A: She choked.

http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/fulk2.html

[ September 11, 2001: Message edited by: G.K Nimrod ]

Well, I finally came up with a story idea. It is as follows:

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A young man is in prison, there to await arraignment. He tells his parents that he has no idea why he's there, that he didn't do it, and that he plans to plead "not guilty". He insists to his fellow prisoner the same things. His GF visits him. We discover that she was apparently involved in the same crime that he was, when he promises not to rat on her. So he does know what he's done, but we still don't. They get into an argument over whether he should plead "not guilty", because, she says, if he knows he commited a crime, he should tell the truth. He questions what good it could possibly do for him to go to prison. She leaves, though not angrily. The boy thinks. About what she's said.

Eventually, the time comes for his arraignment. As he's leaving the cell, he finally tells his friend what he is in prison for: he's a Christian. He says that he has to tell the truth, because it's the right thing to do. He goes before the judge, and pleads guilty, to everyone's (or no one's) surprise. When he's taken back to his cell, the prisoner asks him what happened that he's back so soon. Our boy tells the prisoner what happened, and why he did what he did, even though he doesn't understand why he's in prison. The prisoner asks the boy to teach him about "this Christ guy". Boy complies. Fade to exit.

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Now, there is no comedy in this plot AT ALL, which is a first for our group. Straight-out drama. Even though our group's comedy usually comes in the mannerisms and dress of the puppets themselves, I think that humor of any kind might be out of place in a script like this. Keep in mind, of course, that this is a bare-bones outline. I have some detail in mind. For one, you never see the other prisoner. He's on the other side of the cell wall. I thought it'd be an interesting effect to make one character a disembodied voice. The plot lends itself to simplicity: no scenery changes in mid-skit, no complex sound effects, nothing. Personally, I like it. Thanks, guys. I couldn't have done it without you.

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As he's leaving the cell, he finally tells his friend what he is in prison for: he's a Christian.

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Well, given the persecution Muslims are going through following what happened in New York, people might wonder "where the fuck are Christians persecuted? Why does he feel the need to illustrate Christian persecutions when Muslims are being persecuted for having the same religion as the alleged WTC/Pentagon terrorists?"

Considering that this skit won't be performed for the judges for another eight months, I doubt that whatever relatively minor amount of persecution that's going on will still be going on then.

people might wonder "where the fuck are Christians persecuted?"

China. Half the middle-east. And was it Pakistan or Afganistan that was holding some Christians for execution? Heck, even this board isn't much fun at times, let me tell you. This world is not nearly as tolerant as you may think.

Why does he feel the need to illustrate Christian persecutions

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I doubt that whatever relatively minor amount of persecution that's going on will still be going on then.

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I'd hardly call them "minor" amounts of persecution.

Mosques are being vandalized. An Indian Hindu was shot and killed either Saturday or Sunday. Many stores owned by people of Middle East descent recieving hundreds of death threats. A Subway franchie down the road from me has been closed since Tuesday: the owner is from the Middle East. My friend on the Balt. Country Police Department (same one I did the ride along with) said they recieved two-hundred death threats by noon on Tuesday alone. Somehow, I'd be surprised if they're the only ones.

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China. Half the middle-east. And was it Pakistan or Afganistan that was holding some Christians for execution? Heck, even this board isn't much fun at times, let me tell you. This world is not nearly as tolerant as you may think.

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I don't think they were holding them for executions because they were Christians, but because they were going around supplying arms to their enemies. There's a difference. And maybe if Christians hadn't gone around trying to convert native populations (and often using force to subjegate before or after), people wouldn't feel so hostile towards Christians. The Muslim religion, for one, preaches that Jews and Christians are to be tolerated as faiths which worship the same God as Muslims ... just worship him the wrong way.

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That's not the entire purpose of the skit. It's also intended to get people to think about the verse that says you have to obey the law, insofar as it doesn't conflict with God's law.

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Under normal circumstances, such activities would earn the participants a trip to Mars. But as I have (as of yet) not been granted the power to send people to Mars, I'll have to stick to the next best thing.