George W. Bush had been bushwhacked.
The assassination of a United States President, Vice-President, Secretary of Defense, most members of the Bush administration's cabinet, and most members of the most contemptible, incompetent, arrogant, greedy, corrupt Congress in the history of the United States, had been accomplished in a matter of minutes on January 17, 2008.
Shocked by such a devastating turn of events, many Americans were outraged by what this group called O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had wrought. But, in less than five months, American public opinion had changed. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was seen as a savior of a great nation, a nation that had been vilified by a succession of repugnant politics and salacious social structure.
Seemingly unlimited resources gave O.U.T.R.A.G.E. the ability to send help where it was needed after the hurricane had struck the east coast and the massive earthquake had destroyed L.A. Most of the undesireable influences, including dirty politicians, evil movie makers and media, squanderous celebrities, and incorrigible business leaders were dead. O.U.T.R.A.G.E. was returning the U.S.A. to its moral and civilized roots. The Bush administration had condoned torture in total disregard to the rules of the Geneva Convention; that only served to lower the standards of the the nation. Citizens of the United States, especially in the political and financial centers of the country, had become rapaciously uncivilized in their quest for more power and more money. That's why, an O.U.T.R.A.G.E. brochure explained, cities like Washington, DC, New York, and Los Angeles had to be devoid of all the power bases. What O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had failed to annihilate in those large cities, the hurricanes and earthquake managed to complete.
Now it was back to the Heartland. And the 'National Parade of Honor' was heading west in its quest to commemorate those veterans who had served so proudly in all of America's military conflicts. But it was also a new beginning that would help re-establish the U.S.A. as a civilized, compassionate, loving, caring society - a cultural change that put caring for others above caring for oneself. Interim President Powell and Interim Vice-President John McCain had already sent O.U.T.R.A.G.E. ambassadors to study cultures in countries such as Switzerland, the Constitutional Sultanate of Brunei, and the Kingdom of Bhutan. How could these small nations avoid the evils of the outside world and maintain peace and civility within their own borders? How could these small nations provide their citizens with such high standards of living? Bhutan even rejected the need for a "Gross National Product" index in favor of a very unique measurement: the "Gross National Happiness". In these countries, as in many others across the globe, there was proof that a citizenship could live together in peace, harmony, tranquility and closer equality. Could the United States of America attain such lofty cultural and societal values? The answer was actually closer than some thought: the answer lay in the Heartland, and even O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members would be surprised by the turn of events as their 'National Parade of Honor" marched past the big-city centers and entered those small towns which thrived on community instead of centering on self.
Bucyrus, Ohio was no exception. A small, rural community that hadn't changed much in the past hundred years, the citizens were stable, hard-working examples of what America used to be; they proudly showed off their town to the O.U.T.R.A.G.E. entourage. The local VFW Post was where the parade began, and by the time it had wound through 'downtown' Bucyrus, there were throngs of over a thousand people following behind the color guard, the high school bands, the local Kiwanis Club membership, and the large contingent of war veterans. The O.U.T.R.A.G.E. motorhomes were led to a Bucyrus farm, then returned to the VFW Post where the parade had started. The townspeople provided a hog roast, complete with creamed corn pudding, baked potatoes, and old-fashioned three-bean salads. The festivities continued well into the evening, as Bucyrus residents shared their feelings with O.U.T.R.A.G.E. representatives about politics, social conditions, youth, and the future of their great country. It was evident that virtually every resident in Bucyrus intended to vote in the upcoming November elections. It was evident that Bucyrus residents were grateful for what O.U.T.R.A.G.E. had achieved. Even though it went against most people's civility, the need for such drastic action was understood, and grudgingly condoned.
Tired from their long journey, O.U.T.R.A.G.E. members rested well that night. They had to get up early to reach their scheduled destination on Friday, May 30.