If It Were Not for the Women…
Okay, I once wrote that I’m a bad feminist. Sometimes. The impeachment process is definitely dominated by women, who must hold the leader of the free world accountable by themselves. Right now, I find it amazing that many people did not vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman: and women are just “too emotional” to lead. I am looking at the proceedings in Washington, and if women were not leading, we’d have a monarchy!
Ah, the 2016 election. I remember standing in my classroom with no air conditioning and hearing students from the poorest of the poor neighborhoods tell me that they did not want to vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman. Women aren’t supposed to be leading. We’re too emotional, a student said. I was standing there, after having a baby less than six months earlier, sweating with my breasts swollen from milk and listening to this irrational foolishness before a student of mine, whose mother happened to be a principal, asked this guy to leave.
As a grown woman, I am perfectly capable of defending myself, but this student’s anger at the other student’s ignorance was shocking. Normally a quiet and considerate young man, he bristled that day and looked as if he were ready to throw blows. Once the silly young man exited the room, I asked him what was up. He looked at me in a way that I will never forget and he told me a story that I will never forget. His mother is a practicing Muslim. He said that when his mother went into administration, she was given one of the lowest performing schools in the city. It was rife with teenage pregnancy, gang membership, and barely qualified teachers. In less than two years, his mother had that school humming like a well-oiled machine. Her success at the school drew the jealousy and ire of some of her male colleagues, and they wanted to take the school back from the woman who cleaned it up. The young man looked at me and said, “I’m tired of watching women clean up the messes overgrown boys make, then being subject to harassment and jealousy once they make miracles. My mother worked hard and continues to work hard. She shouldn’t be rewarded with the stupidity that just came out of that fool’s mouth.”
In the most professional voice I could muster, I told the student that I understand, but please do not take stupidity personal. If so, he’d pass out from a stroke. Of course everyone laughed.
But the incident is fresh in my mind.
Remember when Maxine Waters kept calling for impeachment? She was ostracized, criticized, and shunned by more than a few of her own colleagues. In addition to having her intellect questioned, her competency as a committee leader was challenged and her wig was mocked on national television. Later, Waters revealed why she called for impeachment, and it makes perfect sense to me: the then-candidate Trump’s comfortable relationship with a known enemy of the United States and his lack of professionalism through name-calling. His behavior was not and is not that of a statesman. In America, decorum may not amount to a hill of beans, but when talking about diplomacy, the bean leads to the end of the bean stalk where the golden goose resides!
Maxine Waters, as it turns out, is not some outlandish, sassy Black lady (don’t get me wrong, we refer to her as “Auntie Maxine” out of respect) who goes where she wants and says what she will. Actually, she’s a policy wonk with expertise in several areas, including taxation and finance. For decades, she has provided the people of her district with opportunities and she leads her committee with competence and authority.
Furthermore, I looked at the testimony of those career diplomats. I must say that if I were an opponent, I would not antagonize Fiona Hill.
Dr. Hill did not dance around the issues. She did not make things “cute.” She did not apologize. She did not falter in her speech. She did not spare feelings. She simply spoke in her authority with the full weight of her expertise behind her.
Finally, after being hesitant initially, Speaker Nancy Pelosi began the impeachment process.
Now, having typed all of that, I have to ask this: where are the men? I am neither a Democrat nor a Republican. I’m a Black woman in America trying to “make it (whatever that means)” the best way she knows how. But I can’t help but notice how the deafening silence from male leaders has been growing louder, especially when that same class of men called for Bill Clinton’s head to be delivered to them on a silver platter in the 1990s. They were loud, they were angry, they were red-faced, and they were bent upon preserving the integrity and statesmanship of America’s image around the world. One lousy husband, they contended, may endanger the reputation of the entire free world.
Each day, I watch men behave like ostriches. Either they do not say anything at all,or they sanction our democracy slowly becoming an oligarchy or monarchy. Personally, I wonder whatever became of the student who cried that women are just “too emotional” to lead anything. He never returned to my class. I wonder if he’d be in the camp that upholds this president as he derails our democracy. Or, would he have the moral courage to say anything? He certainly didn’t mind voicing his opinion about the “weakness” of women. I wonder who will be the one to write about the current state of “weak” men who seem to be “too emotional” to challenge a president.
This does come from my professor’s diary. If you like it, clapback (press the hands). Or, I’ll see you in class.
