07-19-2020, 06:43 AM
You are about to enter a work of fiction...
Three blacked-out vans pull up casually onto Fifth Ave, between W. 56th and W. 57th Streets.
Doors of two of the vans slide open as individuals, dressed in black head to toe, spill out in
military fashion. There are twelve of them, heavily armed. Obvious mercenaries. As the back
doors of the third van open the already-in-place operatives have pinned down the nine or so
police officers standing guard over the street "mural". The scene slows to an eery silence as
the tension builds to chaotic. Not a single soul on that street dares to move. Picturesque.
Suddenly, from the opened doors of the third van, eight similarly outfitted individuals emerge
with an organized speed. They assemble on the scene and are also armed, but not with
machine guns. Instead, their weapons are buckets of paint and rollers. The final touch being
that they are all wearing Bill Clinton masks. Seven of the eight spread out, drop to their knees,
open their buckets and begin painting the street. The eighth masked man grabs the bullhorn
from his waist and addresses the onlookers:
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please bear with us, we will not take up any more of your
precious time than is necessary. We are here only to do our job and then we are gone."
After the announcement, the "leader" then joins in alongside the rest of the busy painters.
The crowds on both sides of the street are frozen in a thick concoction of fear and confusion.
Less than ten minutes into the job and nearly half the mural is covered over. The synchronized
accuracy and enviable speed at which this crew works is congruent with their professional
approach and deadly demeanor. Not one single move is out of step.
The sixth member cries "MORE!" as four of the masked painters rush the third van
to grab the remaining paint buckets. The scene plays out like one huge outdoor bank
heist. Twenty minutes in and the entire mural is gone. Thirteen empty black paint
containers sit open-end-up neatly against the curbs.
The leader makes his second announcement through the bullhorn:
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your cooperation and patience. Our work complete,
we now depart."
He looks around at what has become a shot of suspended animation before giving the final
order.
"Let's move out!!" he yells as he and his nineteen cohorts quickly board their all-black
vans and speed away. Mere seconds later, everyone remains still and silent unable to
process what just happened.
See, in my version no one gets hurt OR unlawfully arrested.
I seriously doubt it would play out that way in real life.
Three blacked-out vans pull up casually onto Fifth Ave, between W. 56th and W. 57th Streets.
Doors of two of the vans slide open as individuals, dressed in black head to toe, spill out in
military fashion. There are twelve of them, heavily armed. Obvious mercenaries. As the back
doors of the third van open the already-in-place operatives have pinned down the nine or so
police officers standing guard over the street "mural". The scene slows to an eery silence as
the tension builds to chaotic. Not a single soul on that street dares to move. Picturesque.
Suddenly, from the opened doors of the third van, eight similarly outfitted individuals emerge
with an organized speed. They assemble on the scene and are also armed, but not with
machine guns. Instead, their weapons are buckets of paint and rollers. The final touch being
that they are all wearing Bill Clinton masks. Seven of the eight spread out, drop to their knees,
open their buckets and begin painting the street. The eighth masked man grabs the bullhorn
from his waist and addresses the onlookers:
"Ladies and gentlemen, if you could please bear with us, we will not take up any more of your
precious time than is necessary. We are here only to do our job and then we are gone."
After the announcement, the "leader" then joins in alongside the rest of the busy painters.
The crowds on both sides of the street are frozen in a thick concoction of fear and confusion.
Less than ten minutes into the job and nearly half the mural is covered over. The synchronized
accuracy and enviable speed at which this crew works is congruent with their professional
approach and deadly demeanor. Not one single move is out of step.
The sixth member cries "MORE!" as four of the masked painters rush the third van
to grab the remaining paint buckets. The scene plays out like one huge outdoor bank
heist. Twenty minutes in and the entire mural is gone. Thirteen empty black paint
containers sit open-end-up neatly against the curbs.
The leader makes his second announcement through the bullhorn:
"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your cooperation and patience. Our work complete,
we now depart."
He looks around at what has become a shot of suspended animation before giving the final
order.
"Let's move out!!" he yells as he and his nineteen cohorts quickly board their all-black
vans and speed away. Mere seconds later, everyone remains still and silent unable to
process what just happened.
See, in my version no one gets hurt OR unlawfully arrested.
I seriously doubt it would play out that way in real life.
