Perhaps for the same reason a "gentleman" would want to be in the military. For the opportunity to serve your country, for the training, the benefits and the opportunities it offers.
I would be very careful about equating the demands of a competitive sport with military duty. You are comparing oranges with apples. Simple because a woman cannot take out a 300 lb lineman does not mean she does not have the physical capability and endurance to function in the military. In addition, with the hi-tech equipment used by the military these days, the day of the "grunt" are long over. Even the infantry now recruites with an eye on the intelligence of its members.
I have been as critical of "political correctness as anyone. But what we are dealing with here is equal opportunity based on abilities and intelligence - not on out-moded stereotypes.
Mr. Bengal Buddy, what do you really know about those you call "grunt"? Very little I think. Do not pretend to know what my motivations are. I usually spell out very clearly why I feel the way I do about a subject. Don't read anymore into it than what is there. Women do not belong in the mainstream military. They are a hindrance and usually just end up in the way. As an instructor at MCT (Marine Combat Training) ITB (Infantry Training Battalion), I have seen many examples of how women cannot keep up in even the most simple of military disciplines. This is no fabrication, no bias toward the opposite sex. It is simply the truth. What do you mean by... I hope you meant "we" past tense and not "he". I do not feel this way and have never made such statements.
by what reasoning are women equally skilled soldiers? we all accept that they are physically weaker. thats certainly not good. how do they make up the difference? are they smarter? women and men are basically the same average intelligence. (women are less likely to be very smart or very stupid, they vary from the norm less.) if i had random group x and random group y, and we knew nothing of them except they were relatively equal, and we were told that one group was on average much smaller and much weaker, of course we can assume they are inferior soldiers. but not if they are women, right?. you cant make those sorts of statements, and i certainly would lie about it if there were girls around who i didnt want to hate me. many people are not mature enough to accept the world as it is. the problem with some people is they are always afraid to be honest. (not necessarily you bengal buddy)., there are some people who never admit the obvious truth because they think it makes it seem like a jerk, and that can be annoying. i dont mind when people lie about politically correct stuff if they are doing it to get a job or a girl, thats just how the world works. but some people keep the truth quiet permanantly.
You said women have proved themselves able to compete with men "on every level". I assumed that you did not mean limited strictly to the military. Even if you did, explain why the army had to lower their requirements in order to let more women in. Explain why there are soooo many female Navy Sales.
You are limiting your example to just entry level training. Thinking back to Army basic training, I remember the men falling all over themselves to be the one to help a female private. Not myself mind you, but a lot of guys would. It's our nature to protect and help the weakest of us. Personally, I'd step on you if you couldn't pull your weight. Man or woman. You're thinking what kind of man would step on a woman. I wouldn't, if they wanted to put on the uniform and enter my world, they would be treated the same as anyone else. Now, enough talk about the politically correct entry level training. By the way, men and women are separated in the Marines. Completely. While on deployment to Kosovo, I was horrified to witness women behind .50 cal machine guns manning blocking positions. I've never met a woman that could pull the charging handle back on a .50 cal, much less deploy it with any accuracy. So what did we have, a completely useless blocking position. This takes place all over nowadays. Women crew chiefs on helos, how are they going to pull a wounded Marine into the bird while being fired upon? Women mechanics, they can't lift the tire and wheel of a 1/2 ton truck. I've seen them countless times have to go and find a man to help them. Women military police, how are they going to take down a trained Marine when the need arises? There are dozens of examples where we now have women serving in positions where they clearly do not belong. The only reason they are allowed to do these things is politically correctness. Their presence undermines our security and puts us at risk.
That was a typo. I meant to say "we harbored against blacks." I respect your experience but not your attitude. Experience does not equate into invalibility. We will just have to disagree on the issue.
