Connect the dots. It’s not Sen. Brian Schatz but rather the most popular Sen. Mazie Hirono who recently garnished national attention with her part in the Kavanaugh hearing and her stance on the “Me too” movement. She said on national TV to the men of our country: “Just ‘shut up’ and step up. Do the right thing for a change.”
Hirono ran unopposed in the August Hawaii primary election for Senate. Hirono is a a former lieutenant governor and U.S. representative in Congress. Not only is she quite popular, she also has a serious kidney cancer diagnosis; therefore many believe the public and the party wouldn’t have forgiven someone who was running against Mazie at this stage of her career.
Mazie will have a Republican challenger come November, a retired systems engineer Ron Curtis, a political unknown. However, Hirono just alienated many of the male population with her remarks telling them to, “shut up.” This next election could be a real spoiler, an upset of the likes the democrats haven’t seen since “The Donald” defeated Hillary in 2016.
Imagine if the roles were reversed and a male senator had said to the women of our country, “Just shut up and step up. Do the right thing for a change.” There would have been a public lynching and the “Me too” movement would be up in arms and would had called for that senator to resign. His name would be tarnished, he would be shamed on the national news and talk show circuit.
We are taught from early on that little girls are suppose to be made of “sugar and spice and every thing nice.”
Let me tell you, that rhyme from my childhood is as false as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy.
There is a double standard that woman are to be believed and men are just slobs and liars.
Men can also be sexually assaulted and often times are, but when they report it are usually laughed at because men are suppose to be macho and enjoy any kind of sex no matter what — that’s what testosterone allegedly does for you.
Ten years ago a neighbor woman broke into my home and forced herself on me. I had another female neighbor as a witness, we called the Kauai Police Department to report an assault. The cops came. I explained my neighbor pushed herself in and proceeded to talk dirty, forcing herself on me.
Eventually I got her off and asked her to leave, she stumbled out.
I said to the officers, “If this was reversed you would probably arrest me?”
“You’re right. Is there anything you would like us to do?”
“Sure,” I said. “Arrest her!”
They laughed, we can’t do that, but if you want we will go talk to her. They went to her home, knocked on her door, she never answered. End of story.
There are good decent men and good decent women in this world. A public figure telling half the population to “shut up” is something that just ain’t pono, and something society should not tolerate.
America is in peril. Please pray for Mazie and America’s crisis.
•••
James “Kimo” Rosen is a resident of Kapaa.
