Terry Winter's First Speech to Monroe

[FiveHourSleep]

Terry Winters recently held her candidacy speech to the people of Monroe. The speech could be witnessed in the town park, as well as heard on the radio as it was broadcast across the Barrens. Present by her side during the speech was Alfred the guard.
Below is a full transcript of the speech.

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Monrovians.

My name is Theresa Winters, known to most of you as Terry. You might know me as the one who runs the butcher shop. Perhaps you’ve seen me in passing at the inn, or you might have seen me make deliveries to the clinic now and again. I've always liked keeping to my quiet corner of town. Unbothered and unbothering.

Trust me when I say - the fact that I'm standing here, right now, in this position, surprises me just as much as it must surprise you. I've never before shown or held any desire to be Minister. And yet, here I am.

And if you'll allow me to explain myself, and explain to you how I got here, to make some sense of it...I'll be very grateful.


I entered Monroe as an outsider, half frozen and near death by starvation. By the logic of this world, I should be lying dead on the wayside. But I'm not - I was invited in. I was clothed and fed. I was offered kindness and friendship. I learned of a Monroe that strived to be a bastion of all the things we've lost during the red eye plague, a place of second chances and lives lived without fear.

But something's gone terribly wrong in that time. Monroe isn't the Monroe I entered any longer. The welcoming, life-filled place I found is gone. It's been replaced by fear, suspicion and worry. On most nights, the inn has fallen silent.

During my time in Monroe I've seen signs of a town poisoned by subterfuge and other people's desire for control, as have many of you. We all want to be able to control our own fates, but when the cost is our health, our friends, our lives and our humanity...the cost is much too high.

My corner isn't quiet anymore. It's filled with worries for all of us. My desire to help Monroe, to give a little back of what you all have given me, can no longer be done quietly, confined to thoughts and wishes and careful suggestion.

While I've never held any office here in Monroe, I've known most everyone who has, during my own time here. Some I've known in passing, like Max Stone and Henry Patton, who saw what is wrong in Monroe, but unlawfully went about trying to change things. Some I've gotten to know in both peace and wartime, like Minister Chen, whose personal kindnesses to me I've never forgotten, despite it all. Some I've known even better, like the previous Minister Constantine Hasapis, who gave me both a purpose and kindness of his own. I still believe in his vision of a Monroe for the people, an independent, democratic and safe place that listens to the desires and worries of her citizens.

Which brings me to the current state of things.

Minister Chen created order out of chaos. When Monroe was left without a leader, she stepped up and took charge. It takes a special kind of person to be able to do that. However, the hopeful promise of stability has since turned false. Minister Chen invited murderers and monsters into our midst.

So much was lost with this decision. Many citizens fled in fear, good people without whose presence Monroe was made poorer, and without whose skill we were made vulnerable. The traders, who we had housed and kept wonderful business and relations with, rightfully abandoned us. Fear, mistrust and uncertainty pervaded previous life-filled corners of town, and continues to do so to this day. Other groups of bandits were emboldened, growing ever closer to our walls with an increase of attacks as a result. Our already tense relations with the CPF were further strained, very nearly bringing us into the CPF and Millers war, with us on the wrong side. At the very end, when everything finally came to a head, two Monrovians were killed and several peacekeepers injured. And the rifts persist.

It left me, as I imagine it did a lot of you, with a burning question: Why? What was the reason for this? What was gained, where so much was lost?

In a radio interview, the Minister offered an answer, clear as it was simple: Because there was no choice. A treaty with the Millers was the only choice, or else they would have eventually and soon overtaken Monroe.

But was that the truth?

In the time before and during my candidacy the Miller issue, and eventually the state of Monroe’s governing body itself, was a point of many suspicions for me. When the Minister gave her answer, it seemed lacking.

And so I began to dig.

