Fight’s On – Women in Combat

     Once in a while, I receive a note from a blog subscriber who provides a fresh perspective on an issue of the day. In this case I will post the short essay I received without the writer’s name (and without comment) because that’s what he/she asked me to do.  I think you will find their reasoning provocative.

     “I for one am happy to finally see women in combat in the armed forces. Unfortunately, however, they have a long way to go to find full equality.  I believe, therefore, that we should move directly to full equality in other fields, starting with sports.
     “For example, it will be awesome to see how many NFL teams select women once they're finally given the chance to compete openly with their male counterparts.  Boxing will provide another wonderful spectacle – can’t wait to see those girls prove they can take a real punch from a male heavyweight fighter. And throw an effective one too. Putting women into the top ranks of Mixed Martial Arts contests should be easy, now that we have wisely opened the door to combat, its closest non-sport relative.
     “The best results will probably be found in team sports, where any  miscalculation about, say a female player’s ability to hold back a 280 pound offensive tackle, can be quickly compensated for by a little extra effort on the part of their male counterparts. Certainly these fortunate guys wouldn’t object to doing their fair share to advance the cause. Unless the players to her left and right are women, too.
     “And this would be just a start. In another example, fully merging prisons will no doubt save us a lot money while advancing our egalitarian principles. I am confident that just as some women will qualify for our most physically demanding special operations military programs, some women will be able to keep themselves safe from the Crips and the skinheads. If their success reflects poorly on others who don’t make the grade, well they just need to try harder.
     “To suggest that there are situations in our society where men fit better than women (or vice versa) is to rely on the ridiculous example of 4000 years of recorded history, instead of the dreams and aspirations of progressives everywhere.”