order & corruption // {zora mayor speech}

Zora Sun was not raised to be a public speaker — her brother, the true heir of Sun Corporations, was. But she is no longer the soft, shy girl after her years in the field as a Peacekeeper. She is hardened, strengthened —

and yet somehow she feels more vulnerable than ever before. Since her return, her parents urged her into a marriage with the son of another large oil business. After swearing out love years ago, Zora never intended to be married to someone. She had given up her job for her family, and this is how they repaid her. She should have realized that coming back to Five was a mistake, that she shouldn't have trusted her family. But it was too late for what ifs now. And so, Zora made a gamble with herself: if she became mayor of District Five, she would reject the marriage and the company, allowing her to continue to pursue her dream of protecting public safety. If she lost, she would take her place as heir of Sun Corporations.

"I do not come from humble beginnings," she says into microphone. "I am a Sun, arguably one of the wealthiest families in District Five. But I am not beginning with this statement because I feel that because of my upbringing, I am above my opponents. But rather, I tell you this because I want there to be an understanding between myself and the people of District Five. Growing up, I was very sheltered and spoiled — the quintessential rich girl. But one day my family moved to a different part of the district. Between my new house and my school as well as a shopping center was an impoverished neighborhood. For the first time, I came into contact with the working class of Five.

"What I saw changed the way I viewed my district. There were hungry people in the streets, drug deals going on, and sometimes, violence broke out. I was shocked when I saw these things, but I was even more appalled when I found out that Sun Corporations, along with other companies, mistreated and underpaid their workers. It is this kind of selfishness that causes such brutal poverty. And with poverty comes the need for crime and violence, and therefore disorder and injustice. I cannot promise the elimination of poverty; anyone who does is a liar. But I can try to alleviate the harsh conditions that many people in Five endure. Since being named heir of Sun Corporations, I have already begun to give our factory workers the rights they deserve. If I were mayor, I would be able to have more power over not just Sun Corporations, but also other large businesses that abuse their workers.

"It is justice and order that make a society great and prosperous; by implementing new policies to achieve these things, District Five will be much more well-off. In my years as a Peacekeeper, I traveled across Panem, and I learned that this is a common theme throughout the other districts, as well as the Capitol. I know that some people harbor a negative view of Peacekeepers, however, because in truth, corruption exists within our forces. But that is just the few — the majority of us, of them, are not this way. It is the job of a Peacekeeper to maintain I became a Peacekeeper not because I enjoy power, but because I care for public safety.

"Three years ago, I was stationed in District Four when the tsunami hit. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before — children left motherless, wounded people lying on the streets, homes and shops completely wrecked. I worked with and helped direct the volunteers cleaning up the wreck the tsunami had made. Together, with citizen and Peacekeeper working together, we were able to slowly piece together District Four. This is the kind of harmony and collaboration I would like to see in the future in Five. If I am elected, I will work closely with Peacekeepers to ensure the safety of the people and the lowering of crime rates.

"It is my dream to bring peace and order to as many people as I can, and District Five is one of the first places I intend to start."