This article mentions that women may be subject to the draft- What do you guys think? I think it's only fair. If women are fighting alongside men as equals they should get chosen to do so in the same manner. The article also mentions that allowing women in the armed forces allows for a more diverse and numerous pool of applicants, but on the other hand, women may be subject to sexual harassment or even rape if they are to be taken as prisoners of war. The article says though that women are aware of the consequences even before they sign up for the military. Women should be aware of all consequences BEFORE even signing that dotted line saying they agree to enter the armed forces. The article talks more about past issues I have covered, but indeed do read these. This article shows both sides of each argument, so it does make for a good read. One thing the article does mention that is new to this blog, however, is pregnancy. Men cannot get pregnant, whereas women may. Pregnancy in a war zone is not a good thing, indeed. Should women still be allowed in combat if they are pregnant, or should they immediately be sent home? This article does not talk very much in depth about what actions should take place, but I hope to find an article that discusses this situation next week. For now though, read through this article and let me know what you think.
The article also says that allowing men and women to compete for military positions is not a matter of equal rights but a matter of having the most qualified person fulfill each position. Amen to that. Who cares what gender you are? If you are good at your job, rock on. There may be some women that are not fit to work in a certain area, and then again there are men who are not fit to work in a certain position. It's not just a matter of gender, folks.
2 comments:
I personally believe that required registration for the draft is wrong. I don't think anyone should be required to fight any war; therefore, I only support voluntary military service. With that said, I believe men and women should be allowed to register for a military draft if they so choose.
Willens notes, too, that "The "front lines" in modern combat, however, are fluid." It should be considered, then, that women who are not trained for combat alongside servicemen will be less prepared for engagement, and by extension, less prepared for a situation where they have been captured. We train male soldiers to handle torture, interrogations, and extreme deprivation if they are captured; we can train women for any of the specific risks they may face during capture as well.
Because women, regardless of the regulations, are often placed into situations where sudden and unexpected combat is the reality, they should have the same training as men who are knowingly sent to engage in direct combat.
The pregnancy argument, to me, seems rooted in sexist ideas that men are not required to care for the children they help to create. Placing the sole responsibility on women has led to some assuming that women will be less able to serve if they have children--why this isn't considered for men who have children is obvious but still sexist.
Of course, all of these opinions are strongly affected by my feelings on violence, the military, and the use of soldiers period. I suppose that would be more appropriate on another blog, though :).
I personally agree with some of the things Nik said. I really wish that this country did not need a draft period, but I also think that if men have to register than it is only fair women do as well. I wish that our county could have a army comprised of people who have voluntarily joined.
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