black hospital and opening up an entertainment center so that young people can have something to do instead of running the streets doing nothing but robbing and stealing.
PG: Okay. You have to wash the money. You can get a $100,000 out of a bank, and it all comes in serialized bills.
Kedar: I’m following you. So I can go to Vegas and clean it up by trading it in for money chips then a couple of days later exchanging those chips for different mixed money?
PG: I see now your learning the game quickly
Kedar: I wasn’t always a revolutionary.
PG: Well you could of fooled us.
Kedar takes the brief case that’s loaded up with cash and begins to recite a line or two
Kedar: This isn’t Shakespeare’s comedy of errors
Tapes are still running sending back images like mirrors
They thinking now I’m on the take
And this shall be one of many mistakes
No I’m not like Arnold first name of Benedict
I’m going to make them the laughing stock of the Senate
Two men from a Mission
Handing out two pardons
This isn’t the Orange Juice trial
And I’m not Christ Darden
Self inflicted crisis demands
That America should have a sound mind
So that Elephants can roam the streets free
And eat all of the peanuts they can find
A pardon was given by Henry the eight
To save the country for goodness sake
But the eyes of the public became awake
That Vampires/Empires die by wooded stakes
But I like the spring not at all the fall
I desire only that which is written in laws
What’s a politician’s savior?
When he no longer has the publics favor?
I read somewhere they were seeking peace
I seek peace so please cease
A black spark causes showers of white fire
Taps on the phone getting off this wire
Before I sell you firestone tire
And dream of dooms with 200% desire
When will the madness end?
Donkeys and Elephants used to be friends?
3/5 of a vote is like an ape being muted with no voice
I pardon you because I haven’t got a god **** choice
The PG walk off the patio and exit down the elevators. Kedar’s wife, Victoria was listening in the background and came out on the patio.
Victoria: Did you just make that up honey? That was a very deep poem I wish you had more.
Kedar: When your hit by government liar’s god sends down inspiration. Some times its just one poem sometimes its three in just one day.
Victoria: I over heard the conversations with all of the Goons. I know your not planning on keeping that money?
Kedar: Honey I thought you said you knew me. You see that camera on the other building that facing us. I had one of my friends plant it there. You see this tape recorder that was playing Gill Scott Heron WaterGate blues. When I turned off the music I put a blank tape in. Now I got them on video and tape.
Victoria: So what are you going to do now send this information to Senator Morning of the yellow party who is known for investigating members of the Blue and Silver party. I’m sick and tired of the Blue party trying to prevent the Yellow party from getting more political and economic power. Then they assasinated President Finkcoln of the Silver party who used to be a member of the Blue party for freeing the Cadmites. The blue party put the Cadmites back in slavery.
Kedar: Don’t forget there was speculation that the blue party killed a Vulan 6 months ago for advocating the emancipation proclamation of the Cadmites.
Victoria: Poor Alcmena they didn’t have to shoot him up like that. And just think all of this happened just across the building next door. The police have yet to find out who did it. We don’t know really who did it.
Kedar: The police know but they will not do anything about it until some one on the outside gives them evidence. The police need job security from their bosses.
Victoria: Politics really stinks.
Kedar: Stinks real bad for those who don’t wear perfume or cologne to cover up their fraud and crimes. All of them stink but it’s hard to tell because they masquerade their funk up all the time.
Victoria: So whats the next step we have to do?
Kedar: First of all I’m going to make triplet copies of all my evidence and send it to Senator Morning and one or two of my friends just in case something happens to me
Scene 2 Three days latter Senator Morning is on the phone with Kedar.
Senator Mourning. Next Monday I want you to catch a flight down here in Aton district. We are going to be holding some hearings on the attempted bribery and other related charges. It appears there was some other things going on that you didn’t even know about.
Kedar: Really? I trying to get you guys to subpoena all of the Blue party emails because I suspected that they were illegally taping into my computer phone system. I used to conduct all of my Party business on conference calls and instant message phone system because it was cheaper than using the regular phone system. Strange things were happening that caused me to speculate someone was having advance knowledge of all my moves.
Senator Mourning: Yes I recall. But I couldn’t do nothing until you gave me positive evidence now.
Kedar: And now it seems the eggs are beginning to hatch.
