About 15 years ago, when I was still working at the newspaper, we had a state representative named Charlie Howard.  Charlie has gone on to the great Republican Shock in the sky, but he was a doozy while he was here.

Charlie was a Tom DeLay Christian, you know the kind, the kind that came to Christianity later in life to try to cover up some truly evil things they’d done.  He and Tom, neighbors, were zealots at the Holy House of Rich Zealots – Sugar Creek Baptist Church.

Charlie was giving a speech to the Belles of Heaven Republican Women’s Club one night and one of the women was spying. She had a tape recorder in her purse.

Charlie was asked a question about the role of women in politics. He said they had a role and were doing a fine job of it, without ever defining what it was. But, he wanted to make it clear that men were still head of the household and should making all the big decisions.  “I’m not saying that. God is saying that.” You gotta admire a man who gives God his due.

One woman asked, “My husband died and I still have children at home. Who should be making the decisions?” Charlie, a man with answers, suggested that there would surely be a man in her neighborhood or in her church who could help her with decisions and prayer.

No, really, it was on tape. He said that.

So, I took it to the newspaper and ran a column directly quoting Charlie. I said I seriously doubted there were any women in Sugar Creek willing to loan their husbands out the the newly life-insurance rich lady, so since this was all Charlie’s idea, I’m sure he’d be glad to help.

I said, “So if you need a man to sit in his ratty shorts making a damn mess with peanuts during the football game, call Charlie. If you need a man to go to your office party with you and make a fool of himself, Charlie is your guy!  If you need a man to move a snake off your patio or somebody to belch and scratch at the dinner table, Charlie can help you with that. If you need someone to have a stoopid opinion, call Charlie. Charlie will be your man.” And I published his phone number.

He called me the day after publication and was miffed, informing me that his “private” phone number had been ringing off the wall. “Susan, it clearly says on the tape that this is not my decision, it’s God’s decision.”  I replied that I quoted him about that but, apparently, nobody believed him.  “And that private phone number, you better get a different name for it, Charlie.  Hey, God told me me to say that.”

Well, I think Charlie has been reincarnated.

A Wylie, Texas, Church of Christ minister is also the mayor. Eric Hogue has announced to city council that only men can lead the prayer at city council meetings.

“I am a Church of Christ preacher and I am a member of the Church of Christ and we take the new testament literally,” Mayor Hogue said.

In the email, Mayor Hogue quotes a bible verse that says: “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.”

Now the mayor claims this is just political thing because the election got moved until November for Coronavirus.  Nope, I’m pretty sure I thought women could lead prayers before Coronavirus.  And I also though government prescribed prayer has been un-American for a long damn time.

Thanks to everybody for the heads up.