Which is what makes this decision so hard to wrap my brain around. If you believe what Leon is saying and that it was approved by the JCoS then WOW. I can't believe that they would have done this without considerable pressure from somewhere else, perhaps budget played a big part in it, or maybe it is a case of "give em what they want and then they will figure out they really don't want it" Sort of like a kid screaming for a toy and you finally give it to him only to find it on the floor 5 minutes later.
I've been watching The West Wing on Netflix and oddly enough I took this dialogue from the last episode I watched last night. Admiral Fitzwallace, who is the chairman of the JCoS, was played by legendary actor John Amos, they were talking about gays in the military and I found this part interesting. Major Tate: Sir, we're not prejudiced toward homosexuals. Admiral Percy Fitzwallace: You just don't want to see them serving in the Armed Forces? Major Tate: No sir, I don't. Admiral Percy Fitzwallace: 'Cause they impose a threat to unit discipline and cohesion. Major Tate: Yes, sir. Admiral Percy Fitzwallace: That's what I think, too. I also think the military wasn't designed to be an instrument of social change. Major Tate: Yes, sir. Admiral Percy Fitzwallace: The problem with that is that's what they were saying about me 50 years ago - blacks shouldn't serve with whites. It would disrupt the unit. You know what? It did disrupt the unit. The unit got over it. The unit changed. I'm an admiral in the U.S. Navy and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff... Beat that with a stick.
Right a black man or a gay man is still a man and falls within the bell curve of physical abilities of men. Women don't do that.
Im not even sure if physical limitations are the biggest hang up with me on this one. Its there and is relevant for sure.
I know women that can run about as fast as I can, but they train maybe 6x as much. It is really hard for them perform like I do, and I am a fat sack of shit. For women to meet the standards of combat soldiers, I just don't think it is that realistic. Although I did just look up the basic requirements for soldiers and they are insanely easy, like run 2 miles in 17 minutes, which seems pathetic.
I think if you give it a proper effort, you can, and any male that is not a fat grandpa, can run two consecutive 8 minute miles. Women, different story.
i have already made that point. The point here is that the idea of all female units has been tried and it really doesn't work as well as coed units.
I agree, and the whole gay thing was just about serving openly, not being on the front lines. Why would anyone want to be on the front lines? Shit if I was gay, or a woman I wouldn't want this to change. This is like saying "if men can be hung from the gallows then dammit everyone should be able to". Being on the front lines doesn't seem like a privilege to me, maybe I'm just crazy though.
