The Cost of Compromise at the Lincoln Memorial
Plot Beats
The narrative micro-steps within this event
Richardson immediately cuts to the political reality—Josh has secured others, forcing Leo to come to him as a last resort before involving Hoynes.
Richardson's flat refusal triggers Leo's defensive insistence on the bill's necessity, exposing their ideological divide.
Richardson's accusation—that the administration abandoned stronger measures—flays open Leo's compromised position.
Leo's invocation of Black gun violence victims backfires as Richardson skewers the bill's performative weaknesses.
Richardson's exit leaves Leo isolated, the moral cost of political compromise etched in his silence.
Who Was There
Characters present in this moment
Righteously angry and contemptuous; composed but cutting — he channels moral fury into procedural specificity to shame the administration.
Congressman Mark Richardson confronts Leo with measured, morally sharp denunciations — naming weapons and technical cutoffs to demonstrate the bill's insufficiency — then refuses the vote and physically departs, leaving Leo publicly exposed.
- • Signal that half-measures are unacceptable and demand a law that actually saves lives
- • Refuse complicity in a symbolic bill and maintain credibility with his constituents
- • Political theater that leaves lethal weapons untouched is morally indefensible
- • Leadership requires delivering concrete protections, not empty symbolism
Frustrated, chastened, and urgent — outwardly authoritative but inwardly strained and near-exhausted; his composure frays when accused.
Leo approaches Richardson with a pleading, managerial urgency—defending the administration's incremental strategy, invoking human consequences, and arguing the political necessity of an imperfect bill while physically present near the memorial steps.
- • Persuade Richardson to flip his vote and salvage the bill
- • Protect the administration's incremental strategy and avoid a larger political collapse
- • Small legislative gains are politically achievable and preferable to none
- • Maintaining White House strength is a prerequisite to executing policy
Objects Involved
Significant items in this scene
The Three-Inch Grip is named by Richardson as a specific technical cutoff that was altered; it stands for the minute, technical compromises that, cumulatively, render the bill ineffective in marginalized communities.
The Two-Inch Grip is cited to contrast with the three-inch proposal, illustrating how small technical changes determine which weapons are covered; Richardson uses this as evidence of tokenism.
The Tech DC 9 is invoked by Richardson as an example of a weapon the bill has failed to regulate; its name functions rhetorically to expose specific, technical losses in the compromise and to puncture Leo's abstractions.
The Tech 22 is listed alongside other specific weapon names to demonstrate the concrete losses embedded in the final draft; it sharpens Richardson's charge that the law is for show.
Striker 12 is invoked as one of the lethal weapons the administration allegedly 'never fought for'; the name functions as accusatory evidence within Richardson's indictment of compromise.
The 'Street Sweeper' is invoked verbally as a feared weapon omitted from the bill; Richardson uses the term to dramatize the law's insufficiency and to connect policy choices to neighborhood deaths.
The Thirty-Round Detachable Magazine ('thirty-round clip') is named by Richardson to highlight that the stronger restriction was removed in favor of a weaker alternative, symbolizing loss of meaningful regulation.
The Twenty-Round Detachable Magazine is contrasted with the thirty-round clip to show how the bill reduced its bite; the comparison tightens Richardson's charge that the bill is cosmetic rather than protective.
Location Details
Places and their significance in this event
The Lincoln Memorial provides a public, historied backdrop that converts a private political plea into moral theater; the marble steps and open plaza amplify Richardson's rebuke, making the confrontation feel judged by history and the nation.
Narrative Connections
How this event relates to others in the story
"Richardson's refusal to support the bill forces Leo to seek help from Vice President Hoynes to secure the final vote."
"Richardson's refusal to support the bill forces Leo to seek help from Vice President Hoynes to secure the final vote."
Key Dialogue
"RICHARDSON: "I'm voting no, Leo.""
"LEO: "The bodies being wheeled into the emergency room are black. These guns aren't going to Scottsdale, Mark, they're going to Detroit, they're going to Philadelphia.""
"RICHARDSON: "No, I want the guns, Leo. You write a law that can save some lives. In the mean time, please don't tell me how to be a leader of black men. You look like an idiot.""