Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!seismo!rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!aplvax!ded From: ded@aplvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.women Subject: Ripping women to bloody shreds Message-ID: <198@aplvax.UUCP> Date: Wed, 20-Jul-83 13:05:17 EDT Article-I.D.: aplvax.198 Posted: Wed Jul 20 13:05:17 1983 Date-Received: Thu, 21-Jul-83 17:35:34 EDT Lines: 25 I agree, women should have the right to be ripped to shreds by flying pieces of metal. But I don't think this right should be extended to ALL women. As a veteran, I've run into this issue before. And believe me, during my tour in the Air Farce I met many women who would have made excellent cannon fodder. But, by and large, men are more suited for this purpose. Combat is an experience which strips people of their imaginary selves, reduces them to the basic psychological conditioning of a lifetime. It is very important to understand that -- an understanding which is often missing in discussions of this issue (one person has already suggested that nursing is equivalent to armed combat, which is hardly the case). SOME women, sure; but if we insert women willy-nilly into our combat forces out of some compulsion to achieve "equal treatment", a disaster could result. Real combat is nothing like tv. Rather than getting women into our combat forces, maybe we should concentrate on getting men out. Don Davis JHU/APL ...decvax!harpo!seismo!umcp-cs!aplvax!ded ...rlgvax!cvl!umcp-cs!aplvax!ded