Living with animals can alter your view of the world. I’ve had three Roosters – Winston I, II, and III, and I have had to shoot the last two, eventually coming to realize  that the first one was a rare thing, the gentle, sensitive male who didn’t like to posture, strut or fight. It was the last two that were normal.  Roosters do tend to strut, posture, and given a chance, prefer to bully and fight.

They can have all of the food they want or need for free, but they would rather take it from the hens and attack them in the process just to show who is boss. There are some sweet roosters, as there are many sweet men, but it isn’t something you can expect or count on. I’ve learned my lesson. No more roosters.

I think of this whenever the news pops up, or on those occasions when I succumb to fear or spiritual confusion and go look at it. Bad news is addictive, to various degrees, and I think it just depends on how bad a habit one has. I am getting clear of it.  In the past few days some of my friends have grown increasingly upset with the news from Washington, another standoff and so I looked at Google News and tried to figure out what was happening.

Mostly, what I thought was this: my roosters have been reincarnated in some way and have come to dominate what we call politics and leadership. On the farm I learned about the Rooster Syndrome. You puff yourself up, make a lot of noise, try to out crow the other guy, and stand your ground, refusing to give an inch, even in your own welfare and then you make war, relentlessly, destructively, and at every opportunity. This is the essence of Roosterdom, and I was just blown away by how similiar this is to being in Congress. Or investment banking, for that matter. You did not see many women buying and selling subprime mortgages, according to Michael Lewis’s great new book “Boomerang.” The financial collapse was a male idea – greed, aggression, indifference.

I am not politically correct by any means, and I really dislike politics, but I also have to be honest. We need to get these guys out of there and get some more women in Congress. Does anyone doubt they would work it out?

Then we would have what I call the Hen Ethic. Peace, hard work, daily productivity, and a strong penchant for getting along, working together, and living easily with one another. My hens do not puff themselves up, crow, make much noise, refuse to give ground or share. They do not make war. Ever.  You can draw your own conclusions from this.

I gave up the Rooster Syndrome myself years ago, doesn’t work for me. I just get knocked on my ass quickly and trashed. Some years ago, I looked up and noticed that everyone I worked for – my agent, editors, publisher, bookkeeper, former girlfriend – was a woman, and I haven’t had a fight or been bloodied in years. We seem to work things out, mostly because I do what they tell me. And things seem to work out.

I think a Constitutional Amendment is a good idea. Men would not again be entrusted with important decisions in my Republic. Back to the workshop and garage for them, and they can come out when babies are needed. I’d call it the Rooster Amendment.