Anyone Else Hate the FBI? [Open]

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

Heather sits in her chair and adjusts the mic, trying to get herself 'in the zone'. It's been hard being unable to do her job, even for a little bit. But she does genuinely enjoy her work so she was glad when Dr. Leland ended up being quick to decide to tell WGGZ she was okay to come back. While she's still only beginning to cope with that happened, she's never let her personal life interfere with her work. She did her show the night her last boyfriend broke up with her, the night her grandfather died, and she sees no reason to let it stop her now.

Besides, she kept on hearing from everyone that the lady they had filling her slot in her absence was boring to her regular listeners. She only hopes that they forgive the small hiccup in her show. The station does too - she smiled when she heard the brief commercial noting that VerMillion would be back came on during the drive to work. A slow, careful drive through the busier streets which feel safer to her right now.

But as she listens to the boring show on politics that precedes hers wrapping up she can feel her anxiety being set aside. For the next hour, she's VerMillion, not Heather.

"Hellooo Gotham! It's nine o'clock PM, you're listening to WGGZ, and that means it's time for News and Views with VerMillion. That's right - I'm back! And on that note I'd like to thank my loyal listeners who have borne with my short absence, you're all awesome. I've heard that you've been missing me - and I've missed you too. And if this is your first time listening, don't touch that dial - I promise you won't be sorry.

"Tonight, I'm going to do something a little different and not report on one particular story. Because I think that I've been silent on this subject for far too long: the FBI. Should they leave now or should they have never come in the first place? If you would like to share your View call 958-867-5309.

"But let's start with my View. Which is that, as much as all of you know how completely useless I think Batman is, I'd take an army of guys like him over the FBI. And the GCPD is a shining example of skill compared to them! Let's look over the facts: since their takeover of Gotham, street crime has gone down, and you hear reports everyday about them being hot on the trail of this or that rogue that makes it sound like they're feeling the pinch. And yet, exactly how many of them have they managed to catch? And how many of those have they managed to hang onto? Whatever they do with them is clearly every bit as much of a revolving door as Blackgate and Arkham ever were. The homicide rate is up, there are stories all over the place about unreasonable charges and ordinary citizens are getting harmed in the process more frequently than ever. So while the FBI have gotten a few things right, for the rest they're no better than what we had before or even worse. And at the same time business has gone straight down the toilet, and don't get me started on that disease that's supposed to kill us all if they don't leave.

"So to sum up: my View is that this whole scheme is the worst idea that the government has ever had. Seriously: ever." As she finishes up her eyes drift over to the phone lines and she smirks to herself. Yeah, she thought that would give her some callers. Ironically, she'd been too afraid to say anything bad about the FBI before...

"But enough of my soapbox - I'll bet I'm preaching to the choir. Let's get to our first caller! Who are you and what is your View?"

(OOC: As is always the case for these shows, this thread is open for ONE additional person at a time. If you want to reply and she's already talking to someone, please wait your turn.)

[rachel]

Rachel had been absent-mindedly listening to the radio as she worked on sorting more files, cases that had been left in the cabinets far too long. Some needed notes re-written, others needed dates re-stamped, times re-dated. All the papers needed to be organized back into their individual folders.

Her attention was caught by the voice that came on next, as the talk show began at its usual time. She had to smile as the host, Ms. VerMillion, announced the topic. This individual certainly had a lot of confidence, and spoke her opinion when most people wouldn't. That was how stations got their ratings, she supposed. When the host talked about Batman, Rachel frowned. He wasn't useless..not at all.

She listened to the View that VerMillion had, and seriously debated calling the number they listed. She wanted to have her say, too, but she had to be careful. There were probably enough Rachels in Gotham to keep anyone from suspecting her...but really, why would the FBI care what she said? She wasn't really much of anyone at the moment..

She picked up the phone, and dialed the station. When the host asked for the name and the caller's view, Rachel hesitated, and then spoke.
"Good evening..this is Rachel. I heard you talking about whether the FBI should have come at all.. I don't think they should have. They put way too many good, hard-working people out of their jobs, and those that stay are held by strings that are being played by the head of the FBI force here."

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

"Hey Rachel," VerMillion says as the somewhat hesitant-sounding woman gets on the air, making sure to sound very friendly to help her relax. No last name, but she's not surprised. Given just how heavy handed the FBI have been, she's guessing a lot of people are hesitant to voice their opinions for fear that the FBI will object.

