The second excerpt is from much later in the novel and is a conversation that takes place at the White House between the former Director of the FBI and the President of the United States:

““Thank you, Mr. President. While I fully understand that my presence here today, and what I’m about to tell you, is very surreal, let me assure you that myself and General Bates could not be more serious. Quite frankly, we believe the United States of America is broken beyond all repair. We believe that the liberals in our government, in the media, and in our schools and universities, have made things so twisted, that what was once the United States of America, no longer exists…we believe…that a new nation must be formed. A nation that will be imbued with all that our Founding Fathers dreamed would be the bedrock of the United States of America. We believe that when you have over fifty thousand college professors and tens of thousands of high school teachers all across this nation, brainwashing our young people with the sick notion that all that is wrong with the world is the fault of the United States, and that our way of life is the enemy, then all is lost. We believe that when thousands of violent street gangs kill, rape, and deal drugs with impunity on our nation’s streets, then there is no more law and order. And to rectify that omission, a new order must be created…We believe that the terrorists of the world will continue to target our once great nation. After September 11, 2001, we had a long grace period where they didn’t hit us. Then two years ago, we lost twenty thousand people in Chicago. Last year, another ten thousand in Los Angeles…Not only has our country changed for the worse, but the world is, I think, quite literally, going to Hell. Pakistan and Turkey have elected Islamic fundamentalists to rule their countries. Through Pakistan, the fundamentalists now have nuclear weapons. India is preparing for an all out nuclear war with Pakistan, and Iran, even after a joint attack years ago from Israel and the United States, has still managed to develop nuclear weapons and mate them with short range ballistic missiles. Chaos and twisted ideology are now the norm in many parts of the world. Most European nations are waving the white flag in the face of the existing and growing threats within their borders. As these threats to America have multiplied, the leadership of The 1776 Command patiently looked at the Congress of the United States, and waited for them to lead. Tragically, we saw nothing but a morally bankrupt institution that spews more partisan hate and pork with each passing day. The vast majority of Members have long since stopped representing the best interests of their constituents, to focus on their own self-indulgence. Rome was lucky, Mr. President. They only had one Nero to stand by and fiddle as the city and the culture burned to the ground. We in the United States, have 535.””

Once again, this is a work of fiction. That said, I wanted the reader to decide if the members of this militia are patriots or traitors. To decide if what they are contemplating is High Treason, or saving a nation from itself. And, if such a super-militia did exist, how would the United States of today deal with such and elite and dangerous group?

As an author, I was just trying to tell a story, make people think, and create conversation. As an American, I’m intrigued by the number and the timing of the emails I’ve gotten regarding this book.

Could it be that these readers and their reasoned but frantic emails, represent the canary in the coal mine? Is the nation envisioned by our Founding Fathers and revered by Americans who do believe in traditional values, truly in a death spiral?

Where will we be four years from now? Reality is often much more scary than fiction.