Any country that puts women of childbearing age into combat is a society that is busy cutting its own throat.
I'm a woman who has been on the front line in some prison riots. I did that AFTER I raised my kids, and they didn't need me anymore. (A mother's job description is to raise children to be responsible adults who don't need her and their dad.)
Ah ... I was always a feminist, I think - but then began to realize that I was a "small f" feminist, and the loud and proud official and capital F feminists really had nothing to say to me. Equal opportunities when it came to education, job opportunities, and when it came to pay for doing those jobs ... that was only fair. I also realized, early on, that having some kind of skill/profession that would earn you some kind of living was a necessary thing. I had read of too many women who had no other skill than being a housewife who got left high and dry when hubby decided to trade in for a newer model, or even women with perfect and responsible husbands who were left similarly stranded when that husband died unexpectedly. Have a professional skill, even if you set it aside for a couple of years to raise the children.
I came up in the Air Force, just as the military for women was changing from the ladies auxiliary - to being able to qualify for practically every job there was except for pararescue and combat air controller. In basic training, we had a physical test to qualify for certain jobs - lift 200 pounds over your head. (It was a weight and pully set up, IIRC.) Only two girls in my trainee flight could do it. I could lift it as far as my chin ... but eventually the lesson I came away with was that women had strengths and skills for certain jobs and challenges. Not the same things, quite as men ... but we had those strengths and skills. They were different strengths and skills. Just that. Different. A sensible person ought to go for those jobs that played towards those strengths.
It's beautiful to see how you and Ian complement each other, and it reinforces my prejudices as well. I was born to drag knuckles, grunt intelligibly on occasion, and to guard and protect my wife and children with my life. My beloved is amusing in a way: she'll pay lip service to "feminism", but when push comes to shove, she's smart enough to let me act as Horatius while she gets herself and Kid to safety.
Other than that, it's a partnership of equals. We each have our strengths, and it's our good fortune that her strengths and mine tend to be complementary.
Cherishing the differences and the similarities both is what makes a lifelong partnership.
As a man who venerates, reveres, respects, and defends the "fairer" sex among us, it is a balm to my troubled soul when someone like yourself speaks these truths. Despite how much I hear from "Modern women" and the lies and hate they spew, more and more I hear of ladies like yourself. It makes me smile. 🙂
I've seen you in passing at cons. I thought you would be a neat person to know. Now I'm sure of it. You and Lawdog are both well suited for each other. I would say lucky but luck favors the prepared mind or something. The term blessed comes to mind.
Regarding your note about women in combat - Israel tried this, and experienced exactly what you describe. It's why they no longer allow women in frontline roles.
I'll go back and finish reading this in a bit, but I had Bernardine Bluntly come up on another of her good shorts "Anything men can do, we (women) can do better" series.
That was fabulous. A decent person speaks. Of course we are all flawed, but if we know we are flawed at least we can do something about it.And correct for it. Men and women are different. Complementary. 2 parts to a whole. I don't remember when I first started reading the Bugscuffle Gazette, but it always informs me and sometimes just blows me away. Like today.
My dad always told me that I could do anything I put my mind and heart into. He was right....to a point. You have articulated my inner beliefs perfectly. Yes, I can do many things, but being a frontline fighter (or jobs along those lines) aren't one of them. Truthfully, I'd far rather see a big, burly MALE cop respond to my call for help than a little, lightly built woman. And I believe that we are genetically programmed to fulfill our gender roles. I, as a mom, would absolutely kill for my children...no matter the odds. My husband would protect his family. Complimenting each other.
Any country that puts women of childbearing age into combat is a society that is busy cutting its own throat.
I'm a woman who has been on the front line in some prison riots. I did that AFTER I raised my kids, and they didn't need me anymore. (A mother's job description is to raise children to be responsible adults who don't need her and their dad.)
'Feminism' joins a whole host of other words that started with decent concepts, but have been twisted and corrupted into something malignant.
Ah ... I was always a feminist, I think - but then began to realize that I was a "small f" feminist, and the loud and proud official and capital F feminists really had nothing to say to me. Equal opportunities when it came to education, job opportunities, and when it came to pay for doing those jobs ... that was only fair. I also realized, early on, that having some kind of skill/profession that would earn you some kind of living was a necessary thing. I had read of too many women who had no other skill than being a housewife who got left high and dry when hubby decided to trade in for a newer model, or even women with perfect and responsible husbands who were left similarly stranded when that husband died unexpectedly. Have a professional skill, even if you set it aside for a couple of years to raise the children.
I came up in the Air Force, just as the military for women was changing from the ladies auxiliary - to being able to qualify for practically every job there was except for pararescue and combat air controller. In basic training, we had a physical test to qualify for certain jobs - lift 200 pounds over your head. (It was a weight and pully set up, IIRC.) Only two girls in my trainee flight could do it. I could lift it as far as my chin ... but eventually the lesson I came away with was that women had strengths and skills for certain jobs and challenges. Not the same things, quite as men ... but we had those strengths and skills. They were different strengths and skills. Just that. Different. A sensible person ought to go for those jobs that played towards those strengths.
Damn, girl. You rock!
It's beautiful to see how you and Ian complement each other, and it reinforces my prejudices as well. I was born to drag knuckles, grunt intelligibly on occasion, and to guard and protect my wife and children with my life. My beloved is amusing in a way: she'll pay lip service to "feminism", but when push comes to shove, she's smart enough to let me act as Horatius while she gets herself and Kid to safety.
Other than that, it's a partnership of equals. We each have our strengths, and it's our good fortune that her strengths and mine tend to be complementary.
Cherishing the differences and the similarities both is what makes a lifelong partnership.
As a man who venerates, reveres, respects, and defends the "fairer" sex among us, it is a balm to my troubled soul when someone like yourself speaks these truths. Despite how much I hear from "Modern women" and the lies and hate they spew, more and more I hear of ladies like yourself. It makes me smile. 🙂
I've seen you in passing at cons. I thought you would be a neat person to know. Now I'm sure of it. You and Lawdog are both well suited for each other. I would say lucky but luck favors the prepared mind or something. The term blessed comes to mind.
Regarding your note about women in combat - Israel tried this, and experienced exactly what you describe. It's why they no longer allow women in frontline roles.
Front lines are not always where they seem to be as Israel found out on October 7.
This is where I used to be. I'm dead-set against the -isms now, no matter what palatable story is used to sell them.
People. Virtue. Truth. Lovingkindness. Craftsmanship... Yes.
If it needs an -ISM? Nope.
Lucid and succinct. 5/5.
I'll go back and finish reading this in a bit, but I had Bernardine Bluntly come up on another of her good shorts "Anything men can do, we (women) can do better" series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfZ1ESSFvcs
start here: https://www.youtube.com/@BernadineBluntly
That was fabulous. A decent person speaks. Of course we are all flawed, but if we know we are flawed at least we can do something about it.And correct for it. Men and women are different. Complementary. 2 parts to a whole. I don't remember when I first started reading the Bugscuffle Gazette, but it always informs me and sometimes just blows me away. Like today.
My dad always told me that I could do anything I put my mind and heart into. He was right....to a point. You have articulated my inner beliefs perfectly. Yes, I can do many things, but being a frontline fighter (or jobs along those lines) aren't one of them. Truthfully, I'd far rather see a big, burly MALE cop respond to my call for help than a little, lightly built woman. And I believe that we are genetically programmed to fulfill our gender roles. I, as a mom, would absolutely kill for my children...no matter the odds. My husband would protect his family. Complimenting each other.