It is often said that unstudied history repeats itself over and over again. The justification that some humans are somehow lesser has always captured my attention. Such a lack in understanding of the degrading of humanity could possibly result in this scenario.
The shuffle of feet and the gentle instructions from his assistant startled Colm. Let the circus of entertainment begin. Colm thought as he put his notes aside and placed his tea on the table next to him. He stood and reached out his hand to greet the visitors. “Mr. Bousiris, I’m Colm McGregor. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
“Colm, did you say? Please call me Michael. I’d like to introduce you to my assistant, Kyle Thompson, and my legal advisor, Shelly Wittinger.” After Michael shook his hand, Kyle discreetly handed him a disinfectant wipe.
Colm watched the exchange and cut to the chase, “It’s a pleasure to meet all of you. If you don’t mind me jumping right in, I can explain how this will work.”
Michael nodded as he raised his eyebrows, “Of course, I love your punctuality.”
Colm put his hands together, “Great. We have the chairs set up, so I will face you during the interview, but I also have three chairs behind me. I’m sorry, I thought you said you would have three aides, so I have an extra chair right now.”
Kyle spoke up, “Yes, that is my fault. I thought our press advisor, Elaine, would be joining us, but she was double-booked.”
Colm nodded, “Understandable, but you are all good with who is here now? I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. Remember, we can pause at any time, so don’t be afraid to ask your staff anything during the interview. I would remind you to try not to look at them. The room is supposed to feel like it is solely you and me… despite the ten or so people in the room.” The comment brought a subdued chuckle.
Michael put his hands up, “Of course, we are happy to answer any of your questions. Thank you for this opportunity. Elaine will be listening by phone, and Kyle will relay any messages from her.”
Colm pointed to the chair. “Okay, let’s get to it. Michael, if you don’t mind sitting in your seat. My staff needs to get audio and lighting levels. Would anyone like a beverage or pastry? I have a counter with a mini-fridge over there, and the restroom is on the opposite side of the room.”
The group politely watched Colm, but it was clear this wasn’t their first rodeo. It only took a few minutes, and everything was ready.
Colm began, “Good evening, and welcome to Colm Connects. I’m your host, Colm McGregor, and tonight, we have Michael Bousiris, the deputy director of The Department of Neighborhood Rejuvenation, or DNR for short. Mr. Bousiris, welcome to our program.”
Michael comfortably shifted in his chair and smiled. “It’s great to be here.”
“I was hoping you could shed light on this relatively new government position. What is the DNR, and what exactly do you do?”
“First of all, thanks for having me. I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be heard. The DNR… yeah… it sounds kind of formal, doesn’t it? Hopefully, we can discuss what we do and make it less intimidating. The best place to begin was three years ago when President Baker wanted to address a serious dilemma in the country. A year earlier, one of his campaign promises was to find a solution to the growing homeless problem.”
Colm stepped in, “Some would say that campaign promise won him the election.”
“Yeah, it certainly helped. President Baker looked at the numbers. The homeless rate was rising dramatically. In the early 20s, it was under point two percent, and by the 30s, it was nearly one percent. In that same decade, the number of sheltered homeless went from 65 percent to 19 percent.”
Colm politely raised his hand as Michael acquiesced. “What exactly do you mean by sheltered?”
“That’s a great question, Colm. In a nutshell, it means that they aren’t living on the streets. So we went from well over half in shelters to less than one-fifth. It was tragic.”
Colm shook his head as he thought about the plight. “All those poor people.”
Michael sympathetically raised his eyebrows and continued, “It was horrible. Every traffic corner would have beggars; petty crimes increased by 70 percent; violent crimes more than doubled. We were losing this nation. Colm, there are other systems that you don’t immediately notice that get compromised. In Healthcare, for instance, the homeless were overrunning the hospitals. Churches were going broke trying to feed these people. Street sanitation was unable to do its job. All looked hopeless.”
Colm took a sip of his tea and said, “It looked terrible, but something turned it around. Can you tell us about that?”
Michael took a drink of his water, then continued, “Of course. It wasn’t something, but rather, someone: President Baker made a bold and decisive move. He signed the Shelter and Refuge Act which paved the way for the Department of Neighborhood Rejuvenation. I was made deputy director. We took some of the country’s sharpest minds and put our heads together to solve this problem. We came up with a radical, little controversial, and bold plan.”
Colm chuckled, “Bold is an understatement. Fanatics came out from every crack and cranny to protest this Act.”
Michael laughed, but a small bead of sweat made its way down his left temple. “Yes, there was some resistance from radicals and fringe groups who wanted to undermine the government. But so many people were fed up with the problem. The momentum and support vastly outweighed the detractors. When we started, the homeless rate had dropped to historic lows within six months. For the first time in 30 years, health insurance costs decreased. Churches were able to switch from feeding programs to job training programs. The sanitation departments could keep up with demand. The results speak for themselves.”
