A man stands upon a box, eager to tell anyone around him a great tale of intrigue. Those with ears to hear begin to form a crowd, willing to give this man a platform on which to share his story.
He tells this crowd that they have been stranded in the darkness for far too long, before reassuring them a beacon of hope is on its way. Just past the point of where their eyes may go, that hope is ready to spark and glow.
He goes further and further along with this legend, captivating the people with his charisma, all the while continuing to stand upon that box and relying on it to maintain his position among the people. It becomes clear this man has shared this story before, but the people here don’t realize that…they only see a strong man giving strong words.
But the box can only handle the weight of this man and his story for so long. As time moves on, the platform he stands upon slowly weakens…but the man pays no mind, for he is bound and determined to sway the people in his favor and accept his word as truth.
He reaches the climax of his story, his cadence swelling with every syllable like an orchestra reaching its crescendo…but it never comes. Instead, the box finally gives way under the pressure, sending the man down to the ground. Among the crowd are those who come to his aid, looking to save the man that has given them hope.
And yet, some have their doubts. They have just witnessed a man giving a message of hope come crashing down, and they see it for what it is…an epiphany. In that moment, they see the truth of the matter…that this man is talking out his ass.
Because hope is often shared with such fervor, that the smallest inconvenience can suddenly shatter that perception. Any semblance of truth to such a message is broken when the platform gives way.
And this is the question I propose to you, Lionel Troy. Is your message one with truth to back it up, or are you simply talking out your ass? Because the truth will set you free, but lies will only come back to bite you.
People have killed and been killed over the hope of a new tomorrow, and all too often that message is distorted to give those sharing it a position of power. Power corrupts, and holding that much power is bound to turn even the brightest beacon of hope into a torch that burns everything to the ground.
I will not see Arcadia scorched, Mr. Troy. So bring me more than just your words, Lionel, because I can see the cracks forming in the box you stand upon…and I’m willing to break the damn thing myself.
A leader like you is dangerous if left unchecked, and I’m here to put you in your place…whether it’s up on that box or inside of it.