commentaries

When men can give birth they will then be equal with women. Not equal does not mean less valuable or important, something many feminists don't want to acknowledge. These women who want to be in combat can sign up to be mercenaries. We should not be encouraging this devaluing of the feminine and the masculine and trying to treat them both the same. By doing so we diminish the distinctive qualities of both.

OK as long as standards are not lowered as they were in the following professions: professional tennis: women play 2 of 3 sets to win and men 3 of 5- hardly "equality". Fire fighters standards lowered. Police standards lowered. Jobs requiring high levels of strength , when compromised lead to having to hire extra people to take up the slack.

One observation could be made: There are no porta pottys in a field mission or in combat. This not funny--it is a problem. There are differnces between sexes and this is one minor one.

It's great that women could serve in combat, they should & likely will, however there are other underlying issues. Females should serve in combat roles as equals. Pure & simple. But. There will soon be slots available to women to compete at Ft Benning for US Army Ranger school. Will they be held to the same standards as males? Nope, Ranger instructors are already being told to stand down on strict physical fittness tests for the weaker sex. Really? Why is all of this happening? Well, according to female soldiers, their careers are being stifled because they do not have a "Ranger Tab." A pretty big deal in getting promoted. Will the Army cave & reduce the heavy duty physical requirements to attain the Ranger tab or will they say there are just a chosen few? It has happened at the USMA at West Point. It is no secret that females there get the wave often on PT & other physical tasks simply because of their gender. What's next? Female special forces? LOL. Eventually all of the political correctness becomes an issue in the life & death issues of those on the front lines. We are walking a fine line here and need to make sure people know the unintended consequences of going too far. There are limits.

Its amusing that so many here put down this notion without, I suspect, more understanding of history. In Kazakhstan for example, they had whole armies made up of women. Someone mentioned reduced standards for law enforcement. Well, I've been there. Not all women are suited for it, but I can tell any guy here I know some women they would not want to go up against. And I have met some big guys who were all muscle and nothing between their ears. I said then and I'll say again, give me someone smaller and smart rather than someone big and dumb. With a weapon in her hand, I know many women the equal of any man. Been there, done it...

One other point, hostage negotiators know that when hostage takers are groups of men and women, it is the women who usually do the killing of the hostages. Women can be plenty dangerous, I don't care if they can't lift as much weight as I can. If their mean enough, they can fight, and that is what counts.

Fighting soldiers from the sky, fearless women who jump and die. Women who mean just what they say, The brave women of the Green Beret. Silver wings upon her chest, these are women, America's best. One hundred people will test today, only three win the Green Beret. Trained to live of natures land, trained in combat, hand to hand. women who fight by night and day. Courage deep from the Green Beret. Back at home a young man waits, his Green Beret has met her fate. She has died, for those at rest, leaving him her last request. Put silver wings on my daughters chest. Make her one of Americas best, she'll be a woman who'll test one day, have her win the green beret....da da da dah. Kind of puts a tear in your eye doesn't it?

Soldiers are not just a group of people who go to war, they are trained assets of the US military. We spend good money to make sure they are the best trained soldiers on the battlefield. A fighter pilot for example can cost millions to bring to combat readiness. I know this will come off the wrong way, but what happens if "something happens" and we have to pull her out of service for 9 months, or even files a chapter 8(request for honorable discharge)? That's just one example. I'm not against women in the military, but there are some compelling reasons other than "ohhh sorry you're a girl".

The pros and cons listed all apply, and everyone fails to realize that the physical requirements DO play a part, but there are women that DO meet them! Equality does not mean certain percentages, but yet so many claiming for equality thinks that is what it is. If only a small % of women can make it in roles typcially male dominated, and vice a versa for men in female dominated roles, the equality is not attained in lessening the standards, it's that both get equal chance to meet those standards. This country has strengthened women of the years, and that is HUGE, and positive. However, it has not always done so intelligently, and truly fairly. Thus we have actually weakened as a whole. Also, we fail to provide men with the skills to take on other roles our societies need, and guess what? Some of them men are not physically suited to make, this is true. Also, I see "empowered" women feel men doing house work, staying at home to raise kids, as unacceptable. Why, because they are now so sure those roles are demeaning rather than neccessary. Also, we train women as girls now, for roles typcially male dominated. Yet, we've failed to help fill the gap. No, this whole equality thing, though well intentioned goes too often down paths that are not fully thought out. We need to make some intelligent decisions about how we do these things, and decreasing standards is not one of them. Working on ways to make stay at home fathers not only acceptable in the media, but in the home. Of adult men, as well as for boys of today who are the future homemakers of tomorrow. Why is being a homemaker for a male a sign of failure by females even more so than other males? Because we are failing to do this all intelligently.

I'll be impressed when women insist on being required to register for the draft as men are or face 5 years in prison and a 250K fine.