InsaneJournal

[Marvel: News and Television]
[The interview with Captain Steve Rogers airs on prime-time cable affiliates throughout Marvel. It's picked up on social media sites, transcribed on blogs, and cut for gifs and vines within the hour. By morning, the buzz is everywhere.]

The Times Square speech, half-formed and half-improvised, had gained traction—or notoriety. Whatever word you chose, depending on whether you agreed or disagreed. Steve didn't have PR training, and he'd never been vetted in the process of turning people down politely or, hell, even rudely. Suddenly, the little calendar he carried around was full of scribbled times.

It just so happened that the first invitation he'd gotten about the words he'd shared had been from the very same man who had spoken with Charles not too long earlier.

Of course Steve went.

There was a camera pointed at him and he sat, in a suit with a collar stiff against his throat (because in his day, when you were going to be in public as a guest, you dressed as nicely as you could). There was a fern on either side of him, both plastic. But it was the lights that bothered him.

A woman came over with a puff… in her hand and wanted to put makeup on him—"for the shine"—and Steve let her.

When the red ON AIR light went on, he looked uncomfortable in the chair too small for him with so many people watching.

Interviewer: Thank you for joining us, Captain Rogers. You are an inspiration, and every American owes you a debt of gratitude for the sacrifices you've made for this country and the world as a whole. In light of your recent speech, I wanted to sit down and talk to you about the safety of our fine people, and I appreciate your willingness to come forward. I understand the subject is one you feel passionate about, and we've received many emails about your impassioned words. Would you like to say anything before we begin? [Smile.]

Steve: Well, thank you for having me. [Awkward smile.] I do feel passionate about it. It's something I've seen happen too many times over, and, if there was ever a time to stand together, it's now as we patch ourselves up. [Pause.] So, yes, thank you for having me here. [Eye contact with the camera.]

Interviewer: Your speech was riveting, and it was very clear that you believed what you were saying, Captain Rogers. There's much to be said for faith, belief in the American people and in the inherent goodness of humanity. Your politics are very liberal for a man of your generation. Would you speak to that? I'm sure our viewers would love to hear how you came to be as open as you now are. I believe, and I don't have the statistic in front of me [Smile.], that most combat veterans favor a more conservative approach to nationwide safety.

Steve: Steve is fine. [Pause. A tug at his collar.] To be frank, sir, I don't think much about 'liberal' or 'conservative.' Safety is imperative, but—do you know President Roosevelt's Four Freedoms speech? The first freedom he lists is freedom of speech and expression, the second freedom of religion, the third freedom from want, and the fourth freedom from fear—[A gesture to the interviewer.] But he also says, "Freedom means the supremacy of human rights everywhere." I fought—we fought—so people here could be free. That comes before anything else.

Interviewer: Steve. [Smile.] Freedom from fear, yes, which - and correct me if I'm wrong, Steve - meant, in President Roosevelt's usage, ensuring a situation where no entity had enough arms to overpower another. In that context, then can't we apply the same logic to people? In order to eradicate fear in our own country, can there be an imbalance of power? Our system of justice was created to prevent just such an imbalance.

Steve: The context, actually, was bigger. The world and world powers. Nations. So no one would do exactly as we did in Japan in August of 1945. [Frown.] Fear can't be eradicated. And the people you're labeling 'an imbalance of power' have the same rights we do. The history of rounding people up doesn't exist in our system of justice, but outside of it, and it's very ugly.

Interviewer: But that was what he meant, wasn't it? That to be free from fear, no one entity could have a surplus of armaments? [Smile.]

Steve: He wasn't talking about people. No entity owns people. Not even a nation.

Interviewer: You are, Captain Rogers, an inspiration, but you aren't able to say with any certainty if President Roosevelt would have considered people in his statement. This situation didn't exist then, but you must agree that power is unbalanced. Or do you argue that point as well? That certain citizens of this country now have abilities that, in varying ways, make the playing field uneven? [Smile, and hands up in a sign of peaceful surrender.] I don't mean to say our people are dangerous. I'm only trying to ascertain facts, to ensure we're on the same ground for our chat.

Steve: With all due respect, I've met the man. I can't say with absolute certainty, no, but I'll ask you to look at what we did with 'certain citizens'—those we considered a liability during the War. The Japanese internment camps? Is that your idea of leveling the playing field? Because I think most would agree that those were horrible, and a reaction to fear—seeing enemies in our own people.

