Play That Funky Music

The door to the Situation Room in the White House opened and two Secret Servant agents escorted the President to his seat at the conference table. Already seated were the Cabinet Secretaries and their underlings. All eyes were on the leader of the free world as he settled into his chair and gathered his notes.

“We will begin with the Secretary of Homeland Security”, the President announced.

“Thank yo, Mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen, despite this administration’s effort to follow the direction of the previous regime’s plan in diversifying the make -up of this body, we continue to fail in the eyes of our citizens. This was evident by the results of the last election, and the increasing unrest among groups who feel they have not received the recognition and benefits of their minority status. They are like rats in how they infiltrate every aspect of life in America, with their protests, complaints, and demands for inclusion. Our agents are reporting that we may be on the brink of civil unrest that could bring about attempts for the Second Civil War. We must put a stop to it, and quickly.”

The Secretary of Defense interrupted, “Our troops are ready to squash any such uprising. We, along with the FBI, have identified and have surveillance on those groups that have the capacity to be a threat in any way. Are you sure you are not overreacting?”

The Coalition of Diversity was the unofficial name for the members of the inner government who occupied important seats and identified with a protected minority. Currently they make up fifty per cent of the twenty-five positions. The Vice -President answered the question, “We have made great strides in communicating with the leaders of these groups and will continue that course until all groups are represented here. Until we do, the situation remains an issue, but not one that will lead to violence. Most of the groups left do not operate with that mindset. They look for inclusion by assimilation not demonstration.”

“Well, how come we are having this meeting”, the President asked.

The Secretary of Education raised his hand.

“If you something to say, spit it out, how many times do I have to tell you that!”, looking at the cabinet member in disbelief.

“Sorry Mr. President, it is an ingrained habit. As you all know, we have included diversity training in all schools that receive federal funding. The effects should be forthcoming by the end of the decade.”

“We need to do something now, we cannot wait until 2030 or beyond!”, the Sec of Defense rose to his feet and slammed the table with his fists as he spoke.

The room exploded, as others shouted to have their opinions heard.

“Stop ignoring your campaign promises!”

“We need more women in this group!”

“Make the head of BLM a Cabinet position!

“Native Americans deserve reparations!

“We just need to follow the Constitution to the letter!

“Can’t we all just get along?”

“Stop it, stop it, you are acting like a bunch of children. Return to your offices and submit a solution to my office by this time tomorrow or be ready to sign a pink slip!. The President stormed out of the meeting with his agents.

The President took the stack of reports from the officials and told them to relax, and that bar was open. He would return in two hours. He left, accompanied by the Secs of Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury, the Attorney General and the Head of the Office of Science and Technology. The group’s make-up was the topic of discussion by those left behind.

The group was seated in the Oval Office nervously awaiting the President’s decision when he spoke.

“These are crap, no solutions, no ideas, just crap!, pointing to the reports on his desk. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of reading my granddaughter her bedtime story. She picked ‘The Pied Piper.’ That triggered a comment the Homeland Security Sec made yesterday, comparing our problem to rats. We need a Pied Piper and having worked with Tech Sec previously; I called her to see if there were along those lines. You know, hypnotizing select groups to do your will and stuff. Tell them what you found.”

The Tech Sec stood and produced a small container about the size of deodorant sprays. “This contains a solution that will put any subject under your control. It can be regulated by dosage for how fast it works, how long it lasts, the degree of control, and it disappears from the body and removes all connected memories from the subject. It can be mass produced and transmitted through the air or added to food and water sources.”

The President took over, “I need the rest of you to devise a plan to make this a reality within the next thirty days. I want who, what, why, and where solutions at that time. You are dismissed.”

Thirty days later Operation Pied Piper went into effect across the country. The results were mind boggling, the BLM and KKK were officially disbanded, harsh penalties were enforced for all infractions of the new Civil Rights Amendment, reparations were paid to all people of color, Native Americans, and others based on DNA results, the southern border was opened to all, and the new cabinet position of Sec of Diversity was established. The mission was carried out by members of the Armed Forces, government agencies, and selected law enforcement. They all had one thing in common, they all had medical conditions giving a life expectancy of six months or less. The government had assured them assets to make it easier for them and their families. Basically, credit cards with very high limits and paid for by the Department of Treasury. The President was pleased but concerned over what he considered a weak spot. The Sec of Tech was a holdover from fifteen years ago and had never really concerned herself with politics. She was gifted at her job but did not align herself with a political party or benefactor, a status that gave them no method of control over her. He picked up the phone and said, “It’s time to pay the Piper.”, and hung up.

The call was to trigger a series of events that would lead to the accidental death of the Sec of Tech. He never imagined that she would be familiar with the fairy tale and knew about the broken promise. She had read it and she planned. After her initial conversation with the president, she devised a way to expose him to the solution. It was designed to be long-lasting and undetectable. The President’s voice command, no matter when it was to be given would trigger two things, an immediate recall of the hit against her, and a reversal of her solution’s effect on the memory of those subjected to it, something she had planned to fix had he played by the rules. She wanted to see the results, but she had plans. She had amassed a small fortune as Sec of Tech, padding expenses, operational budget cuts redirected, and the best one, hiring and accounting for twenty non-existent employees for the past ten years. She left her badge on the desk and headed to the parking garage. She threw her briefcase into the trunk of her convertible and headed for the Beltway. Reaching forward, she started her favorite playlist and merged onto to the freeway to the sounds of Play That Funky Music.