“They can kiss my ass!” Rangan heard someone say.

People laughed.

Stan Kim smiled. “They can repeal the Chandler Act. They can launch hearings into lies and criminal abuses of power. They can make sure people go to jail.”

The Senator paused. There was scattered cheering.

Rangan cheered as loud as he could, beamed out his agreement even harder.

Stan Kim opened his mouth again. “They can impeach John Stockton!” he roared.

The crowd came alive with cheering, with yelling, with hoots, with applause. Rangan felt minds turn.

“And in four years we elect a new President!” Stan Kim said. “Revolution after revolution after revolution!”

The crowd was with him now, cheering again.

“I know you’re angry!” Kim said.

Cheers.

“I know you want the revolution today!” he yelled.

Roaring.

“But the battle is not the war!” Kim said. “We need patience!”

The crowd drew a deep breath.

“Some of you want to rip down these barricades. You want to light fires and tear things up. Well, look around you,” Kim said. “Take a good long look at these men and women in uniform.”

Rangan looked. He saw thousands of them. He was close enough to see faces, just on the other side of the barrier, behind clear visors and tall metal shields. He saw cold hard expressions.

Beneath that he saw fear.

“If you raise your fists today,” Stan Kim said. “These men and women are going to do what they’re sworn to do. They’re going to protect the Capitol, and protect public order. They’re going to strike back.” Kim shook his head.

Boos rose up from the crowd.

Stan Kim raised his hands for silence.

“Listen to me. If that happens, people are going to die. On both sides.” He paused. “Hundreds of people died on the National Mall on December 6th. I don’t want another day like that on my conscience. I hope you don’t want it on yours.”

The crowd was silent, breathing.

“And if that happens,” Kim went on. “Then your cause, my cause, our cause, isn’t going to be helped. It’s going to be set back. It’s going to be associated with violence. With destruction.”

Kim paused. Then he pointed back at the Capitol, and raised his voice.

“When the real violence has been done by the man in the White House and those who work for him!”

Cheers rose up again.

Kim looked out at them.

“We didn’t get what we deserved last month,” he said. “But that day will come! So stand proud! Wave those signs high!”

People cheered, less passionately, perhaps, but they cheered. Signs waved.

“Make your voices heard!” Stan Kim yelled.

People cheered again.

“Louder!” Stan Kim yelled.

This time they gave it to him.

“Show the world what you want, America! Make John Stockton afraid!”

The crowd went wild at that.

“Raise your voices today and not your fists!”