Ordinary Person

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: So do something about it! There are two groups vehemently arguing. 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Listen, we can stop this before things get messy. But I need your help. So I’ll do the talking, and since you’re strong men, you can come between them if push comes to shove.

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Stop saying that. You sound like the sheep in Orwell’s Animal Farm or poor line repetition in a bad villanelle. 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: See, extreme pacifism doesn’t solve anything. I keep a gun in my pocket for self-defence. I get that you want love, but love is a verb. So we have to do something.

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Okay, I’ll stop being eloquent. Here’s a simple analogy: Say you have a flat tyre; won’t you fix it? Look, they’re shoving each other already. Please, I beg you. I’m only 5’2, and those guys look like thugs.

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Okay, say I shot into the air, it’ll draw attention, but I’ll need your help. Will you help? 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Look! They’re increasing in number. I think it’s some religious argument or something. We have to intervene! 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Look! They’re punching each other now, and the number has increased. We have to stop this now! 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Murder! Murder! It’s too late! It’s too damn late! 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Stop saying that! Look what we’ve caused. I don’t think I can live with myself. 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Say that once more, and I swear I’ll shoot you in the head. 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

Intelligent woman: Oh, so you want love, huh, you avant-garde moralists. I’ll show you what hate is if you do not stop! Say it, go on. 

Men with peace signs: We only want love. 

*Gunshots heard* 

Judge: What you did was heinous. You killed two innocent, educated men holding peace signs. They were only doing their best to protest against that horrible religious conflict in front of you. Eight violent morons killed themselves. But two saints were martyred. You are as bad as Nero, who burned people like these men. You will be shown those bloodstained peace signs in prison every day. And fortunately, in this state, we still use the electric chair. I will take pleasure in watching you burn and hope there is a literal hell where you’ll burn some more. Death penalty! Death penalty! Death penalty!

Orange prison-robed woman: Please no! Please, I beg you! I only want love.