My first bit of evidence that something was terribly wrong was shown to me prior to my candidacy. Worried about the state of Monroe, I stayed a while at the CPF outpost, and joined their raid on the Miller headquarters. What we found defies description - horrific proof of their dealings with slavery and murder, evil deeds of which they’re already well known. But the true horror was their cult. You’ve likely heard of the literal monsters encountered in the Barrens and around Monroe, and perhaps some of you have been unlucky enough to meet them yourselves within or outside our walls. It sounds like pure madness, but what I tell you now is the truth - the Millers have discovered a way to transform themselves into such creatures, and I’ve got photographic proof of the fact.

The fight was long and hard. But we proved one thing - despite this power of theirs, we were able to beat them back. Together, we were able to clear their headquarters and send the rest of them fleeing, although sadly losing trace of their leader Carl Miller in the process. Minister Chen was wrong - a plan of attack, a combination of our forces, as well as our determination proved stronger even than the monsters the Millers sent at us.

We had eliminated the threat of the Millers for now. This, in turn, effectively left the embassy in Monroe their last refuge. A refuge they should never have had to begin with. A refuge allowing the Millers to mingle with all of you, who should never have to fight an evil such as theirs, and leading to the loss of two of our own as a direct result of their presence.

During my candidacy, I continued my research. I found transcripts documented by the CPF, of recorded broadcasts made by Brighton. You’ve heard this name but likely know very little about them. All evidence goes to show that Brighton is a nation as well as a shadow organization that thrives on infiltrating other nations, thus gaining control over them. And Monroe, it appears, has been infected by their disease as well.

The transcripts show a Brighton that has gained control over Monroe, by inserting its own agents into our home. Furthermore, they show a disturbing, positive interest in Carl Miller, the Miller cult, their powers and their experimentations with monsters. A transcript shows one individual describing a deal with the Millers to secure their premiership in Monroe. A roster shows a selection of agents and their code-names - including the names of Minister Chen and Mr. Patton.

This roster, and the Millers disturbing cult, are further confirmed and described in another document obtained from a Brighton agent at a listening station. Another document to confirm the roster is the account of Henry Patton, who went rogue after his failed attempt to unlawfully dispose of Minister Chen. I distance myself fully from his methods and acts. But his account as an agent of Brighton does link further threads, and delves into even more worrying and criminal acts that he links to himself and Brighton - including his murder of Kai, the electrician, whose grave can be found where described - and other acts that he links directly to the Minister herself.

Closer to home, you may recall a letter that the Minister sent out regarding what we might learn of the monsters from the Millers. Hearkening back to the raid on the Miller headquarters, we now know in disturbing detail the truth of their expertise.

If this evidence is to be believed, then Minister Chen’s agenda is not one that aligns with Monroe. Our town is just a step on the way, a place to further a completely and utterly, morally corrupt plan to make gains using monsters and madness, at any cost, all to secure another nation further power and control.

I carry with me all that I’ve found, and I invite anyone to come meet me and see for yourselves. Copies exist in secure places as well, to ensure that this documentation will not be lost or buried.

The evidence is not infallible. Some may refute it, referencing CPF and Henry Patton as very questionable sources, both with histories of trying to destabilize Monroe. I understand your concern and your scepticism. You are right to always ask questions and be doubtful, and I praise your courage to do so. I will say this - the evidence I’ve collected offers a possible explanation, where before there was none. A way to connect the dots which I, from what I’ve experienced and with every other detail I’ve encountered on my way, find extremely likely to be true. But, supposing it is not - what are we left with? A dangerously incompetent leader whose main achievement has been burning bridges, unravelling a functioning governing body of heads, whose poor judgement turned her only peace treaty into a tragedy, raining bullets inside of our home where she had promised safety and stability. No promises have been truly met, and nothing has been truly mended. What will be next? What other criminals will we be harboring, what other bridges will we burn? Where are we headed with this? Believe in the evidence as I do, or don’t, but I stand here for my fear that where we are headed is nowhere good. And my firm belief that everything can be better.

So what can be done?

With every change, something must come after. Something can come after. We can release ourselves from our grim prospects. We have every opportunity to build a better future, and it is this future I see all of us building together.

