Obiter Dicta
Why Women In Combat?
Posted: January 28, 2013
The Wall Street Journal’s James Taranto notes the words of a combat veteran from Vietnam on the subject of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s decision to put women into combat:
“As a Marine Corps veteran of three combat tours, the first as a rifle platoon commander during the Vietnam War, my concern is what this policy will contribute to further breaking down the already-troubled relationships of men and women in our society. ...
“In my view, traditions in the military and civil society are severely broken and the embedded wisdom lost forever where women have combat roles. ... I am concerned about the broader social implications of a civilization that believes that combat is an appropriate role for women.
“My concerns:
“What kind of a man is it who can send women off to kill and maim? What kind of society does that?
“What kind of men sharing a fire-team foxhole with a woman and two other men don't treat the woman more gently?
“What kind of society bemoaning that men don't seem to respect women can't see that part of the respect they
demand is predicated on the specialness of the other?
“Perhaps it is possible in a firefight to distinguish between how one treats women and men, but I doubt that I could do it. And if I am trained to treat men and women the same throughout my career, can this have no significant effect on how I treat women otherwise?”
Well said.
“As a Marine Corps veteran of three combat tours, the first as a rifle platoon commander during the Vietnam War, my concern is what this policy will contribute to further breaking down the already-troubled relationships of men and women in our society. ...
“In my view, traditions in the military and civil society are severely broken and the embedded wisdom lost forever where women have combat roles. ... I am concerned about the broader social implications of a civilization that believes that combat is an appropriate role for women.
“My concerns:
“What kind of a man is it who can send women off to kill and maim? What kind of society does that?
“What kind of men sharing a fire-team foxhole with a woman and two other men don't treat the woman more gently?
“What kind of society bemoaning that men don't seem to respect women can't see that part of the respect they
demand is predicated on the specialness of the other?
“Perhaps it is possible in a firefight to distinguish between how one treats women and men, but I doubt that I could do it. And if I am trained to treat men and women the same throughout my career, can this have no significant effect on how I treat women otherwise?”
Well said.