Women have been fighting alongside men in war, but they have been barred from certain infantry roles by the pentagon. Critics believe that they are not up to the task, but with the increasing amount of women protesting for the rights that males have in the army, their self-confidence must be coming from somewhere. Their strength and physical capability can be measure by their mental capability - if they want something enough, they'll work hard for it.
Allowing women into certain infantry roles will open up thousands of closed jobs. This will help the economy blossom due to a higher workforce, and in the end benefit both sides. Women will be able to fight the way they want while policy makers will benefit from a stronger economy. Women currently hold 14% of enlisted ranks and 17% of officer ranks - they endure the same challenges as men and in every scenario exhibit similar skill levels to what a male counterpart would do.
Men die in combat for many different reasons, and yet women are treated differently when they die or get injured. The Detroit Free Press states, "Michelle Underwood, 22, of Monroe, nearly died on April 23, 2011, when the armored vehicle he was riding in with four other Marines in Afghanistan struck an improvised explosive device." Although this is horrendous, almost identical scenarios happen to men, and yet it isn't highlighted as a special case. The opposition states that women will be the weakest link in a platoon due to their physical limitations compared to men, but this isn't be true in every scenario. If they army composes a strength test to test if a recruit has the necessary strength/skills required to be in a certain division, this issue can be easily resolved. Males and Females both take the test, and if they pass then surely they will no longer be the "weakest link". People who still want to serve their country and fail the test could be placed in a different division that isn't quite as strenuous, such as out of the frontlines.
Women are already taking big roles int he army - including spots in aviation or secondary lines. Women, compared to men, have a strong will and desire to become part of the frontlines. As "people of the United States" we should have no say in segregation without a valid premise, and gender does not fall into this category.
Works Cited
"Carol Cain: Should Women Serve in Infantry Active Combat Roles?" Detroit Free Press. Detroit Free Press, n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
Lawrence, Quil, and Marisa Peñaloza. "Women In Combat, And The Price They Pay." NPR. NPR, 18 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Apr. 2013.
