The following transcript of Governor Simon's speech, given on June 3rd, has been made part of the public record and are available at the Rhydin Public Library. Visual records of the speech are also publically available, as are transcripts and records of the subsequent question-and-answer session with the press.
Part I
Standing at the podium, the Governor seems solem. He looks at the cameras directly, speaking deliberatly, rarely looking down at his notes. Clearing his throat, he begins.
Good afternoon. Thank you for coming, tuning in, or reading, as the case may be. As you all are by now aware, my remarks today will concern Proposition Thirty-Seven. Recently, an article written by Darien Fenner in the Rhydin Post quoted some, but not all, of what I said in an interview conducted by Mr. Fenner. There were some implications that my answers were vague and ambiguous; perhaps they were, for at the time I had not yet made a final decision on whether I would or would not endorse the measure. I explained to Mr. Fenner that, at the time of our interview, there were too many unanswered questions, questions that I now have answers to.
Mr. Fenner's article wanted the political merry-go-round to halt. Where we stop, no one knows, he wrote. I hope, today, that I'll remove all ambiguity and doubt of not only my own personal position concerning Proposition Thirty-Seven, but of the direction I'm instructing my cabinet, advisors, and other city-officials to follow.
As I stated to Mr. Fenner, Proposition Thirty-Seven is a highly-charged issue, especially emotionally. Many of you, Rhydin's citizens, feel threatened by it, if not directly, at least by its base principles. We've seen a recent uptick in violence from both the measure's supporters and detractors. There's been rampant fear-mongering, suspicions of and resistance to the application of labels to those capable of utilizing magical abilities, and tragic, entirely preventable deaths. I once again urge all of you, each and every citizen and visitor to this city, to cease this violent behavior. No good can come of it, no good will come of it. The more we fragment, the more we fight with each other, the less able we are to approach each other civilly and rationally on any subject, much less one as controversial as Proposition Thirty-Seven. Please, I implore you " do not continue down this path of violence any longer.
As far as the Proposition itself, for those of you who have read the full text " members here from the press should have been provided copies as you entered today " I agree with some of its points. For example, Section Two, Point One, Sub-Point A, states, "Failure to provide adequate law enforcement is a costly mistake?. That may seem a very general statement, but at its core, it's correct. As Governor, protection of you, the citizens of this city, ultimately falls to me. It's my belief that existing security measures such as the Watch and the Rhydin Air and Space Guard, in the vast majority of situations, are entirely adequate, if not more-so. Are the groups perfect' Of course not; that's why we have constant training, equipment upgrades, and recruitment. Are our security forces capable of ensuring your safety' Most definitely. But you need to play your part as well; the unnecessary violence of late has put extra strain on the Watch and everyone whose job it is to ensure the safety of this city and all of you. We will and continue to respond quickly and effectively to these uprisings, but we sincerely hope they will come to an immediate end.
Part I
Standing at the podium, the Governor seems solem. He looks at the cameras directly, speaking deliberatly, rarely looking down at his notes. Clearing his throat, he begins.
Good afternoon. Thank you for coming, tuning in, or reading, as the case may be. As you all are by now aware, my remarks today will concern Proposition Thirty-Seven. Recently, an article written by Darien Fenner in the Rhydin Post quoted some, but not all, of what I said in an interview conducted by Mr. Fenner. There were some implications that my answers were vague and ambiguous; perhaps they were, for at the time I had not yet made a final decision on whether I would or would not endorse the measure. I explained to Mr. Fenner that, at the time of our interview, there were too many unanswered questions, questions that I now have answers to.
Mr. Fenner's article wanted the political merry-go-round to halt. Where we stop, no one knows, he wrote. I hope, today, that I'll remove all ambiguity and doubt of not only my own personal position concerning Proposition Thirty-Seven, but of the direction I'm instructing my cabinet, advisors, and other city-officials to follow.
As I stated to Mr. Fenner, Proposition Thirty-Seven is a highly-charged issue, especially emotionally. Many of you, Rhydin's citizens, feel threatened by it, if not directly, at least by its base principles. We've seen a recent uptick in violence from both the measure's supporters and detractors. There's been rampant fear-mongering, suspicions of and resistance to the application of labels to those capable of utilizing magical abilities, and tragic, entirely preventable deaths. I once again urge all of you, each and every citizen and visitor to this city, to cease this violent behavior. No good can come of it, no good will come of it. The more we fragment, the more we fight with each other, the less able we are to approach each other civilly and rationally on any subject, much less one as controversial as Proposition Thirty-Seven. Please, I implore you " do not continue down this path of violence any longer.
As far as the Proposition itself, for those of you who have read the full text " members here from the press should have been provided copies as you entered today " I agree with some of its points. For example, Section Two, Point One, Sub-Point A, states, "Failure to provide adequate law enforcement is a costly mistake?. That may seem a very general statement, but at its core, it's correct. As Governor, protection of you, the citizens of this city, ultimately falls to me. It's my belief that existing security measures such as the Watch and the Rhydin Air and Space Guard, in the vast majority of situations, are entirely adequate, if not more-so. Are the groups perfect' Of course not; that's why we have constant training, equipment upgrades, and recruitment. Are our security forces capable of ensuring your safety' Most definitely. But you need to play your part as well; the unnecessary violence of late has put extra strain on the Watch and everyone whose job it is to ensure the safety of this city and all of you. We will and continue to respond quickly and effectively to these uprisings, but we sincerely hope they will come to an immediate end.