More than 10 years ago I had a spiritual awakening regarding politics. This epiphany did not happen in one singular moment but instead happened as a result of my being one of the millions who watched the confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas. The country is still debating about who was telling the truth, Thomas or Anita Hill.

I certainly have a strong opinion as to who should have been believed during those hearings but what I decided after watching our elected officials was that it was imperative that we elect more women to public office.

Why did I then and still now believe we need more women in office? Because I thought it was a disgrace to have all the Nitwits we had serving on the Judiciary Committee who questioned Thomas and Hill and just didn’t get it. If our country has to be represented by Nitwits, Dimwits and Village Idiots then I believe that at least half of them should be women.

It did not matter to me whether the woman was on the ballot as a Democrat, Republican or Independent, I starting sending in contributions to women who were running for office. I mailed checks to campaigns of women who ran for and often were elected to the office of Councilwoman, Judge, Mayor, School Board, State Representative, State Senate, Congress, U. S. Senate and even President.

My goal was and still is to help put women in positions of power. A lot of women and men must feel the same way because the percentage of women in elected positions has increased dramatically during the last 10 years.

Women have come a long way but it seems to me that some of the women we have elected are picking up some of the same characteristics that we have labeled unbecoming in men. I think some of our women officials are in a contest with their male counterparts to see who can be more uninformed and foolish.

I admit that I was disappointed to discover that women we elect are just as human as men are. The more women we elect, the more likely that a percentage of these women will behave in such a way that their constituents will rise up and throw them out of office.

How have I coped with the realization that women in high office are going to make the same mistakes as men have for centuries? By keeping my sense of humor and by bestowing the same titles on women that I have used for years on men. Those titles are Dimwit, Nitwit and Village Idiot.

A Nitwit is defined by Merriam-Webster as “a scatterbrain or stupid person.” People who want to talk about taxes in Tennessee without talking about tax reform fall into my definition of Nitwit. Nitwits mean well, just have no direction, are not focused and so it is difficult for them to appear as leaders on any issue.

I had trouble finding a definition for one of my favorite words, which is Dimwit, but a synonym for Dimwit is the word “dunce” which means a dull-witted and stupid person. Dull is right because Dimwits don’t stand for anything. Dimwits who hold public office are merely the mouthpiece for special interests groups and powerful lobbyists. Dimwits often abstain from voting on the really difficult issues. That way our Dimwits don’t have to answer difficult questions about their voting record on tough issues. Most Dimwits are opposed to campaign finance reform because Dimwits turn to lobbyists for instruction on how they should vote.

Then there are the village idiots. We Southerners have taken pride in our local Village Idiots. Eccentric people are what make the South so special. However, these are not the people we aspire to put in positions of power but turn on the news and you will recognize them immediately.

If you combine the word community or town with the word simpleton or buffoon then you have an explanation for a Village Idiot who happens to be an elected official. More than one Village Idiot served on the Judiciary Committee that held the confirmation hearings for Justice Thomas and I can safely say both the Democrats and Republicans were represented by Village Idiots in that powerful group.

But what happens when we elect women who become Nitwits, Dimwits or Village Idiots? Have women come far enough so that we can support a man who is not a Nitwit, Dimwit of Village Idiot against a woman who has earned one, two or three of these illustrious titles? I don’t have the answer for that today and if you do, please let me know.

In the meantime, trust me; start labeling officials when necessary as Dimwit, Nitwit or Village Idiot. Doing so will not only help you keep your sense of humor, it will also guide you when election time comes around and you are asked to contribute to campaigns. If a woman falls into one of these categories, you won’t feel as guilty when you contribute little if any to her campaign.

Saralee Terry Woods is President of BookMan/BookWoman Used and Rare Books