Ten with a Flag

Ten with a Flag

‘Ten with a Flag’ is Joseph Haines' story about a young pregnant woman. She is caught between the wishes of his husband and those of the government regarding the yet-to-be-born baby. Both parties have vested interests in the unborn child and are struggling to be in control. From the test results, the government is convinced that the baby will be beneficial in the future of the state. All signs indicate that the fetus possesses all the traits of a child prodigy and will enrich the society. On the other hand, the husband views the takeover by the government on their child as an infringement of their rights, hence a danger to the child and his wife.

Joseph Haines was inspired to write the story due to the prevalent issues in the society. ‘Ten with a Flag’ entails the problems and dilemma faced by modern young families in the developed world. It is split between the work problems and “government interference” (Haines 23). While the story captures most of the events taking place currently in the society, some parts are inspired by science fiction and the future advancement of technology. Therefore, Joseph Haines foresees the future by documenting the effect of technology in the determination of child’s potential, sex, physical condition and the contribution he/she will add to the state (Haines 24).

The author employed his imagination to predict the future in a society where the government is in control of private lives of its citizens. It earns its power through a centralized and sophisticated IT database that captures all the details and development of each individual in the state. It can be speculated that the government values the lives of its citizens and their contribution to the development of the nation. This results in conflicts between parents like Johnnie and government officials. The fathers and husbands in future families feel restricted and denied an opportunity to make informed decisions on the well-being of their families. Despite the positive effects of IT development and medical advances including future health prediction, Johnnie still prefers the past when uncertainties prevailed. "Now I wish we didn't know," he said (Haines 24). However, his wife is ‘pro-government’ as she sees unlimited benefits of surveillance and assistance in child upkeep.

‘Ten with a Flag’ reveals the theme of government overreach. The government is overstepping its boundaries to infringe on the privacy of its citizens and to take over the parental role by making the children “assets to the Nation” (Haines 25). In the end, the parents become submissive to government authorities and its oppressive laws (Wiley et al. 2013). It is hard for the people to retain their decision-making capabilities without being met by serious and possibly devastating consequences. To calm the nerves of the people, the government offers to provide basic needs and amenities to children predicted to be assets of the state (Bushaw et al. 5). In fact, the parental role takes a new shift for the worst whereby they become reproductive agents and workers of the state. Personal virtues are lost in a society defined by hard work and promotions as per loyalty to the government. Citizens like Johnnie and others that intend to be authors of their destiny are often met with disappointments and disillusionment because they become helpless in the eyes of the state and “government agents” such as Mr. White (Haines 25). On the other hand, there is a section that endorses the government actions and the technological advancement as initial steps to relieve the people of the burden of child upbringing. Johnnie sees his future as blurred as long as the government is in control or is overstepping its mandate.

The issue of reproductive rights, civic duty, and personal worth are  highlighted in the story (Yamin APHA). Johnnie and his wife's visit to a medical facility for pregnancy test trigger multiple questions on how their reproductive rights should be respected and upheld. It is ironic that the family is not amused by the good news of a prodigal baby boy. While the tests are intended to aid the parents in decision making, the presence of a flag soils the already sour mood of the future parents. Johnnie’s rhetoric response of “perfect for who?” (Haines 29) demonstrates his dissatisfaction with biased government policies. The state is categorical that it will only raise the parents' pay and take care of the children if they are assets of the state. Contrastingly, parents are recommended to terminate pregnancies of children that will be potential liabilities to the state (Paltrow 18). In the spirit of civic duty, the citizens are overworked against their will. They get promotions or better pay if they comply fully with the strict government regulations (Nash et al. 7). They are accorded less liberty that can be exercised with the awareness of demeaning and possible destructive consequences. Freedom of expression is eliminated by excessive surveillance and application of technology. Johnnie is clearly irritated by this when he says “I just wanted to talk to you without a speaker” (Haines 28).

In conclusion, the author captures the attention of the readers by addressing the increasingly prevalent issues affecting the young married couple. He sufficiently highlights the dangers of government control and technology (Sarangi et al. 65). The story also presents the dilemma facing married couples on whether to keep the child or abort especially on the knowledge of pregnancy defects.

Works Cited

Bushaw, William J., and Shane J. Lopez. "Which way do we go?." Phi Delta Kappan 95.1 (2013): 9-25. Print.

Haines, Joseph P. Ten with a Flag, and Other Playthings: Stories. San Francisco: Night Shade Books, 2010: 23-32. Print.

Nash, Elizabeth, et al. "Laws affecting reproductive health and rights: 2013 state policy review." Guttmacher Institute, New York, Washington, DC(2013)1-11. Print.

Paltrow, Lynn M. "Roe v Wade and the new Jane Crow: Reproductive rights in the age of mass incarceration." American journal of public health 103.1 (2013): 17-21.Print.

Sarangi, Srikant, and Stefan Slembrouck. Language, bureaucracy and social control. Routledge, 2014: 34-106. Print.

Wiley, Lindsay F., Micah L. Berman, and Doug Blanke. "Who's Your Nanny?: choice, paternalism, and public health in the age of personal responsibility."The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 41.s1 (2013): 88-91. Print.

Yamin, Alicia Ely. "Counting what we know; Knowing what to count: Sexual and reproductive rights, maternal health, and millennium development goal 5."141st APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 2-November 6, 2013). APHA, 2013. Print.