Senator Mourning: Yes the sun is rising and the people will no longer be in the dark. And their perfume is wearing off.
The two of them start to bust out in laughs.
Kedar: What a coincidence I was saying that just three days ago.
Senator Mourning: As each day pass we grow closer and closer on the same page. Well good speaking with you and I look forward to seeing you Monday.
Kedar: See you Monday and take care.
Senator Mourning: Goodbye
Phone clicks off
Kedar: Well honey it looks like I’m headed to Aton District.
Victoria: Finally we can get these blue devils off our backs and hopefully in jail.
Kedar: Prospects for peace for the Yellow jacket Party is near.
SCENE II At the Round table of the Senate Hearings investigating the blue Party
Senator Morning: Quiet please. I like to call this meeting to order. Today is April 1st and it is now 10am. Good Mourning Mr. Kedar Brown how are you?
Kedar: Just fine sir. Thank you.
Just before the Senator was to ask some questions all of the proceedings were cancelled. An Aton park police slipped Senator Morning a note saying that 20 prisons riots have sparked off all at the same time in all the 13 colonies. The Cadmite slaves have broken into guns and ammunition stores reeking havoc. Kedar Brown was escorted to a secure undisclosed hotel. He sat in his chair looking into his dressing room mirror. Kedar was sad and deep down in the blues and began to play Gill Scott Heron’s WaterGate Blues. Because the country was in such disarray that Senator Morning’s investigations would never re surface again.
APPENDIX 1
GILL SCOTT HERON’s WATERGATEBLUES
These are incomplete excerpts from an old 25 plus year old record I obtained from my father. It’s not 100% accurate because some information was hard to hear. You will never be able to grasp this masterpiece unless you hear it. I’m publishing this as an appendix because it inspired me in part to write this play.
Background information. Republican John Mitchell was Chairman of CREEP or Committee to re elect President Nixon. The CREEPS was a campaign intelligence operation to discover what the DNC strategy was to elect their democratic candidate for President. Former CIA operatives were paid by the CREEPS to break into the DNC headquarters in Washington DC to plant bugs and take pictures of their records. Unfortunately they were all caught in the office by a black security guard Frank Willis. President Nixon tried to use the FBI and other governmental forces to cover it up. But Nixon left a trail of evidence against himself by installing secret recording devises in his Oval office. The Supreme Court had to force Nixon to release all of the tapes, some of which are still under seal today. The house and Senate prepared articles of impeachment that were never brought up because Nixon resigns from office effective 12 noon August 9th 1974. But without the diligent work of two young Washington Post newspaper journalist Woodward & Bernstein this story would have been covered up like the rest of the thousands that preceded it.
You pulled your own draws down to undrape
Shot yourself in the head with your own tapes
Ford to the rescue got you off the Hook
But you still had to tell America that you were no crook- A. Austin
Gill Scott:
You don’t want to be involved in this. This is going to be a blues number.
Let me see if I can dial this number
(Heron is apparently dialing the White House)
Click ringing, ringing (clicking noise indicating a recording devise)
(Phone answers)
I’m sorry sir but the government you have elected is inoperative. Click inoperative.
And for years it was though that it was only black people who could get the blues. So the blues hadn’t come into no international fame. But lately we have Frank Rizzo with the lie detector blues, and the United States talked about the energy crisis blues. And were gonna dedicate this next poem to spear head X [Spiro Agnew Vice president under Nixon]. The X second in command in terms of this question (audience “I heard that”) And the poem is called H20 G.A.T.E. And if H20 is still water and Gate is still Gate, then what we getting ready to deal on is the Watergate blues.
Just how blind America will be? (Audience “ain’t no telling”)
The world is on the edge of its seat
Defeat on the arising very surprising
That we could all see the plot
And claim that we could not
Just how blind America
Just as Vietnam exploded
In the rise crackle pop could not stop
People determined to be free
Just how blind will America be?
The shock of a Vietnam defeat
Sent Republicans to Wall Street
And when the roll was called
It was Pepsi Cola and Philips 66
Boeing and Lockheed
Ask them what they’re fighting for
And they will never mention the economics of war
Ecological warfare above all else
Destroy the land
If we can’t break the Asian will
Bomb the dikes and starve the man
America the international Jekyll and Hyde.