Colm looked down at his notes as he added, “They really do. I recall that you’ve been in the running for a Nobel Peace Prize for the past two years.”
Michael couldn’t hide his pride or enthusiasm, “Well, I don’t expect to get it. There are far more deserving people than me. Heck, I would rather it go to some of my dedicated staff. They are the real heroes here.”
Colm relaxed in his chair, then asked a pressing question. “So, Michael, what would you want to say to those who object to the DNR’s methods?”
Michael’s smile faded, and a look of intensity overtook him, “What can I say to them? Look at the results! Our parks are clean and safe again, our inner cities have seen the most remarkable improvements, and jobs are widely available. We’ve seen a return to the family unit, where siblings care for mom and dad. Many of the soup lines and food banks have been repurposed, and real estate values in the cities have sky-rocketed. All of this is clearly the result of our bold leadership. I would say that the results should silence any detractors, wouldn’t you?”
Colm nodded, “It would be hard to argue against that.”
“For sure, and we have only just begun. Our goal is that everyone should have the opportunity to be productive members of society. The DNR is committed to making that dream a reality. We are now looking to expand some of our purview to related areas. I’m sure you know we have a crisis among the elderly. The state-run nursing homes and assisted living facilities are overrun. We may be looking at ways to help that situation by applying the same principles to that problem. We estimate this could free up around 300 billion dollars over the next four years. That money could go to many things that would better our daily life. Wouldn’t you agree?”
Colm put his hands up like he was surrendering, “You sound like a man with a plan. Let me follow up with this, though. What would you say specifically to those who say your actions are immoral and inhumane?”
Michael paused for a moment. It looked as if he was on the verge of crying, “I’m so glad you gave me the opportunity to address that. I was visiting with one of my daughters this past weekend. Lucy and her partner have two beautiful children. They just purchased a home in downtown Baltimore. This same street was the source of multiple riots, drug busts, and unspeakable crimes just a decade earlier. Now it is so peaceful that children are playing in the street again. Our actions bettered the quality of life for most of our citizens. There’s nothing more humane than this. Let me put it another way, if a patient is dying of cancer, what does the doctor do? He removes cancer so the patient can recover. The doctor doesn’t need to make the patient stronger, he merely kills off what is killing the patient, and their body does the rest.”
Colm listened closely, “So the homeless is cancer in your example?”
Michael quickly replied, “Yes… I mean, no… it’s just an example. They are living beings, and we need to treat them as such. We treat them with dignity and reverence. When a candidate is brought to us, they are first given a room to themselves. If there are children, we have larger rooms so they can stay together. We provide them with fresh meals, and each room has showers. In fact, we allow them to stay in that room for up to 48 hours before we begin the evaluations. We want them to be comfortable and secure. You know, for many of these individuals, this is the first time they have slept in their own bed in years. We have gone out of our way to honor them.”
Colm looked down at his notes again, “When you said candidates, you meant the indigents, right?”
Michael sharpened his gaze, “Well, yes. The homeless or indigents are our primary candidates, but I must share something else here. Through our screening process, we have also identified hundreds of children who have somehow been separated from their families. I cannot tell you how many letters we’ve received from parents looking for their loved ones and that we were able to reconnect. It is a beautiful feeling to be a part of that.”
Colm smiled, “Wow! That’s wonderful. I would say, if I am being fair, there are lawsuits filed by some families who claim you didn’t do enough.”
Michael’s face saddened again, “Yes, and I feel for these families. We have made changes in our process to try to reduce this, but nothing can be perfect. The process is still evolving, and we learn from the bumps we take.”
Colm took a deep breath, then pressed further, “You mentioned screening earlier. What does that look like?”
“Man Colm, we should hire you as our press person. Your questions are so spot-on. So we have a pretty detailed screening process that takes about three hours to complete. For each interview, the person sits alone in a room while three individuals monitor their answers. The three fill out a digital questionnaire during the session. Their answers are compiled, and a computer analyzes the data and renders a result. Then one of two doors is opened. One door leads them to a release table, where they are given some clean clothes, food, and an EBT card.”
“Where does the other door lead?”
A look of embarrassment overtook Michael, “Umm… that one leads to our process department, where they are prepared for transfer.”
The interviewer put his pen to his lip as he pondered the response, “Would you say a lot of candidates are released?”
Michael nodded, “Oh yeah! I’d say over half are released…”
Before he could finish the sentence, Shelly Wittinger got out of her chair and whispered something in Michael’s ear. Michael looked surprised and whispered to her, “Really?” As Shelly nodded.
Michael turned to Colm and looked embarrassed. “Is it okay if I revise my answer here? And we can cut out that last reply?”
Colm nodded, “Of course. This sort of thing happens from time to time. Just speak as if you were answering the question, and we will edit out the previous one.”
