What If???...Another Reason to Remember Memorial Day...Could Something Like This Happen??...

The year was 2044. Change had come to America, most of it was not for the better. The only constant in the country was its majestic landscape.   The mountains stood regal and tall , the deserts were  hot containing their own kind of beauty,  the streams, lakes and rivers were filled with blue green water, fish and secrets. There was no United States of America,  instead Mexico, the U.S.A. and Canada had eventually joined together to make one huge country, with room for everyone to live. Boundary lines were non existent. In an effort to save the land, the government lost our country.

 The difference was found in the people and the government. By the time the election of 2016 occurred it was too late to reestablish the foundation of America. It had been destroyed by the two terms of the 'young Messiah' and all of his cohorts who thought America had become too big and needed the be reduced in every way possible. People needed to depend on the government for everything. That was the only way the plan of leaders from all around the world could make this situation work. The people had to slowly give up personal freedoms for the greater good of the new world order.  It was a high price to pay.

 The President  narrowed the playing field. We were no longer a Super Power. Instead we were members of the Tri Lateral Country of the Western Hemisphere.  The Constitution had been declared 'narrow minded and antiquated.' It was placed in a museum, enclosed in glass and held behind locked doors; never again to be seen by the public.  All personal copies of the Constitution had been burned in the town square of each city, town or parish on August 9, 2020,  when the United States gave her power, her freedom and her dignity to the United Nations. A small group of people hid their copies of the constitution. It was risky to do this. If they were found to possess a copy of the Constitution, they disappeared and were never heard from again. More than half of older Americans had a hidden copy of the constitution. It was the other 50% they had to worry about.  All other nations had joined together for the good of the world. The United States followed suit. They were members of the TLC-WH.

The English language was becoming a third world language. Spanish and various Arabic tongues were the major languages spoken. Government elections were non existent. Instead there were appointments by the U.N. The military of America had been declared a danger to mankind. Soldiers and military men and women could either join the United Nations Forces for Protection of the World or be placed in a detention center until they were declared 'safe' for society. There was no set date when these people would be considered 'safe'. Most never came home. They quietly disappeared much the same way freedom had done.

Josiah Young  was a tall man whose shoulders had rounded because of the years he had spent working at a computer, ten hours a day--six days a week .When he was young he  had black hair and hazel eyes. His smile was charming  but it never reached his eyes.

 Josiah considered himself lucky. His chosen occupation was tedious but not back breaking. Every day he wore a suit to work.   He could have been a laborer or a farmer, or a factory worker and   had to work those hours regardless of how hard it was on his body, since retirement age was 70. Robots ran assembly lines.  If health problems kept you from working, you died. The government could no longer be responsible to a citizen with nothing to contribute.  Every year the 'retirement age' and extinction date were lowered  to save money

  For youngsters entering the work force, the government "picked" your profession, there was no choice.  Since the three countries had joined boundaries, there was more work spread out across the vast amount of land. You worked, you produced something of value for the United Nations or you died. Everyone had an 'extinction  date of 75.  It was possible, with fate in play , to die sooner but no one lived beyond 75.

  The government had administrated a test when Josiah  was 10 years old. It showed he could easily be trained in the computer field. His I.Q. saved his life from menial work.  His parents thought that would make his life easier and had immediately enrolled him in the government program, in which he would learn his life's profession.

When Josiah was 11 years old, it was discovered that he had poor eyesight. After talking with the parents the government decided that it was "cost effective" to have his eyes permanently repaired. Therefore he would never have to wear glasses and that fact alone, would save the government $5,000 during his lifetime.  Since people no longer lived past 75, the government could get 64  years out of his eyesight,  most of that would be spent working, it was a good deal for everyone.

Josiah married 3 days before the cutoff date of 30 years old.  If he had not married before he turned 30 he would no longer be allowed to marry.  He loved his  future wife, Leena and hoped that they would be happy and compatible.  Divorce was no longer an option, it was not cost effective.  They had met at the Laboratory of Science and Evolution.  The couple dated for 5 years before marrying. Both of them were 29.  It was a big step for them to take.  One they had to be sure of taking, because there was no going back. Their union was compatible.

The government had made a law that all couples were allowed to have 2 children, a boy and a girl.  If the fetus was not of the right sex it was aborted and the couple could try again.  If there still seemed to be a problem with the sex of the child, the couple would be sterilized.  This was done, so that the population could be controlled and that there would be a mate for everyone, if they chose to marry. A lot of young people opted out of marriage and children.  This pleased the government as long as there were enough to carry on the human race.