Interviewer: I'm not saying anyone is a liability, Captain Rogers. I never used that word. [Smile.] I find it interesting that you should use that word, however. [Another small wave of hand.] But, let us leave that, since it seems we will disagree on the very point your originally tried to make. You are an inspirational speaker. There is no doubt of that. Our country needs unity and hope right now, and your words are motivational. They make us feel that all will be well, and that we shall face this together. We need men like you. Men we trust, and men we believe. However, you stated the mutants pose a danger. I'm not sure this is the message we should be conveying. The mutants are capable of things that humanity has, until now, been incapable of, and we must alter our laws and justice system to ensure we are all equal, given the changes. Equality, Captain Rogers, and safety for every American.

Steve: [Blink.] I didn't say they were a danger. I meant only that some see them that way, and that that is the moment to say something, to stand up to whoever is saying that and to explain that holding a gun to everyone with abilities out of the assumption they will do harm isn't freedom. [Pause.] What are you suggesting? Because equality for every American isn't locking half of our people up. No one person is more important than any other. That's the point here. Your safety is not more important than my right to live, freely.

Interviewer: I understand that your background is military, but no one is talking about holding guns. I'm not talking about holding guns to anyone. This, with all due respect, is why politicians should be making these decisions. Speaking to the people, motivating them, is all well and good, Captain Rogers - Steve - but our elected officials have been put in office by our citizens, and there is a system in place to ensure our elected officials make decisions without bias or unfair weight. [Smile.] I think your intentions are good, and I think you want the best for our country, but you immediately talk of locking people up, and that frightens people, Captain Rogers. No one is saying anyone should be locked up. [Innocent inquiry expression.] Unless you know something the rest of us don't?

Steve: No. [Frustrated.] It's an example. It's something we've done. It should scare people, because it was a mistake, a big one. I only hope we learned our lesson. [Jaw clench.] You keep saying we should use the justice system to ensure balance. What does that mean?

Interviewer: Your jaw- [Motions.] I don't mean to make you angry, Captain Rogers. Perhaps we've touched on the topic enough for one day? But, to answer your question, I would be a hypocrite if I suggested the system do the job, only to then attempt to it myself. I trust the men and women we have elected to do their jobs. [Smile.] I trust you to defend our country to the best of your ability in times of crisis, and you have done that without hesitation or complaint. But the world is not a battlefield, Captain Rogers. Your language is made for war, and we seek peacetime, don't we?

Steve: That's not how trust works. [Frown.] You trust me in times of crisis, but not in times of peace? [A headshake.] I know what the world is. I know that if you ask people to defend their country in war, if you want to use the language of armaments when talking about people with abilities and you see them as weapons with more power than you, and move to have 'elected officials level the playing field' in peacetime, you're already a hypocrite, sir.

Interviewer: No, Captain Rogers. You misunderstand. I trust you as a soldier. I trust our elected officials to do the job we've elected them to do. [A sad headshake.] Your language is geared toward war. You speak of locking people up, of guns, of dangers. I speak of a country where we are safe. Where every citizen is ensured safety. You brought armaments into the discussion by referencing a speech by President Roosevelt and focusing on the freedom of fear, in which he directly referenced armaments. [A pause to recall the words, and a few stumbles as he recites from memory.] "Which, translated into world terms, means a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world." [A smile.] I am sorry you feel my belief in the men and women that we have elected is hypocritical. I am truly sorry. But I thank you for speaking to us today, Captain Rogers, and I thank you for the sacrifices you have made for this country.

Steve: That's what we soldiers do. [Abrupt. Standing, lacking any semblance of Charles Xavier's forced politeness.] Proclamation 4417 - An American Promise. Issued by an elected official. The President. Maybe you can trust that. [A beat, and he strides off without a handshake or another word.

The camera doesn't pan.]

The interviewer said nothing until Captain Rogers left, though his hand was partially raised for a farewell handshake. His hand dropped, and then he sighed with great sadness and looked at the seat recently vacated. "This is not World War II, Captain Rogers." A sad, sad sigh. "Thank you all for joining us this evening. Please, do not hold Captain Rogers' behavior against him. He remains a beloved war hero."