Recently, my boy, Bryan Fischer (okay...not 'my boy'...he'd probably shoot me on sight, but I like to pretend that I can piss him off a bit by calling him a pet name) got all excited about a correlation he felt was reasonable, where he excitedly stated a perceived inconsistency between President Obama's hesitation to let his own hypothetical son play football and sending "your daughters" to get "shot to pieces" on the front lines of battle.
You can watch it here...
While it makes for great radio, Bryan Fischer gets it all wrong.
First, President Obama lending his support behind the Defense Department's abandoning most bans on women fighting in battle is not akin to forcing "your daughters" to go and get "shot to pieces" on the front lines. Last I checked, the military was still a volunteer organization. If you sign up, male or female, I think an individual who doesn't expect to be put in harm's way, isn't really well versed on what the military does. If you are allowed in combat positions, you get to shoot people and, in turn, they get to shoot at you - man or woman.
So. Let's recap.
1. A woman can volunteer for military service.
2. A man can volunteer for military service.
3. Bullets do not discriminate by gender. Both men and women on the front lines can be "shot to pieces".
4. Signing up for the military is largely the decision of the woman. No father is being forced to send his daughter to war.
5. Why isn't it a tragedy that we send men to the front lines to be shot to pieces?
Second (and arguably a more important point), Bryan Fischer never asked President Obama how he would feel about his own daughters going into the military.
Military service is a tough sell to any parent. Some are honored by it, seeing it as a tradition in their family, a sort of stepping stone to adulthood. Others see it as a bounded choice. They can't get a job, see no way of going to college, and end up deciding on the military. There are other scenarios that bring a young man or a young woman into a recruitment office, ending up signing on the dotted line. But, as a father myself, I don't think that any mother or father would not think about the potential deadly ramifications of military service. Many welcome it while fearing it. Others weep, while hugging their child, who is now an independent adult.
Again, Bryan Fischer did not ask President Obama about how he felt about his daughters going to war.
And the final point (arguably, the most important). Women have been clamoring for...what's that word? Hmmm... Let me see. Oh yeah! That word that Bryan Fischer and his ilk yelled from the mountaintops during the Affordable Health Care Act (better known as Obama Care) debate. What was it again. Fr...hmmm...freed....dammit...it's not coming to me. Oh yeah!
FREEDOM!!!!
Yes. That's exactly what this is about. Independent women who desire the CHOICE to be able to say, "I got this! I'm going to sign up for military service and fight in battle."
Yeah. That freedom. They have been asking for it for many years. The military granted THEIR wish. Now, these women have the opportunity to sign up for it or decide against it (which many will).
It's time for old white men who think they know everything that a woman is supposed to do, to shut up and let women make their own decisions, no matter how stupid they think they are. After all, most of the doomsday crap they scream from behind their bully pulpits never comes to pass. They simply rely on the short memories of their followers.
You can watch it here...
While it makes for great radio, Bryan Fischer gets it all wrong.
First, President Obama lending his support behind the Defense Department's abandoning most bans on women fighting in battle is not akin to forcing "your daughters" to go and get "shot to pieces" on the front lines. Last I checked, the military was still a volunteer organization. If you sign up, male or female, I think an individual who doesn't expect to be put in harm's way, isn't really well versed on what the military does. If you are allowed in combat positions, you get to shoot people and, in turn, they get to shoot at you - man or woman.
So. Let's recap.
1. A woman can volunteer for military service.
2. A man can volunteer for military service.
3. Bullets do not discriminate by gender. Both men and women on the front lines can be "shot to pieces".
4. Signing up for the military is largely the decision of the woman. No father is being forced to send his daughter to war.
5. Why isn't it a tragedy that we send men to the front lines to be shot to pieces?
Second (and arguably a more important point), Bryan Fischer never asked President Obama how he would feel about his own daughters going into the military.
Military service is a tough sell to any parent. Some are honored by it, seeing it as a tradition in their family, a sort of stepping stone to adulthood. Others see it as a bounded choice. They can't get a job, see no way of going to college, and end up deciding on the military. There are other scenarios that bring a young man or a young woman into a recruitment office, ending up signing on the dotted line. But, as a father myself, I don't think that any mother or father would not think about the potential deadly ramifications of military service. Many welcome it while fearing it. Others weep, while hugging their child, who is now an independent adult.
Again, Bryan Fischer did not ask President Obama about how he felt about his daughters going to war.
And the final point (arguably, the most important). Women have been clamoring for...what's that word? Hmmm... Let me see. Oh yeah! That word that Bryan Fischer and his ilk yelled from the mountaintops during the Affordable Health Care Act (better known as Obama Care) debate. What was it again. Fr...hmmm...freed....dammit...it's not coming to me. Oh yeah!
FREEDOM!!!!
Yes. That's exactly what this is about. Independent women who desire the CHOICE to be able to say, "I got this! I'm going to sign up for military service and fight in battle."
Yeah. That freedom. They have been asking for it for many years. The military granted THEIR wish. Now, these women have the opportunity to sign up for it or decide against it (which many will).
It's time for old white men who think they know everything that a woman is supposed to do, to shut up and let women make their own decisions, no matter how stupid they think they are. After all, most of the doomsday crap they scream from behind their bully pulpits never comes to pass. They simply rely on the short memories of their followers.
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