The lifeboat was crammed with humanity.  The first mate dug his blade into the side of the boat over and over again, his blood boiling more than the water crashing ominously on the boat's exterior.  Occasionally he would glare over at the fat man who was going to kill him unless he acted first.  He wondered if his pocket knife could cut through all that blubber and find a killing spot.

 

"Captain, we have to lighten the boat!  We won't survive the storm otherwise."

 

The captain knew the first mate was right.  The approaching storm would kill them all unless he acted immediately.  There was no time to deliberate.  But, who was he going to force over the side?

 

"We'll draw straws.  That way everyone has an equal opportunity" said the captain.  "The ten shortest straws go over the side.  The thirty remaining will have at least a chance of survival."

 

"Captain, this isn't any time for democracy.  This is a crisis that demands a pragmatic solution."  It might be me instead of that beached whale who goes overboard.  "Only the strong who can row will save this boat."

 

"What do you suggest, Mr. Immanuel?"  The captain had never thought until now how completely inappropriate the first mate's name.

 

"The strong stay.  The weak go."

 

As gale winds drove blinding salt spray into the eyes of crew and passengers, six elderly, three infants and one fat man were thrown overboard.  With each toss of the weak the sky became white hot steel that reverberated as from a blow of Thor's mighty hammer.  The concussions pounded on eardrums and muted screams.  One woman escaped the grasp of a crewman and jumped after her baby.  As the weak sank the boat lifted.

 

Excuse me dear reader, but I want to stop at this point and assure you that this short story is not an allegory on Obamacare.  So, you needn't find the story "fishy" and send it to the Whitehouse.  While some healthcare advisors to the president place different values on human lives - with infants and the elderly being of lesser value - I would not for a moment believe universal healthcare would apply such rankings to people.

 

Of course, I could be wrong.