For herself, though, she's not so worried about it. Perhaps being attacked by the Scarecrow put that worry into perspective - the FBI have nothing on him for making her worry. And given how miserably they failed to protect her, how could they blame her for speaking out? And she's a member of the media for pity's sake - if she's not allowed to talk freely that would only put people even more up in arms than they already are.

Listening quietly as the woman expresses her opinion, she smiles to herself. So true. "Yeah, let's even set the whole cops and robbers thing aside for a sec - has anyone in this city not been harmed by this in some way? Even someone who has been able to keep their job, didn't have the feds check them out, or anything like that still has to put up with the curfew, was confined to the city - I wasn't able to see my folks over Christmas myself, and you're lucky if the store actually has what you want when you want it. Have they anything at all to show us that proves it's been worth putting ordinary citizens through all of this? No.

"I take it that you've been hard hit yourself?" she asks, her voice turning sympathetic.

[rachel]

Rachel listened to VerMillion, and was actually starting to enjoy this. She seriously debated what the consequences of using her last name would be, but it didn't matter. She had never sat quiet while things went on anyway, so why start now? When VerMillion asked if she had been hit hard, she had to smile. This was definitely going well.

"The last name is Dawes. I'm an Assistant District Attorney for Gotham, and since the FBI came in, they've pretty much shut us down at the office. The only thing I really have left to do at work is re-organize and re-file old cases and ordinances. Nothing really...useful. I feel so aggravated sometimes, because I want to be doing more, I want to be in the courtroom, working on new cases, new hearings."

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

VerMillion is pleasantly surprised when the woman gets enough confidence to add her last name and position. And Miss Dawes actually brings up another side of the issue that she hadn't thought of herself. But that's a part of the reason why she likes this particular format for her radio show - you never know who is going to call in.

"Now, that's a very good point!" she agrees immeadiately, "You're supposed to be prosecuting criminals. And their are rules in when and how you can do that, to make sure that even the criminals get what justice they're due. What the FBI are doing is no better than just grabbing people off of the streets, not even bothering with all of that. And I mean, there's plenty of stories of people who were later found innocent even when they do go through that whole process - how many more of them are now sitting in Blackgate without a chance to defend themselves? The very fact that you have nothing to do proves just how screwed up all of this is!"

"But what I want to know is how what the FBI is doing is even legal in the first place. Can you explain that?" she asks curiously.

[rachel]

Rachel listened to VerMillion talk, and smiled. She really had to meet this person some time. She was amazing..and she had an incredible knowledge of how things were actually supposed to work in this city. Definitely needed to meet her.

She nodded absent-mindedly as VerMillion addressed the concerns of legality in the FBI's actions. Rachel herself didn't know how to explain anything the FBI did, but she did know that most of the time, the FBI went way too far, and were far too paranoid. And she said so, after a brief pause.

"I cannot explain the FBI's actions, because I myself cannot understand what they have done. They may have started out with good intent and doing well, but the FBI usually takes things too far, and tend to regard everything with regard to any kind of threat or criminality...It's inexplicable, that people who have nothing at all to do with anything the FBI is, or should be, focused on are getting suspected and/or hurt. There is a very thin line the FBI walks...and it's hard to see when they stop at that line.."

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

VerMillion smiles to herself as Rachel gives the answer that she wanted her to give. "Hear that everyone? Even an ADA can't explain it. So messed up. Though if you ask me, the problem isn't that the FBI is walking on a thin line, it's that they're unaware that such things as lines exist in the first place. They're just doing whatever they think is right and calling it justice. People used to burn witches for the same reason. It's beneath our society for things like this to happen - or at least that's what I thought until it did." She smiles to herself as she leans back in her chair, resting her feet on the corner of her desk. Why didn't she cover all of this before?

"Any other Views you'd like to share before I let you go, Rachel?" she asks.

[rachel]

Rachel thought about things she could say, but nothing really struck her as necessary or useful. She did, however, want to comment on the host's personality.

"Just one more thing. I admire your confidence and spirit, Ms. VerMillion. You are one person in this city who can say it all...and everyone else can hear you. That takes amazing courage and by doing Views like this, and people call in to respond, just goes to show how much you are moving the people in the city by speaking out first. Thank you.."

