A lot of what I believe came from observing my Grandmother and her friends in the Ladies Bible Class, the little old ladies who were the heart and soul of my church. These ladies were poor, elderly, had worked hard, many were still working, most were widowed. They didn't have a lot, but they were comforted by faith and fellowship. When they sang, they were radiant in their hope of Heaven. They cared for everyone and loved us all.
I wish every seat in the United States Senate was filled by a member of the Ladies Bible Class. It doesn't have to be my idealized Pentecostal ladies. I propose we send 100 random little old ladies to serve in our country's senior deliberative body. I make no joke. I would trust 100 little old ladies to be smarter, more honest and a lot more effective than our current representation.
I would trust little old ladies to be ...
- careful with finance,
- universal about health care,
- concerned for education and jobs,
- caring about veterans,
- intolerant of corruption.
Is there any need to mention they would be resolute and incorruptible in the preservation of Social Security? How many of our representatives can say that?
But most of all, I trust our little old ladies to focus on Homeland Security. They would look closely at our current situation and be horrified. They would see we are not prepared.
- Not prepared for simultaneous bomb attacks in five or more major cities.
- Not prepared for small planes loaded with explosives flying into nuclear power stations and chemical plants.
- Not prepared for al-Qaida 'outsourcing' its dirty work to local criminals.
- Not prepared to be honest in recognizing the true costs and levying fair taxes.
Whatever terror's timeline might have been, President Bush speeded up the clock by turning Iraq into a training camp for urban warfare. Little old ladies would recognize that we are out of time. They would focus on ...
- Ports
- Borders
- Chemical plants
- Nuclear power stations
- Public transit
- Power grid and telecom network
My Grandmother and her sisters in the Ladies Bible Class were Gold Star families in the Second World War. They learned the sacrifice required to protect our country. Unlike President Bush, my little old ladies would tell us how much that sacrifice will be. They would lead us in sacrifice. They would repeal all tax cuts, personal and corporate. They would honor the dead, comfort the bereaved, support the veteran and take honest steps to pay the bill.
Imagine a Senate that would do all of that! We would be better off with 100 little old ladies.