Question Of Female Prisoners Of War example essay topic

"You throw like a girl!" So, what exactly does this imply? In the year 2003, humanity still battles prejudice. The role of women seems dynamic in regard to the past two hundred years of history. So were women meant for certain roles in society?

This age old question is entirely too broad to be answered completely. One question that does appear time and again, is the question of women in combat. Should our women be able to serve in combat? Lets take a look at the history of women in the military, the reasons provided by the proponents and ap ponents, and my personal influence on the subject. Starting during World War II, women were encouraged to join the womens reserves. This was because the men were all fighting in Europe and there was nobody left back home.

Women were trained alongside men, but not afforded the same respect or benefits. After the war, the women in the armed forces were used for missions that no men would volunteer for. Female pilots were used as test pilots, often on damaged aircraft, for anti-aircraft target practice. Over the years, such pracitces were prohibited; yet, not all is over. Women are often treated as second class military personel. Every so often, a story about female mistreatment leaks through to the media.

So how are we to respond to these occurance's? Are women not supposed to be there in the first place? Or should more be done to protect them? As a means of protecting the best interest of all pyrites involved, Congress passed a law prohibiting women in the military to be placed in combat jobs. Needless to say, reasons had to be provided.

Congress argued that women proved to be a health risk, as they are more suseptable to infections. The logic behind this is that when in combat, soldiers might be forced to go days on end, without acess to showers, in which case women can develop infections and transmit it to the rest of the troops. On the other hand, the cost to provide showers to women only, is exorbitant and unfair to male soldiers. Secondly, women serve as a distraction to the male personality. This in itself, could cause more problems than imaginable. On the other hand, one can argue about the rights of a female citizen to serve her country.

Women should be allowed to die for their country should they feel the need to. If a single individual is willing to lay down their life, so that others may live; should she be prevented, solely due to her gender? is this gender bias justified? There is also the question of female prisoners of war. It is common knowledge that female POW's are more than often manhandled, abused, and raped. America does not like the idea of their wives and daughters facing the danger of being captured by unknown enemies.

As far as my own experience is concerned, I am a woman whose goal is to serve in the United States Navy. At the same time, I do believe natural boundaries exist between men and women. We were not created physically equal, but should that prevent us from wanting to serve our country and dying for it? Congress deems that the boundaries created by nature should limit our level of patriotic sacrifice.

So should women be limited to non combative roles in the military because they throw like a girl?