Seal Team Six and Drones

By Polly Mann

A worker bee was lipping off to a sleek black seal:  “I’ve tried for years to overcome the negative implications of my name, ‘drone’, defined in many minds as ‘indisposed to hard work’ and by others, less well-intentioned, as ‘lazy.’”

“Now, the Pentagon calls its program ‘drones’ that targets for destruction so-called enemies of the state. How sad this is for me and other nonviolent worker bees. We don’t even sting. Better to be thought indolent than violent.”

Responded the statuesque shiny seal, “What about me? While my name has no fame except being the same as a stamp or an indentation in a paper, the Pentagon has made it synonymous with the killing of unarmed persons.”

“Debatable,” said the drone. “No evidence Bin Laden was unarmed, and besides which Bin Laden was a known ‘bad guy.  Your name’s enhanced, whereas military drones are known to have killed countless people, some innocent.”

“No no,” returned the seal. “My name’s damaged for all time. We should demand that the Pentagon refrain from naming military cadres after illustrious members of the animal kingdom.”

“Let’ s give the Pentagon, suggestions for names of weapons — those meaning Satan:  Werewolf, Shedin, Beelzebus…Zmuel, Banshee and Incubus,” said the seal.

Added the drone: “When it’ s exhausted the supply it can then try names of the Fallen Angels.”

“Agreed,” said the drone.

“Agreed,” said the seal.