Mitch McConnell, powerful Senate majority leader and fearless Washington brawler, ran out of his DC senate office in a total panic when a group of rosy-cheeked children from his home state of Kentucky, showed up to ask him about climate change and the Green New Deal.
Emma, a shy sixth grader, stepped forward to the receptionist’s desk as the improntu leader of the group.
“We’re from Greenbrier Elementary School in Kentucky.”
“We want to ask Senator Mitch how he’s going to reduce greenhouse gas like from coal and stop Kentucky and the world from heating up and killing everything.”
The receptionist gazed nervously over the excited gaggle of school kids who waived colorful hand painted posters. “STOP BURNING DIRTY COAL FROM KENTUCKY”
“I’m so sorry,” the receptionist said apologetically. “The Senator says he is very busy today and can not see you.”
Emma pleaded, “But ma’am, the kids in our class wrote down a lot of questions for Senator Mitch and we have them here in this notebook,” as she held up the green binder.
Emma started reading the questions out loud.
“Will you help with the Green New Deal?”
There was no stopping these kids. The receptionist made another call from her desk phone. She spoke under her breath desperately.
Emma said, “My dad is a Kentucky coal miner and says they should bring clean energy companies to Kentucky, like windmills and photoelectric cells and close down the coal mines and teach coal miners how to do new jobs in clean energy that are safe and good for the world and for kids My dad and my uncle said they could learn a new kind of job. ”
Three men in blue suits and badges came down the hall to the kids.
One of the security detail said sternly, “where are your parents? Are you here un-escorted?
Emma spoke up desperately to the big men. “We learned in school that to democracy is when regular people, even kids like us, get to talk directly to the government. Senator Mitch told our teacher that he would meet with us so we could ask him if he was going to help the Green New Deal.”
Rusty blurted angrily, “My pappy told me that we would never get to see Senator Mitch and that our trip would be a total waste of time.”
“My daddy says we do not really have any democracy no more. He says the coal companies are givin ‘Senator Mitch a pile of money and he does not care about whit about us kids.”
The big security officer said,” Follow Officer Johnson and Gonzalez to the entrance. Take your signs with you and do not make any more noise.”
Emma was about to cry. “Is this how much democracy is supposed to work? We learned in school that Senator Mitch was supposed to listen to us kids. We’re all from Kentucky. Same as him.”
Rusty replied. “See, my daddy says there’s no more democracy.”
“From the mouths of babes.”
This article originally published in the Osceola Star.
