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Women In The Military

© Nancy Coulter

I was just watching the evening news and found out that the summer movie "G.I. Jane" is currently #2 in the US Movie Box Offices, after a long stint in the #1 position. Imagine that ... a movie about a woman breaking into the manly world of the military, being a box office hit. I was lucky to see this movie and it only strengthen my beliefs that women should be allowed to fight for their country.

The idea that women should be able to fight AND die for their country is one that has been hard to swallow for many people. Women have always been worshiped for the fact that they can give birth. Without them, where would our species be? Because of this, people have never liked the idea of sending women into battle to possibly die.

Watching the Vietnam War on TV was hard enough. No one liked watching young boys being killed overseas. However, imagine what it would have been like to watch a young girl die like that. For most of us, as much as we may like to think women and men are equal, that site would have been more difficult.

So what does this mean? To steal from one of Demi Moore's lines ... is the life of a woman more valuable than that of a man? To some people, it may be. But every human life is valuable, regardless of gender. Perhaps that is how we have been brought up. But if women are to fight for more equality in their lives, this also means there needs to be more equality in death.

Of course, another argument to the women in the military debate is that women can't keep up with the men in battle. Women are considered to be physically inferior to men. There have been studies done and people are always saying then men are biologically stronger than women. Well, that's all fine and good, but who's to say that every single woman will not be strong enough to be in combat? If a woman faces the same expectations that her male peers do, and is able to do just as well as the men, then she should be allowed to fight for her country with the men.

The US Military has always been a "boys club". I've been to the US Naval Academy many times and have seen this in action. Women aren't welcomed in the military, no matter what the "official" policy may be. Times are changing, and its time for the millitary to change too. If women are to get full equality, they should be able to fight, and yes... perhaps die for their country.