I envision, in Monroe, a place of kinship and goodwill towards those who wish to uphold our good values, but whose friendly disposition we'll never allow to be abused. A Monroe that exists on equal footing with other nations, who will defend herself when needed, building on the stellar work of the peacekeepers, and going beyond.but whose citizens will never be sacrificed for any conceivable purpose, or seen as acceptable losses. You’ve asked, and I’ve listened - I would immediately begin construction on stronger walls and gates that will weather us through any storms from outside, no matter what shape they might take.

I envision a Monroe that will see the return of the traders, and once again be known as a trading hub worthy of her place on the map. Where we'll expand our business in mutually beneficial ways with our partners. Already I've secured the support of the traders with whom we once shared these walls, and they've promised me their return once the current administration is no longer in power. I've also begun the establishing of a larger trading enterprise. In addition to Monroe's own resources, I've surveyed the northern mines and found them viable for gathering further riches, in the form of platinum, titanium, iron and more. I've invited interested parties to enter into this enterprise, including the Amish nation, who have agreed to lend us their amazing skills in transforming our materials into durable tools, and who will also be able to assist us in providing for our food supplies so that we needn't worry about a shortage any longer. I'm also working on re-establishing our business connection to Bartertown, once established by Constantine Hasapis. I've found us the opportunities, and I plan on finding even more - but it'll take all of us to make them a reality.

I envision a Monroe that values the physical and mental health and wellbeing of her citizens, with the facilities to support this. Our talented doctors and nurses have always been a badge of honor for Monroe, and I will see to it that you who look after our health will be looked after as well. You've always made the best of everything we got, from herbal medicine to scavenged medical tools and goods, and you've saved many lives in the process. I say we can do even better than that. Kaari is a Monroe refugee whose brilliant mind, skill and dedication to healing the sick I'm sure many of you remember, and many of you, like myself, owe your lives to. In her time away from Monroe, she has found ways of developing hard-to-come-by and life-saving medicine, including antibiotics, and she's ready to lend her skill to us once more. With her help, and the help of others in the medical field, Monroe will stand even stronger against pain and sickness, as well as the flu season that will soon be upon us.

I envision a Monroe where trust is earned, not just freely given, to other nations. We'll need time - time to heal the poison and clear our minds before we'll know friend from foe again. Time to find ourselves, unite ourselves, so that no one can easily divide us again. I will reinstate the governmental body of heads, represented and elected by the people, and there will be regular polls regarding Monroe's most important matters, ensuring that the voice of every citizen is heard. There will be no more embassies for the foreseeable future. Instead, we'll have ambassadors - people who will help keep healthy relations between Monroe and other nations, without selling away our souls. Monroe will be known as a place that offers friendship and prosperity, but on equal terms with others.

I envision a Monroe where we're always striving towards betterment and enrichment of the lives of ourselves and our families. The mill was left unfinished for over a year, and the well was left barred and poisoned. I’ll ensure that problems like these are never left unresolved for so long. In addition, I intend to convert the Minister house into a community center. We'll move part of the library to it, save for what is needed by the school, and expand it. There will be recreational spaces for games, hobbies, relaxation and events. I look forward to taking your suggestions to how else these rooms may be used, and how else we might better the town together.

I envision a Monroe that's built not by the few, but by the many, the all. My purpose here is to offer a change - a return to mutual trust between the government and its people. A return to lawfulness, not just on the surface or just for the people, but for the governing body as well. I cannot promise an end to our hardships, much as I wish I could. But I can promise that, if we work together, we'll meet whatever is to come from the strongest foundation possible.
As Minister, I'll do everything in my power to make sure that anything that threatens Monroe will be dealt with, and that Monroe will remain a safe and prosperous place for all. It's what's driven my work for the last many months, and it's what has helped me secure invaluable support towards this cause.

Monrovians.

You're well within your rights to demand better. Because you deserve better. But before that can happen, everyone here has an important decision to make. And I dearly, strongly hope you will choose to believe, as I do, in a better Monroe, and do what must be done towards achieving that. I'll be with you, praying you'll choose for what's right and good, for you, your friends, your families. For a united Monroe. For us.

Thank you.