The land of a thousand faces
Sneaking up on you but rarely surprises
Afraid of shoeless undernourished Cambodians
While we strike big wheat bargains with Russia
Our nuclear enemy
Just how blind America will?
But tell me who was around when. Died?
And what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover? (FBI director died in 1972. Hoover was thought to have been instrumental in Martin L King & Malcolm X ‘s assassinations)
Chorus:
The King is proud of Patrick Gray (Acting director of the FBI)
While America faith
Is drowning beneath that Cesspool Watergate
How long will the cities sit and wait
Looking like Europe in 38
Did they move to stop Hitler before it was too late?
How long before America discontinue
Of keeping the schools systems segregated?
Watching the price of everything soar
And hearing complaints cause the rich want more
It seems Macabeth and not his lady went mad
We let him eliminate the whole middle class
The dollars the only thing we can’t inflate
While the poor go without a new minimum wage
Chorus: Repeats itself
But what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover (mystery surrounded this Tyrants death)
The king is proud of Patrick Gray
And there are those who say
America is drowning beneath that Cesspool Watergate.
How much more to the citizens need
That the inactions were sabotage by trickery and greed
And if this is so then who we got didn’t win
Lets do the whole ******* election over again (Florida on my mind)
The obvious thing about the charade
To run down all the games they played
…The nomination of
Supreme Court Justices to head off the tapes
Kent state, Jackson state southern Louisiana
The chaining and gagging of Bobby Seale
Somebody tell these Maryland Governors to be for real
We recall all of these events just to prove
Watergate wasn’t no news
The thing that seems to justify all of our fears
Is that all of this went down in the last five years
Chorus:
We leave America to ponder the image
Of justice from its new wave of leaders
Richard Daley Imperial Napoleonic
Mayor of Chicago who took over from Al Capone
And continues to implement the same tactics
George Wallace, Strom Thurmond Ronald Reagan (All Right Wing Conservatives)
An almost endless list
Of those who will not be missed
…And the silent white houses
With the James brothers once in concert
But we see the sour crop mafia men
Deserting the sinking white house ship
And its maimed, mindless mad mangling Ahab.
(This was directed towards Spiro T.Agnew who was know for using tongue twisting words that started with the same letter)
The cord has blown
Mitchell has blown
No tap on my telephone
(Repeated)
Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell and Dean
It follows a pattern if you dig what I mean
John dean, white house counsel H.R Haldeman John Ehrlichman, Presidential advisors John Mitchell, former Attorney General
(Repeated)
And what are we left with now
Bumper stickers that say free the Watergate 500
Spy movies with the same name
With cast of thousands
And in that phrase that if Nixon knew
Agnew knew (Agnew resigned before Nixon for Tax evasion)
But Ag didn’t knew enough to stay out of jail (Big laughter)
And what really happened to J. Edgar Hoover
The king is proud of Patrick Gray
And those who have seen King Richard, King Richard King Richard
I BEG YOUR PARDON
The Watergate blues the SEQUEL
Hi we like to do an idea for you that’s related to the H20 G. A.T.E. The WaterGate Blues.
In March of 1973 we wrote the WaterGate blues and 17 months later then President Nixon resign. But the story didn’t end there so we didn’t stop there.
We beg your pardon America
We beg your pardon because the pardon you gave wasn’t yours to give.
They call it due process. And some people are overdue.
We beg your pardon America.
Somebody said brotherman gonna break a window, gonna steal a hubcap gonna smoke some refer. Brotherman gonna go to jail. But the man who tried to steal America is not in jail. Get caught with a nickel bag [Five dollars worth of weed] get caught with a nickel bag sister lady on your way to get your hag fixed you will do big Ben [ten years in jail].And big Ben is time, but the man who tried to fix America will not do time. They say they gonna slap his wrist and retire him with 800,000 thousands dollars and America was shocked. America leads the world in shocks.800,000 thousands and the people protested so they said ok we will give him 200,000 dollars. Everybody said ok that’s better. I would like to retire with 200 thousands dollars some day. Sanquentin (Prison) not San Clemente , do not pass go, go directly to jail do not collect $ 200,000 thousand dollars.
