Smartystan

Go wore his signature t-shirt. Dr. Strong dressed in a button down shirt. The two women wore floral blouses, Dr. Frampton in blue and Belinda in pink. In this virtual conference, the “Flourishing Four” expressed their grievances, their agonies, their triumphs.

“We can’t let this pass,” Dr. Strong affirmed. “This must be met specifically and directly.”

“I agree,” Belinda said. “The majority is still the majority. I happen to think that if it’s natural we should keep it like it is.”

“I’m in the agreement mood,” Dr. Frampton replied. “These folks have earned their way not because of skin color, hair texture and color, or eye color. I don’t care what they look like as long as they’ve got an exceptional brain.”

The four of them looked into the screen. While they peered at their avatars, they sensed their remained a sneaky little problem.

“I don’t like the idea so many people have entered the gates and still not recognized that the goal of this fledgling country is to share a love and a respect for the mind. People seem to not care about the intellect so much,” Dr. Strong declared.

“Hence, Smartystan!” Belinda exclaimed with a hint of irony.

“What are we going to do?” Dr. Frampton asked.

“We can make it possible for the sharpest, brightest minds to find a home in the new country,” Go mentioned.

During the conference, the team seemed to show the reason why they invested so much of their toil and anguish because it was worth it.

“I need DEI as much as I need an IED. And they’re both just as deadly. It’s just in different forms,” Strong asserted.

“I think it's evil. It’s worse than the ave guard. Those people are at least honest. They’ve got principles. But this measure is completely corrupt and no one benefits.”

“I thought that this nation would feature only the ‘sharpest, brightest’ minds,” Belinda replied.

“Of course,” Dr. Strong fired back.

“That’s what I said and I meant it. You don’t get to a population of two million people by overlooking character and competence. It all gives rise to excellence. We are the stewards of this idea,” she answered. Go cleared his throat.

“I think we should scrutinize the various factions who admit these people. There’s gotta be a way for us to show that intellectual quality over physical attributes is key. Just look at us: A black PhD, black female PhD in science, a white woman high school dropout, and a yellow associate’s degree holder. We didn’t form artificially by some bureaucrat’s whim. We joined forces as Delawareans and scholars and business people. That’s what must be emphasized. If this trend continues, the whole plan will devolve and dissolve into chaos.”

For a moment, you could hear a pin strike the floor. Each of the four “boxes”

to the separate founders’ places on the camera remained silent.

“That seems to be the solution,” Dr. Frampton admitted.

“ It’s still not over yet,” Dr. Strong intoned.

Belinda unmuted herself. “We must consider the gifted who demonstrate the ability to take these ideas of equity, inclusion, and diversity and not only trash them, but make the positive the special part. Their removal from our halls of learning will forever change the landscape. We can improve on the original plan. Hell, how many Amendments are in the Constitution to the United States?”

“Twenty-seven,” Go answered.

“That was rhetorical,” Belinda retorted.

Go laughed. Belinda put her tongue in her cheek.

“I know we can improve on the design,” Dr. Strong chimed.

“There is no God but thank God we can get together like this and express our concerns with power and poise.” Dr. Frampton sighed. “I just want to see the day when this experiment of ours is totally free of this menace.”

“Absolutely,” Belinda remarked. “That’s our ability. To champion these people of thought, rich or poor, or in between, we’ve set a stage for them to thrive based on merit. Now this EID nonsense must cease.”

Heads nodded at this. An air of discontent hovered over them, nevertheless. With their desire to see greatness and comfort towards each other, nothing became too acrid.

“We’ve gotta strengthen our own sensibilities,” Go put out into the digital atmosphere. “We have the opportunity to do what no organization or government has ever done…fund an entire nation based solely on the State being a protector of rights, not one that tramples over them.”

Dr. Strong spoke next. There was a darker timbre to his voice but it seemed like his words had been dipped in spring water. The clarity and enriching quality charmed the other three. It seemed to resonate in nature.

“ISEE,” Dr. Strong said.

“What?” A collective question arose.

“There should be a separation in government of ideas, science, economics, and education. Once we reimplement the bylaws, we’ll be able to discover the might of the mind. The only way to do this is through sliding notes under the doors of the government officials.”

“Does that include your friend, President Goshen?”

“Absolutely. We can get on the wire right now,” Dr. Strong replied with levity and truth.

“I just think it’s a shame that so many white men and women are being turned away in favor of people of color. It’s disgusting. Just imagine if it was the other way around,” Dr. Frampton said. “I want red, yellow, brown, black and white people to contribute what’s in their minds and souls.” There appeared to be a notable shift in the language and intent of the conversation. The four of them looked at each other with honor and respect. With the founding of this new nation, there would be instances like this. Their mental capacity combined had precipitated a multi-billion-dollar company apart from Go’s skateboard shop and Belinda’s learned machines. Dr. Frampton’s patents on chemical composites gained her billions. While Dr. Strong was the poorest in the group, selling millions of nonfiction books on free markets that pushed him near the billion dollar mark. In closing, they summoned up enough strength that others would never comprehend.