Leena did not want to have children.  That fact pleased everyone.  They could work more productively and need less time off because of obligations to the family.  Josiah and Leena would be given an two extra weeks off each year, with pay, to relax.  That was their "down time".  Their bonus for not having children.

The years rolled by all too quickly.  Leena and Josiah bought a comfortable home from a government agency.  They were as happy as they could be, considering there always seemed to be a void in their life.  There was no pressure from anyone, but there were no great thrills, no dreams to reach for, no imagination to stretch their minds, no wishing on stars. It was illegal to dance in the rain. This might lead to a riot of discontent.  They knew from the beginning how their lives would be lived and how they would end.  After all, the government knew how to take care of it's people better than the people knew how to take care of themselves...or so they thought.

As the years went by, it was time for Josiah and Leena to retire.  The government had that taken care of too.  Their home was paid for and they would be given a pension to live on.  Actually, it was money they had paid into the government plan to be distributed after age 70. The allotment provided for a comfortable life unless one of them became ill.   In that case the couple had to decide whether or not they could afford to live. They government refused to intervene in this matter.  An unproductive life was no longer considered necessary.

About a 100 years ago, the government had tried to reinvent the medical industry.  It failed miserably.  No one could afford the insurance.  Doctors refused to work for a flat salary and most health care went down the toilet.  The government still had health insurance on the working class people.  However, once a person retired, they no longer had health care.  They were considered expendable and no extra means would be applied to save their lives unless the sick person could pay cash for their medical treatment.

This was a policy that was embraced by the government and continued to be considered the normal way to operate.  The people had no voice in the matter.  In fact, the people had no voice in anything political anymore. There were no longer "free elections".  The Constitution was considered null and void.  Just a written memory of the past.  In it's place was a new "law of the land."  If you were old, sick, handicapped or mentally ill, there was no place for you.

The years between  70 and 75 flew by fast. Josiah and Leena were fairly healthy and enjoyed the last 5 years of their lives.  As Josiah approached his 75th birthday, he looked back on his life with so many unasked questions.  He knew it was too late to voice those questions, but the "what ifs" always seemed to find him in his sleep.  Leena seldom slept anymore. She just dozed and listen to Josiah breathe. It was reassuring to her to hear his light snore. She too was filled with the "what if"s.

On the day of  Josiah's 75th birthday, they arose early and had their usual coffee.  No point in listening to the news, after today, what did it matter?  They got dressed in their best clothes and made their way to the hospital. Making sure they had all their documents with them and in order.

Josiah parked the car but left it running, his one little  act of rebellion.  Gas was more valuable than gold and each family was allotted only so much each month. They walked in hand in hand and told the receptionists the reason they came to the  hospital..  Forms were filled out and after about an hour the doctor called them both back to an examining room.

The doctor read all the paperwork and explained the procedure to them.  He asked them if they had any questions.  Silently, they both shook their heads "no".  Leena began to cry softly and Josiah took her hand. His hand was sweaty and shook slightly---Leena did not care.  She needed his touch then more than ever.  The doctor asked them again if they were "ready".  Both said yes and were given hospital gowns to slip on while the doctor got the I V"s ready.

As they lay on the beds waiting for the doctor to come back with their fate. Leena asked Josiah if he had any regrets.  He told her "yes, plenty of regrets for being so obliging to a government that could kill us so easily" but he had "no regrets about his life with her."  She cried a little harder and said "she loved him but she too had regrets, why didn't they try to do something about the government when they were younger?"  Josiah shook his head and said "I don't really know.  The young think they will be young forever.  Then one day they wake up and they are not young anymore and they find out it is too late."

The doctor came in and injected the medication to each of them.  They died holding hands, tears in their eyes and a smile on Josiah's lips.  His last thought was "I am glad I wasted that last full tank of gas.  I'm glad the car is running--I hope it blows up! ". It was an overt act against the government, unfortunately it was too little and too late.

Within the hour Josiah and Leena were cremated. There were few people to really missed them. All over the world, daily people died and other people took their places, There was less war, however with the strange peace came a lack of poets, artists, authors, and sculptures and dreamers. The New World Order had no place for the arts or for artists. The colors of the rainbow did not matter anymore.