In my taking-me-forever first novel If Only…I share my view of our nation with women the dominant gender in the world.
And so for my wife, the Domestic Despot who thinks I’m just sitting here at my desk getting stoned all day, here is what I have so far:
The Red Manse
0600 hrs.
Cassandra Prince was a nervous wreck on her first day on the job. The new Indira Gandhi University whiz-kid that landed the lucrative position as law clerk for Justice Jodi Foster, had the weight of a whole lot of people on her back. As her Mom had always stressed “It’s never enough. Give more. And when you are tapped out, GIVE MORE!”
With her mother, it was all about success and achievement.
At all costs.
Dad was way more laid-back, encouraging his kids to look “outside the box” and to try everything.
Weird.
Her sheer panic was interrupted by two lines of the phone lighting up.
“Good morning, Justice Foster’s office. Can you hold please?”
After the phone balancing act which would continue all day long, she returned to the original caller.
“How may I help you today?”
“This is the President. I need to speak to Justice Foster immediately.”
Cassie frantically scribbled down the message.
Her panic returned.
The President.
She had just spoken with one of the most powerful women on the planet and put her on hold..
On her first day.
The President sat in the Blue Room of the Presidential Palace. In front of her sat all three of the High Court Justices.
“Thank you females for showing up for this meeting on such short notice. I wanted to discuss the upcoming cases you have and see where everything stands.”
Justice Sotomayor spoke right up.
“Justice Dudikoski and I are both in agreement on the case about the initiative to start a defense budget. Two thumbs down.”
“Justice Foster,?” the president raised an eyebrow.
“It is unanimous. I see no reason to waste funds on recruiting, training, and arming a force.”
Who are they going to fight? Each other?”
Everyone chuckled, even the President.
“Alright, let’s discuss the plans for developing a program to explore the universe. As a planet, we are now at the point where each nation is sovereign, and there is literally no unemployment. Anyone who can work has a job. Everyone has food and shelter. With every nation working together, we can pool our scientific talent and resources and provide even more jobs and economic opportunities that come with successful space exploration.”
Justice Dudikoski spoke again.
“So we are thumbs up on space exploration, but down on the defense budget?”
Everyone nodded.
“The last item, and I really resent having to review this issue on an annual basis, is the silly initiative to give men the ability to vote.”
This time, the room was filled with outright laughter, not chuckles.
“Men, the right to vote,” President Oprah Winfrey smiled as she rose from her desk.
The President addressed the conference room and the attendees all stood.
“Be seated,” she instructed.
This was the thirteenth year of her presidency and under her leadership, the country’s Gross Domestic Productivity climbed from fourteen trillion to the current twenty-five and climbing.
How’d she do it?
All policies/laws made were voted on democratically, with input from any affected by the legislature. She also started a new World Council whereby members could express their concerns on how any political moves she made could adversely affect them. Every political party offered candidates and popular vote elected them to office.
She eliminated the pre-existing structure of large pharmaceutical companies operating for huge profits at patients’ expense. No government subsidies available for anything other than cures, not treatment of symptoms. Price structure would provide a profit, but not an exorbitant one. The women who were employed here were treated like heroes.
What else?
With the support of the largest presidential landslide victory since Hillary Clinton ousted Madeline Albright, President Winfrey won 95% of the popular vote. What was really amazing is that 89% of the eligible voters filed ballots. This was the highest voter turnout in election history, and President Albright was none too pleased to leave her residence in the Red Manse in Lebanon, Kansas. She had been there for a decade; however her undoing was her insistence on starting a national defense strategy. She even had the audacity to suggest that we actually assemble and weaponize an army! If this were not enough, her final futile act was to attempt to segment the country into smaller sections, or states. This was voted down 17-3 in the Forum of Truth by representatives from each of the twenty National Communities. But in a final insult-to-injury move, President Albright attempted to change the name of the country from Loveland to Northland to reflect more accurately the geographic position of the continent in relation to the entire landmass. In another day, this one continuous continent might have been segmented into Northland and Southland (read North and South America).
With a new President, the nation flourished.
To a powerful businesswoman who has ascended to the highest position in the land, it was inconceivable to her how easy it was to succeed in her duties. She used the same business principles she employed to become the World’s Richest Person.
Be fair.
Do what the people want.
Treat everyone with respect.
Don’t be greedy, but generous to a fault. En bref, always do the right thing.
The concept of war was the same as violence. It wasn’t contemplated at any level. It was one of The Givens. Anything harmful to the Collective was deemed not worthy of consideration for funding. The defense budget was a paltry million dollars which covered administrative costs and recruitment. No need to send the small Security Force outside of the boundaries of Loveland.
The concept of war was considered a joke and definitely a male contrivance.
Education has never been more valued or more accessible in the history of the world. A full 81% of Lovelanders hold at least the equivalent of a Bachelor’s degree. This number is amazing when you consider that only a few short years ago, the percentage was hovering around 35-36. Males have reached an all-time high for education as well. There were approximately 13% of them with degrees and the lower-level jobs they are now eligible for.
A perfect world?
Getting there the President contemplated.
***
Billy woke up early on Saturday morning, as he was getting ready to take his first swimming lesson.
He couldn’t wait.
Swimming was one of the only sports he was eligible to participate in. It involved no possibly injurious contact, and the times were not taken.
“If you are fast, people see who touches the finish line first. That is enough recognition. No need to embarrass the competition.” Told time after time, Billy wasn’t buying it.
He wanted to be the best in the whole of Loveland, the pride of the country.
He knew he was the best, if he could only somehow prove it.
“Billy! Come in here please!” his mom shouted.
Billy walked into the living room and plopped down on the oversized Laz-y-Boy recliner.
One look from his mother made him swing around and sit erect.
“Time to draw for chores.” His mom was holding her phone and staring at lists of numbers.
This “lottery” held weekly included a list of all the things necessary to keep the Walker household running smoothly.
Jade, his older sister did not have to be considered for the lottery.
Big things were expected from her.
World politics, something surely influential, possibly in the legal arena.
Billy and his brother Tommy were the only two participants so they spent the next hour arguing and deciding who would do what. It didn’t matter, really. All of it would get done.
Neither boy wanted to face their mother.
Dad was a day at the beach compared to mom.
She was so logical.
Mom has a way of explaining things that always cost you. Time, credits, it didn’t matter; you just could not win any argument against her. Like she was Queen Bee over our hive and you just don’t cross the Queen.
Just like my sister, he thought.
She was in a lot better mood lately since her husband was accepted in a test-pilot situation to University.
He would be eligible for higher-paying opportunities and even could gain consideration for some lower-level government positions, working for some of the most powerful women in Loveland.
She looked out her kitchen window and sighed contentedly.
She loved her life.
She never took time to think about the three-child limit that Loveland imposed on its citizenry.
They are right in one regard, she thought.
Three children are enough.
“Dad!” the twins swarmed their biological father in unison. One big group hug followed by lots of laughs and giggles.
***
To be continued…
Stay well.
