Madeline went straight to that classroom. The noises reminded her of her own days as the president of the CRNC. Of the time when her own eyes were filled with ideals. It was then that Madeline knew she would be a politician. She would join a corrupted system, she knew, but her ideals were stronger than most, and she believed changing the system would have to come from the inside. Twenty years later, she still held her ideals tight, although now behind layers of thick skin and transactions that she knew were necessary on the path to change.
Walking into the classroom was like walking into the past. Madeline could see her own college colleagues standing and recounting the evening. There were the students whose hearts stirred with desire to do something, who were ready to become disciples. On the other side were the skeptics, the ones who said the speech was too idealistic and change like that could never happen—not in a hundred years at least. Even the skeptics had ideals, they just weren’t strong enough to pursue them through adversity.
“Well, what did you think?” Madeline said as she made her way into the room. The heated debate that had already been kindled, quieted momentarily.
“We’re behind the New Republican movement!” a young blonde woman said. “I think it’s exactly what this country needs. There isn’t a party for people with our beliefs, and the Republican Party will surely die out if it doesn’t change with the times.”
“I’m sure there are enough bigots in the country to keep supporting the Republican Party,” a young man with a crew cut said. Surely he was one of the skeptics. “We would need all the young people of this country to unite behind the New Republican movement in order for it to take over.”
“Our generation must ensure those bigots aren’t taking over our party,” said another young man. “The New Republicans will make the Republican Party the party for young people again. We’ll stop being the party associated with old white men.”
Madeline smiled as the students volleyed their views back and forth. These students were the reason her movement had gained traction, the only chance for the New Republicans to survive.
“I’m so sorry, Mrs. Thomas, we didn’t offer you anything to drink,” another young woman stepped forward offering Madeline a paper cup.
“Oh, we don’t have time for a drink,” Jane yelled from the doorway. “We really should get going. Thank you so much for your support!”
“Thank you,” Madeline said to the girl who offered her the cup. “What do you all think about the SAVER Bill that I am proposing?”
“It’s very controversial,” the first woman who had spoken up declared. “But I think it’s exactly what this country needs right now.”
“I agree this country needs to change on this issue,” said the skeptic. “But you can’t legislate away racism.”
During Madeline’s speech that night she had introduced a new bill that she was sure she could push through congress: the Sensitivity and Volunteering to End Racism Bill. On paper, it was a bill that Republicans and Democrats could support: it didn’t increase government regulations and it proposed a solution to one of the country’s biggest issues right now. Although politics was much more than about what was on paper. Madeline knew she would have to fight tooth and nail to get the support the bill needed. Under the SAVER Bill, police department that applied for federal grant money would need to undergo racial sensitivity training and complete 100 hours a month of volunteering in uniform in schools where the students were mostly minorities. Madeline believed that if police officers and minority students got to know each other in a classroom setting, then some of the animosity between these two groups could be settled.
“Well something has to be done about it,” said the young woman who had given Madeline the water. “We can’t just sit back when the country is rioting every time a minority is killed by a police officer. I think it is a very brave bill to propose.”
Brave was right. Madeline had spoken to a few of her colleagues in the Senate about the bill. Many were afraid to support something so controversial. Senators with vast support from the police unions knew this could harm their reelection; while others believed police departments needed more funding, not more hurdles to getting the limited funding they were already receiving. But Madeline wasn’t worried about police support. She had spent months thinking about what she could do as a Senator to help resolve this conflict. She believed in her solution and she believed she could make others see the benefits of it too.
“Very brave, indeed,” Jane said. She had entered from the doorway and had her hand on Madeline’s shoulder. “We really must be going! Thank you again for your support!”
This time, Madeline gave Jane a quick nod before turning back to the students. “Thank you all for your support. It truly means a lot to me. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the support of students like you.” After shaking a few hands and smiling for several pictures, Madeline allowed herself to be led out by Jane. The two women almost sprinted through the halls to the back entrance of the building where Madeline’s Lincoln was waiting to take them downtown to the meeting with the Israeli ambassador.
“Brandon called during the speech,” Jane said once the car had begun moving.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Madeline responded, grabbing her personal cell phone from the pouch that Jane carried for her.
“I’m telling you now. It was something about Noah, I think his school called again,” Jane said. Madeline had already dialed Brandon’s number. As important as her politics were, a call from her husband took top priority.
“Madeline,” Brandon said when he
