Pence’s rules

I am astounded at the consternation over the rules Vice President Mike Pence has set up for himself and has adhered to. The two rules we read about are that he never attends one-onone dinners with women other than his wife, Karen, and that he does not drink alcohol socially when Karen is not with him.

I, for one, admire him. He obviously knows that he cannot control himself unless his wife is present. He is fearful about what a woman, privacy, and/or alcohol might lead to. This is a man who has decided he will not create a situation where others will make accusations against him as have been made against Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly. He, for sure, will not be able to admit to doing what Donald Trump admitted to to Bobby Bush.

What a better world we would have if all men obeyed Pence’s rules. Wives could keep an eye on their husbands. That would possibly lead to fewer family problems and divorces. Women would have broader experiences and opportunities, because they would interact with Pence’s wife in addition to other men and women. They might learn from her and be more able to help their own husbands in control themselves and, thus, excel in politics. This knowledge might carry over into the world of business and other areas of life.

I wish “Pence’s rules” had not received such negative publicity. We all know that behind every great man there is a great woman. Pence just wants to change that to read, “In every room with a great man there is his wife.”

I’m not sure if this rule would apply to Pence’s wife. Would she avoid oneon-one encounters with men or women or both? It would put a lot of strain on Pence if he had to be present whenever his wife met with other women, whether wives (merely) or officials in their own right? What about meetings with men?

There is a lot to think about here. I admire Pence for opening this discussion.

Karen Wagner

Wautoma