21 Hang 'em!

Scripts-Aloud

"Hang 'em!"
In this chilling political satire, three political staffers—John, Mark, and Matt—meet in a conference room to brainstorm policy ideas for an incumbent US President's potential second term. The conversation, which starts with a vague desire to "take it to the next level," quickly devolves into a disturbingly casual discussion about making capital punishment for murder a policy priority.

Mark proposes a radical and horrifying idea: using a newly approved law for capital punishment in all 50 states to prosecute and execute any woman who has had an abortion, which the men repeatedly define as "murder". As the meeting progresses, the trio debates the finer points of this proposal, including making the punishments public, displaying the bodies for seven days, and using recyclable aluminum poles and stainless steel screws. They even consider adding electronic signs with details of the "crime" and selling ad space or obituaries.

The plan becomes more outlandish as they consider retroactive punishment, possibly targeting every woman who has had a legal abortion since Roe v. Wade. They calculate this could affect millions of women, casually throwing out numbers like "thirty seven, call it forty, million women". The episode concludes with John instructing Mark and Matt to draft a policy document on the abortion idea, while tabling an even more extreme suggestion from Mark about revisiting the "three-fifths-of-a-person issue" from the Constitution.

Themes of the Story

The script explores several dark themes:

• Dehumanization and Casual Cruelty: The most striking theme is how the characters discuss monstrous ideas with a frighteningly detached and business-like demeanor. They talk about hanging, displaying bodies, and executing millions of women as if they are discussing any other mundane policy detail, complete with jokes and laughter. The use of terms like "moral hazard," "transparency," and "states rights" highlights how political jargon can be used to sanitize and justify horrific acts.

• The Slippery Slope of Political Extremism: The story illustrates how seemingly small steps can lead to extreme and violent outcomes. The men begin with a broad discussion about "priorities" and "taking it to the next level" before quickly escalating to capital punishment for abortion, public hangings, and the idea of retroactive application. The final conversation about the three-fifths compromise serves as a final jolt, showing that their capacity for extreme thought is not limited to a single issue.

• The Perversion of Justice and Language: The script repeatedly uses the phrase "abortion is murder" to justify their plans, demonstrating how a simple, repeated statement can become the foundation for a radical and violent policy. The characters twist concepts like "justice," "transparency," and "fairness" to rationalize their proposed acts of mass execution. Their lack of concern for legal processes, such as trials, further underscores a complete disregard for due process in the pursuit of their goals.