Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Cusp

[Post by Kincaid]

Today is the day. The council has been deliberating for most of two solid days now and tensions are jacked up beyond what most people can tolerate. It isn't a situation like most before. There's no shadowy fear of unknown consequences. Everybody knows that we could be in the middle of a guerrilla war by this time tomorrow, fighting heavily armed people with righteous fury on their side.

Righteous from their point of view, anyway. A comment on Josh's post yesterday struck me funny. The comment said that they could almost see Josh's point, but that the difference between the disaster with the Louisville crew and what we're going through with the Exiles is that the Louisville crew are friends, if only casual ones. We weren't sure what their intentions were. With the Exiles, the comment said, we know exactly who and what they are, and they can't be trusted.

Just have to point out that New Haven was sure what I was when I took the offer of amnesty. A lot of communities did the same. We were murderers, thieves, abusers, some were even sadists and rapists. Most marauders tried to weed out the worst elements before taking the amnesty, but some were bound to have gotten through.

I'm still not taking sides. I'm just pointing out that there is precedent for giving the Exiles a chance. I'm just as unhappy as the rest of you that they chose not to take the amnesty when offered, and angry that they tried to kill over it. I'm certain that many of the Exiles, especially the women and children, weren't given much choice.

As for the rest? I don't think it's impossible that they might have finally come around. Living in peace, cooperating with neighbors, is a hell of a lot less stressful than the life most marauders lead. We still have to fight and kill, but it's the difference between being the enemy of everyone and having to be afraid all the time that any one of them will decide to strike at you, and just facing whatever problems come up. I chose the amnesty because I was sick of living that way. I wanted something better.

Maybe the Exiles have seen the light. I don't know. Hell's bells, I used to be one of them and saw the light myself and even I have a hard time believing it.

One way or another, today is going to be one for the record books. Speaking of record books, I have some interesting news on that front, but I'll let Josh fill you in on it tomorrow. Starting then he'll be back on here full-time, assuming he feels he can handle it.

Keep your fingers crossed for us.

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