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Press Conference
The Reverend's voice was choked with genuine emotion as he spoke. It was a rare opportunity, an invitation to speak at a political rally hosted by Senator Sloane regarding the registration issue being brought before Congress. He had a massive, cheering crowd, composed not only of his church's own faithful, but a much wider audience, including a national one through the host of television cameras.

"My friends, I cannot tell you how honored I am to be here today. I understand there are questions about my position at a political event, hosted by the kind Senator Sloane and such generous donors as Ms. Maggie Donovan." He paused for more applause and cheers. "But I'm not here today as a religious figure. I'm not here on behalf of a movement... I'm here today as a grieving father and husband. I'm here as a concerned human being. For those of you out there who do not know me... my name is Philip Butler. And when I come before an audience who doesn't know me, with protestors and the rest, what everyone always wonders is why I hate mutants. And the answer is that I don't. I love all my brothers and sisters under God. When I was a younger man, I belonged to the mutant rights league. I marched for mutant rights in Dallas. I spoke on behalf of freedom and fairness. But there is a deeper concern. After those days, I lost my family - my wife of twenty-three years was killed by terrorists calling themselves the Mutant Liberation Front. My eldest son, a decorated veteran of overseas campaigns was killed defending Magneto at trial! And then my two little girls..." he holds up a photo, which the cameras zoom in on, "Were killed when they couldn't run fast enough, casualties caught in a crossfire between the so-called X-Men and Magneto's Acolyte movement in the pre-Genosha days. Even the mutants who call themselves heroes can't guarantee our safety. They still fight like vigilantes, and innocents still get caught in the crossfire. If they really wanted to help, let them sign with law enforcement, let them join the national guard! Let them serve like my son did before his tragic and senseless death."

"I am not asking for some new Holocaust. I don't want to see anyone suffering or dying. But these people possess dangerous abilities, and they need our help! And we need to know we're safe from the crossfire of whatever secret mutant wars are raging on all around us.  For the mutants out there, I'm not asking you to go to prison for being born... but if you're going to use these powers, especially in a way that puts lives at risk, you have to understand - you /are/ part of the problem, whether you want to be or not. Hiding breeds suspicion and fear. The only way to come together is cooperation. Beginning with registering in the same way anyone who wishes to own a gun should register that weapon. This is not some shadowy government agency trying to bring you in. This is a father who has had to attend the funerals of all three of his children, two of whom never had a chance to grow up at all, a family man, a devout man, and a scared man... please, give us a chance to defend ourselves, to know who our friends are and who our enemies are. Registration does not have to be some great evil. But it is the first step, a necessary first step, to reconciliation."

"When far worse programs were proposed, when hatred was at its height, I stepped forward to do what my conscience demanded, and stepped forward for the fair treatment of mutants in Dallas. Now I'm asking you to do the right thing, and support registration, so that maybe other husbands won't have only a picture of their wife to remember them by. Other proud fathers of soldiers won't see their children cut down by strange powers while trying to protect a rightful trial of a terrorist. And other fathers won't have nothing but a few pictures and kidnergarten projects to remember two beautiful little girls by"

"For everyone else - the time is coming for a vote in Congress. Call your congressman and demand they support registration when it comes. It is the right thing to do, for all of us."