Michael nodded as he looked up, trying to remember the exact question. He took a deep breath and continued, “Yes. Many of the candidates are released.” Multiple beads of sweat now formed on the deputy’s forehead.
Colm nodded, noticing the tension in Michael’s face. “Would you like to take a break? You look a little stressed.”
Michael sighed, “Thank you. Do you possibly have a towel or a napkin? Is it just me, or is it a little hot in here?”
Colm chuckled, “Yes, we will get you a towel. We keep it cool in here, but we can’t have moving air because the microphones will pick it up. The lights make it warm. I have an assistant getting you a towel, and would you like our makeup artists to fix you up again?”
Michael gleamed, “Please, thank you.”
As the makeup crew approached, Shelly got up and spoke with Michael. The conversation was quiet but heated. Shortly, everyone was ready to continue. Shelley returned to her seat with a dour look, and Michael was all smiles.
Colm began talking again, “So, we’ve talked about those who are released. What about those who are… umm… What did you say? Processed for transfer?”
Michael answered with an impatient edge in his voice. “It is just what I said. They are processed to be transferred away from this location.”
Colm looked confused, “Do you think the location change makes this so successful?”
Michael quickly nodded, “Yes, In a manner of speaking.”
Colm’s head tilted as he tried to process, “A manner of speaking? So are we talking by bus or car?”
Michael looked mildly irritated, “No, they don’t leave the facility.”
Colm rubbed his hands through his hair, “I’m confused. So, where are they transferred? You just said they are transferred to some other location.”
Michael nodded, “We transfer them to the next stage of life.”
Colm cocked his head to the side. “The next stage?”
“Yes, the next stage in their life cycle. We advance them to the next stage.”
The lightbulb went on in Colm’s head, “You mean like death?”
Michael squinted at Colm’s words, “Well, yes. That would be the next natural stage, right?”
Colm’s heart raced as he considered the ramifications of this answer, “Ummm… yes.”
Michael continued to explain, “Before we go any further, I want to assure you that we help these candidates transfer as reverently and gently as possible. We have rooms with some of the most impressive visual and audio experiences on the planet. We hired two Hollywood studios to produce these movies for us. They are second to none. They sit in a chair and watch this fantastic ten-minute presentation. By the end, they fall peacefully asleep, never to awaken again. It is entirely painless. If they have specified a religious affiliation, we have a team of chaplains that will pay their last respects before they move them to our processing facility, where we dispose of them in an environmentally friendly manner.”
Colm struggled to wrap his head around what was just said, “So, you are saying that you execute them?”
Michael shook his head, “No. They chose this path by the answers they gave on the survey. It is fairer to say they selected to move on to the next stage of life. Remember that this is probably far better than how they would have died on the streets. They are treated with respect and dignity as they pass into the next stage of life. These men and women are doing the most productive thing they can possibly do. Sort of addition by subtraction, if that makes sense.”
Colm frowned, “But, in the end, they are no longer with us.”
Michael stared blankly, “Yes. They have transferred away.”
Colm nodded, “Do you or your colleagues feel any guilt about all this? I mean, this must be a tremendous burden.”
Again, Michael stared with tears in his eyes, “You have no idea what a terrible responsibility this is. That’s why the three individuals who screen a candidate don’t know what happens after filling out the questionnaire. We determined that the computer, without emotion, needs to render this decision, so no one has to hold that responsibility. Can you imagine living with that guilt? I am sure that would be more than a person could bear. Just in case, we also have counselors on staff to help employees deal with the weight of this.”
“It sounds like you have thought of almost everything. One last question, there are rumors that the EU will enact a similar system, and they have contacted you to help them. Is this true?”
“Yes! In the next six months, the first receiving center will open in Paris, followed by one in Frankfurt and one in Rome. We are excited to be able to help them get this running. China also has a similar program, and it looks like Russia will have a version, though neither country sought our advice. It’s exciting that we were on the cutting edge of bringing this near-perfect solution to the rest of the world. Can you imagine countries without the burden of dealing with the homeless?”
On that note, Colm closed his notebook and stood to shake Michael’s hand. “I can’t imagine. Well, it looks like our time is up. Thank you, Michael, for giving us an insightful look inside the DNR.” Colm turned towards the camera, “Until next time, thank you for joining us, and enjoy your week.”
The cameras went off, and Michael stood as Shelly wasted no time engaging him. Their quiet discussion from earlier continued.
I wonder what’s so important that Shelly is accosting him right now? Colm’s felt his body leaning closer to try to catch the gist of what was being said. Kyle grabbed his attention, “Are we done?”
The voice startled Colm, but he replied without taking his eye off Shelly and Michael, “Umm. Yeah. I think it is a wrap.”
Realizing that his conversation was not private, Michael put his hand on Shelly’s arm and put a smile on his face. Waving at Colm, he directed his entourage to leave the studio.
In less than ten minutes, Colm was left alone to shut the lights out and go home.
firstflite
