Everyone is buzzing over the new “Wonder Woman” movie, which tells the backstory of a superhero with a compassionate heart, sharp mind, warrior training and showgirl costume who can walk straight into a barrage of enemy bullets without fear.
It’s a provocative image of a strong woman — one who is motivated by her sense of duty, who trusts her intuitive wisdom and who believes in her abilities.
Meanwhile, in real life, Sen. Mazie Hirono, a mere mortal in a red suit jacket, was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney cancer, had surgery to remove the affected kidney and was back in Congress five days later. FIVE! DAYS!
Hirono wasn’t just back. She was swinging hard.
That first day back, she was on the floor to cast a vote and in her office to post a video letting folks know that she was OK. In the following weeks — it has not yet been a month — she has helped a longtime Kona coffee farmer fight deportation, mounted attacks on President Donald Trump’s proposed travel ban (Hirono calls it a Muslim ban) and criticized Trump’s decision to bail out of the Paris climate agreement. Her questioning of former FBI Director James Comey has been analyzed in national news. She has called out Trump’s budget as especially hazardous to her constituents, promising, “I will fight tooth and nail in opposition to these dangerous and devastating cuts to programs Hawaii families depend on every day.”
It’s the standard politician quote, but who knew Hirono had it in her? She even called her office a few hours after waking up from anesthesia and dictated her statement about the appointment of a special prosecutor in the Russia investigation.
She’s probably never been so badass in her entire life.
The transformation was especially dramatic because of who Hirono is and the image she projects. She is not a bulldog like Colleen Hanabusa, who has built a reputation on talking tough and chewing her way to the top.
She’s also not like the photo op-ready Tulsi Gabbard, who is so good at swooping in for a flattering shot that makes her look like the brave young hero standing up to … whatever.
No, Mazie Hirono has never been an action hero. She’s been loyal to the Democratic Party, patiently waiting her turn, not stepping on toes, not doing anything risky. Hanabusa jumped into the snake pit of the HART board. Gabbard went to war. Hirono worked in an air-conditioned office and went to meetings.
There are those who speak of the “cancer journey” and how sometimes, facing down such a terrible foe can bring out the best in the human spirit. It’s no one’s place to say that Hirono has been affected this way. It’s her story to live and her story to tell. “I knew I had a serious condition, but I had a lot of faith in my doctors that I would be able to get back to work in short order. I’m not out of the woods yet, but the prognosis is good and I feel strong,” Hirono said in an email.
From the outside, watching her charge back into work during such a vicious, volatile time in American politics, knowing that she’s battling cancer, it’s pretty heroic.
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
