This story was immediately written after the sex scandal of former New York governor Eliot Spitzer. While he is not named in the story itself because of how I wanted the main character's speech to be addressed, I am adding it here on the site for anybody who may be wondering who it was referring to.
The door opened quietly as a rather smallish young man walked into a crowd-filled room. He walked up to the podium located at the top of the front stage. The room was filled with the sounds of hundreds of conversations taking place within the crowd of people. He held his hand up, and the room suddenly went quiet. Even the grasshoppers that were outside the building remained silent as the young man started to speak.
"I come before you today,” he started, “as I have done many awful deeds. I have failed to meet the low expectations that you have all set for me. As an elected official who represents the voices of you, the people, I should have conducted myself in a more professional manner.”
By this time, the room had started to fill with thousands of questions asked simultaneously. The young man held his hand up again, and the room went silent once more.
“As I stand here before my peers,” he continued, “I will list off some of the atrocities and misdemeanors I have committed while in office. I have:appropriated money from the Public Services Fund, imprisoned many of my political enemies, and even tried to hire a couple of assassins to eliminate a hated acquaintance,written bad checks, have had governmental newcomers tortured and beaten, replaced progressive members of the council with those who would benefit and protect my own interests, and even stole candy from small children.”
The crowd was beginning to become restless in the wake of this young man admitting these large blunders in error. He held his hand up one more time. This time, however, no silence came with the raising of the hand. Instead, rotten tomatoes were thrown up onto the stage. The young man was covered in splattered tomatoes before it quieted down to a level to where he could talk.
“With the following being only a small fraction of crimes I have committed,” he started once more, “and receiving much criticism from everyone over my actions, I have decided to resign from office. Please, don't let me do it again. But remember one thing: no matter how much I have done wrong, I have stayed true to my family, my friends, and my beliefs. I did not ever cohort with any prostitutes, unlike some other elected public officials who shall remain nameless. So, it is with a heavy heart that I leave the office of your sixth grade Student Council president." As the young man finished his speech and proceeded to move off the stage toward the doorway, cheering from the crowd filled the room and the night air. He walked outside, exhausted from working up the courage to tell the crowd as much information as he did. He moved toward his bicycle to go home. As he situated himself on his bike, he heard the grasshoppers that had gone silent for his speech. The noise they were making was much like the laughter and cheering that was still emitting from where the speech had been given. The young man grunted in disapproval and pedaled his way home, wondering what the upcoming school day would have in store for him.