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

VerMillion is a bit surprised by the compliment, and her smile can practically be heard when she comments, "Well, kudos to you too, Rachel, for being the first person to call in. Now everyone has heard you too. Thank you for calling in!" She smiles to herself, especially over one word: courage. She definitely hasn't been feeling that way very much lately. Then again, this is her first time back on the air since her run-in with Scarecrow.

"Hmm, last I checked, they weren't stomping all over our first amendment rights - I think that freedom of the press and freedom of speech were first for a reason," she muses out loud to herself as she ends the call, bridging the gap between callers, as she sees that there's another one already waiting to go.

"But let's get to our next caller! Who are you and what is your View?"

[grimknight]

Playing the part of Bruce Wayne actually meant interacting with society, especially the media, as Bruce Wayne. So, while taking a moment to eat the dinner Alfred had prepared and brought down into the Batcave for him, Bruce now listened to one of Gotham’s most popular radio talk stations. A smirk came to his lips when heard the radio talk show host, Heather Glass, also known as the radio personality, VerMillion, spout her surprisingly new opinionated topic on her dis-like of the F.B.I. – a refreshing change from her normal Batman bashing topic.

Either way, she was always good for a small relieving grin or sometimes contained viable news leads about the on-goings of Gotham. Upon hearing the last caller, Rachel, give her own opinions about the infiltration of the Feds within Gotham, Bruce decided he too would call in and share his own two cents—being the billionaire playboy socialite he was, of course the man had change to spare. After dialing the radio show’s number a few times, Bruce finally got in and was set next to go live with the host, VerMillion.

“Hey—am I on? Are we live on the air now?”

Bruce suddenly asks once he is officially announced as LIVE and ON THE AIR. His echo can be heard in the background as he has broken the radio call-in rule and left his own radio tuned to the same station he has just dialed and turned up.

“Oh, hey! I can hear myself—woah! Cool, lemme’ turn this thing down.”

An adjustment is made and his echoing voice in the background now stops.

“Hey VerMillion, I wanted to call in and say that I find your topic tonight to be a rather interesting one and one that hits close to home. I have a hang up with the Feds being here in Gotham because of a personal dispute I recently had with one of their underling F.B.I.-in-training interns. I was out past curfew by a few measly hours because I was attending a bachelorette party for one of my work buddies when the Feds showed up. I mean, how do you expect a bachelorette party to just END when curfew time comes around? We hadn’t even had Jell-O shots yet…

“Anyway, curfew time comes and I suddenly find myself being personally escorted home by some F.B.I. Jr. agent, who—by the way—looked nothing like that hot little redhead , Scully or whatever her name was, on that one sci-fi show with the two F.B.I. agents investigating aliens and Bigfoot and such, back in the ‘90s… I digress. So, this twerp of a Federal Agent intern broke up the party and carted me back home like I was some out-of-control teenager punk. She totally killed an evening of good natured fun.

“As for my view on the Feds? I think the Feds need to mind their own business and get out of Gotham. Unless they have an agent who looks like that Scully chick from that one show, then they can send that Special Agent my way anytime. I have been known to make “Special” exceptions.”

[Heather Glass - VerMillion]

VerMillion cringes slightly at the question the next caller asks. "Yes! You're on the air," she replies brightly. Idiot. His next statement also causes her to cringe, as does the echo. People sometimes... "First time calling into a radio show?" she asks almost rhetorically, but managing to keep up her upbeat attitude.

Fortunately, once this caller gets all the initial kinks worked out, what he says isn't half bad. Okay, it doesn't make this caller, who she notes neglected to give her a name, sound any more intelligent than the first things he said, but she can work with this. VerMillion likes to think that she can work with almost anything.

"Oh, I hear you," she replies forcing herself to find a way to relate to his story, "I mean, your work buddy is getting married - that's something to celebrate. Yes, crime is a problem in Gotham, but how can the FBI expect everyone to put their lives on hold just so that they can do a terrible job trying to do something about it? What's the point of living if you can't enjoy it?" That is something she can agree with. His apparent attraction to Gillian Anderson, on the other hand... It's a good thing this is radio and not TV so nobody can see the pained look on her face. The woman is old now.

"It may not be in the Constitution, but I support your right to party as late into the night as you want," she says firmly, "I mean, it would be one thing setting a curfew if it was only for a short time and what they were doing was actually working, but this has been going on for months!" And she mentally braces herself as she asks, "Any other thoughts that you'd like to share?" Please say no, please say no...