We beg your pardon America. We beg your pardon because some how the pardon didn’t sit correctly. What was the cause of this pardon? They had flea bitetest. Rats bite us and we get no pardons in the Ghetto. They brought up National Security but do you feel secure with a man who tried to steal America is back on the streets again.
What are the results of this pardon will be? Because remember when there are causes there are results. And results are always deeper still. We now have Oak meal man. (Referring to Gerald Ford, Representative from Michigan who replaced Nixon as President. Michigan is also home of the Headquarters of Kellogg’s and Post who all make cereal. If this is connected to the oak meal man I do not know) Anytime you find someone in the middle,; anytime you find someone who is timid; anytime you find someone who is lukewarm. Anytime you find someone who has been in congress for 25 years and no one every heard of him you got oak meal man. Oak meal straddling uncomfortably on yards and feet of barbed wire (meaning all the tapes of Nixon?) it’s hard to live in the middle all of the time. Oak meal man who said he could fit all of his black friends in the trunk of his car and still have room for the Republican Elephant (Big time laughter). Oak meal man. “But there was no crime committed”. Oak meal man says that. America in 1975 your president will be a 1913 Ford. Regressive! Circle up the wagons to defend yourself from nuclear attack (Bush II Star Wars Panty shield). Oak meal man. Reminiscence of 1964 H20 Goodwater thank god he didn’t win. But he didn’t win. Oak meal man didn’t win (Bush v Gore 2000). I didn’t vote for him but that’s the first result. And the second in command would be the dreadful (Gov of NY) Nelson Rockefeller. Obviously be promoted for what he did at Attica. 43 dead (On death Row in Texas and 41 shots into a Blackman in NY. It would have been 43 but the cops missed twice). And once again America is in shock. (Baby face Nelson) being protected for the job he did on the streets of New York City. Where the pushers sell the drugs that the government allows in the country. And then they (black people) do the time. They do life and death or life and death behind bars while William says he is going to discontinue the furlough program. Bro Richard X of buffalo New York faces 1,365 that’s one thousand three hundred sixty five years for participating in Attica. And Rockefeller faces being the vice president of this country. And all this time they are easing upon the sands of San Clemente. (Attica prison riot erupted in September 1971 over horrible prison conditions like the lack of proper food, inadequate recreation and gross overcrowding. At the time of the riot there wasn’t not one African-American Guard employed while more than half of the prison population was Black. The State police stormed the prison shooting and killing inmates including 10 hostages who were correctional officers. Put to top it all off the state of New York had the nerve to charge some of the inmates for killing the C/O’s when their own fellow officers shot them. In 2001 Hollywood produced a movie on this American tragedy. Now back to Gill’s poetic speech.
We beg your pardon America. We beg your pardon once again. We find out that 7 out of ten black men in jail. And most of the men behind bars are black. 7 out of every ten black men never went to the ninth grade. They didn’t have fifty dollars and never had a hundred for a month when they went to jail. So the poor and ignorant go to jail while the rich go to San Clemente.
We beg your pardon America because we understand much more deeper than what we understood before. We don’t want to take the pardon back. We want you to issue some more pardons. Pardon brother Frank Willis the (Black) Watergate security guard. He was only doing his job. (Frank Willis died recently a poor man with hardly any money) pardon H. Rap brown it was only burglary (Recently Rap was charged with murdering two black Atlanta police officers. And I thought he was for Black Power?) . Pardon Charles Manson it was only mass murder. And pardon us while we get sick.
As unemployment rockets up to 7 percent and it seems like 70 % in my neighborhood. As unemployment rises we watch cattlemen shoot cows in their heads and kick them in the grave. Millions are starving across the world and maybe even next door (Correct) .we understand all the more deeply as Boston became Birmingham became little rock became Selma became Philadelphia became Mississippi becomes yesterday all over again.
We understand as we beg your pardon. We beg your pardon America cause we have an understanding of trauma. What goes around comes around. And we beg your pardon for all of the lies. All of the people who have been ruined and who look forward to the next year. Being we can’t stand to look at this one (Amen). We beg your pardon America being the pardon you gave this time wasn’t yours to give.
(Applause)
Thank you very much
By Gill Scott Heron