[Content Note: War; sexual violence.]
"Societal norms are a reality, and their maintenance is important to most members of a society. It is humiliating enough to relieve yourself in front of your male comrades; one can only imagine the humiliation of being forced to relieve yourself in front of the opposite sex. Despite the professionalism of Marines, it would be distracting and potentially traumatizing to be forced to be naked in front of the opposite sex, particularly when your body has been ravaged by lack of hygiene. In the reverse, it would be painful to witness a member of the opposite sex in such an uncomfortable and awkward position. Combat effectiveness is based in large part on unit cohesion. The relationships among members of a unit can be irreparably harmed by forcing them to violate societal norms."—Former Marine infantryman Ryan Smith, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on why women should not be allowed to serve in combat positions.
Or, as Zack Beauchamp summed it up: Women Shouldn't Be In Combat Because Men Poop.
I love, ahem, the idea that male soldiers raping female soldiers is apparently not a "violation of social norms" that will "irreparably harm" troop cohesion, but male soldiers having to take a dump in front of female soldiers is.
Shakesville is run as a safe space. First-time commenters: Please read Shakesville's Commenting Policy and Feminism 101 Section before commenting. We also do lots of in-thread moderation, so we ask that everyone read the entirety of any thread before commenting, to ensure compliance with any in-thread moderation. Thank you.
blog comments powered by Disqus