THE HARDER THEY FALL

MAYORS COME AND GO especially when burdened with an era of dilema from a prior administration. That is not to say thatcarrying off a resolution of any prior political height is not accomplishable by an incoming entity; but it reads like an open book, specific to women of color.

"IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO THAT WAY" but the leaded entrails of her conquest was set to bury her most elevated optimism for being or bringing a solution for the people who had suffered for well over a decade before she was admitted to a controlling seat. Mayor of Flint, Michigan never had a chance. The necessary arm in arm congregation of effort at making all the right connections was not there, but rather hovered outside the mayoral doorlike vultures waiting for the spoil of yet another hopeful heart. Taking the brunt of accusation as "the administration killing the population" was a lable handed down upon her. There was no commeradery among females in the annointed career positions that would pass the book of knowledge and patience to help see her through.

While the "queen of Flint" dry roasted over the water toxicity, the Governor of Puerto Rico drowned under repeated onslaught of hurricanes and seasonal downpour in the Carribean state of America. To extend the bad situation, the damaged power grid and the slack in available repair persons trained at re-establishing high power lines to a suffering population was not... and seemingly, could not be properly addressed for rescue of life and limb. They lacked necessary emergency management personnel. Both were elected into scenarios already damned, and both were damned to swim free on their own. The simple intervention of a host of women with a talk show could potentially have made a lighter burden for either to tote.

Both situations brought a not uncommon catty response from female onlookers and challenging bravado from the men who "should have had the job." They were made tp be the brunt of jokes that burn into mind and hide of feminism. It seems to not have shown its face during the snowy downdrift of Chicago's Mayor Jane Byrne... instead, she garnered support for being constantly insulted by the onslaught of men... the Daleys and others from that political era who all too eagerly pounced upon the meager attempts of women at handling a man's job. She bought into her persecution during the onset of Billy Jean King and ERA. That advent was supported by women bolstering the female ego and capacity to perform. It bought feminists from every channel. It also bought the usual "good ole boy" comeback comments from all of Illinois' male political wall that "she couldn't handle it" in reference to snow loads and snow routes that became scrambled just as she took seat in the mayor's office. Winter was waiting for her, and the trash routes smothered the rest of her dignity... if there was any.

I was foolish enough to be culled by suggestions of "sisterhood" in the "women working together" rationale put before us on live television events, in locales and the talk show host interviews that swear by their own validity at bringing women to a long sought after equality in politics and careers. They say nothing of the "turn my back" cattiness dished out at those who win their run into a hell's hole environment. I contacted several women led communications groups in an attempt at rallying support for finding a solution to the massive burdens played upon those women who "won." There were no takers. It was as though the end suggestion was that they had a place before winning... a place in the home, like any other woman. What was expected to evolve, did not. The gentle "sisterly" invite to appear on a talk show with introduction and deepened expression of the criteria swaled around the population given attempted protection under efforts of a drowning female politician... governor, mayor or business woman; was altered for laughter at the audacity of the seated woman. The audacity of her assumed knowledge. The audacity of her assumed professionalism. The audacity of her belief in sisterhood, black or white. That truth evolved and was concluded with invitations put to men instead. Talk show conversation returned to the political evictions made by presidents and department heads that pulled "respected" FBI and Department Secretaries out of seat "because." Conversations drew "these hot items for sale." Any "new book hot off the press" could take the invitation if it were a rebuttal to the voracity for evoking political rights of authority deleted by the very person who bestowed them by nomination or appointment. This was America... the United States of America, as televised over recent years. Other than Fauci and the Pandemic caused when COVID fell from under control, rampant support spoken for a talk show guest was fairly unheard of. I have to say, I wonder if thee truly is such a thing, or is it just a "show for the money"? I'm sure many others wonder as well.