From: blchapma@eos.ncsu.edu (BEKKI LYN)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: Re: Women warriors and male myths (WAS: Military Quote)
Date: 9 Oct 1992 19:26:35 GMT
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Distribution: world
Reply-To: blchapma@eos.ncsu.edu (BEKKI LYN)
NNTP-Posting-Host: remarque.berkeley.edu
Originator: muffy@remarque.berkeley.edu

In article <1avolkINN49k@agate.berkeley.edu>, bickis@skmath3.pa.dec.com (M. Bickis) writes:
|> >Women have shown
|> >courage by having children, by risking their lives repeatedly to bring
|> >new life into the world.  I don't think this very physical courage of
|> >women has been acknowledged.  Odd how the physical courage of bringing
|> >new life into the world has been discounted, while the physical
|> >courage of killing others (to protect loved ones) has been admired.
|> 
|> Only in modern times, IMHO, has this female courage been discounted.
|> Partly, perhaps, because it is no longer *that* serious a risk, and also
|> because in North America childbirth has become a rather clinical
|> experience, with many men being totally unaware about what it involves.
|> It is this courage demanded of women that makes the strongest *valid*
|> argument (there are of course many spurious arguments) against women in 
|> combat.  To demand "protective" courage of women too would place them in
|> double jeopardy.

Yep, here we have it.  If we allow women to have courage both in
preganancy and in combat too, why, then they'll have more courages
than we do, and we'll no longer be superior.  Boo hoo hoo....

But see, I have a problem with the statement you made about this
childbirthing courage being "demanded" in women.  Women do not
*have* to have children if they don't want to.  Not every woman
*has* to go through the pregnancy risk.  I have never had a child 
and I am a fertile woman.  In fact, I can go and get a
sterilization operation and make it so that I *never* will go through
pregnancy.

However, this doesn't mean that I am incapable of being courageous
in anything anymore because I cannot prove myself courageous in
childbirth.

Furthermore, I will make the point that I am not in support of "demanding"
anyone, male or female, to go into combat.  Only those who wish to go
willingly, male or female.

I will make another point that women are very protective every day.
They protect their families from many various ailments, including
danger.  Remember how mothers have lifted up cars to rescue trapped
children?  I don't see how women who are so protective in other areas
should be so limited in other areas if they wish to do so.
-- 

Bekki Lyn

************************************************************
"Today is within my reach, and tomorrow is so illusive
 But I'm still chasing time through increasing disillusion
 Forever living for the future of an illusion."

 -- FATES WARNING-- "Perfect Symmetry"
************************************************************


-- 
Post articles to soc.feminism, or send email to feminism@ncar.ucar.edu.
Questions and comments should be sent to feminism-request@ncar.ucar.edu.  This
newsgroup is moderated by several people, so please use the mail aliases. Your
article should be posted within several days.  Rejections notified by email.