Debate in my class yesterday. 16 year old boys.
What I asked them to argue-
Team 1: Women are not good candidates for the military service.
Team 2: Women are good candidates for the military service.
TEAM 2's Arguments -
Women can provide services like cooking for the soldiers, and perform first aid.
Women can distract the enemy with their beauty.
Equipment is lighter nowadays.
Women can use their intelligence to think tactically.
TEAM 1's Arguments-
Women are physically weaker than men.
Women are overly emotional.
Women might get raped or abused.
My favorite: Women have the ethical duty to bear children.
What I asked them to argue-
Team 1: Women are not good candidates for the military service.
Team 2: Women are good candidates for the military service.
TEAM 2's Arguments -
Women can provide services like cooking for the soldiers, and perform first aid.
Women can distract the enemy with their beauty.
Equipment is lighter nowadays.
Women can use their intelligence to think tactically.
TEAM 1's Arguments-
Women are physically weaker than men.
Women are overly emotional.
Women might get raped or abused.
My favorite: Women have the ethical duty to bear children.
PS- 
(What they were doing before class?)
Just curious.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you pick up 1920? :) Is there any special meaning? like women were persecuted in cruel at the year of 1920 in Canada?
If I were you, I would pick up Middle Age.
Eva,
ReplyDeleteWhat a tough subject for a male dominated society. Up until recently there were Direct Combat Probability Codes (DPC's) assigned to jobs in the US Army. The closer you were to the actual fighting the less able women were to be assigned to that role. Tank drivers, Infantrymen and Combat Engineers were closed to women.
Things are opening up and now women are assigned to duties that expose them to all the risks that men are exposed to. On the other hand, my nephew's wife went to Iraq as a mechanic in the motor pool and they flew her by helicopter to her base when the men drove there. A little of the machismo from small town Idaho just didn't let the women be as exposed to things like IED's or ambush.
Another reason this issue is fun for me is this is a lot of the same thinking about the blacks in WWII. It wasn't until Isenhower integrated the troops that Black Males were give free and equal chances to be in all units. There wereblack units in most wars but not all combat units were integrated. The black, Hispanics and indians were the cooks, truck driver and bottle washers prior to that. Clearly they can do the same as anyone and I am proud to share the name soldier with black, white pink, red and females. Good stuff.
I am going to visit several sites and report them like you have. I hope I can provide any where the good pictures and stories you have. MUD
PS, if you do Hong Kong as well as you have done Korea I'll bet it will be a thrilling piece. MUD
ReplyDeleteCrikey! Is that refrigerator full of Soju?
ReplyDeleteIf so, Ajossi and company are having little parties every night
after everyone's left.
The Israelis experimented with female combat troops and found that they didn't perform badly. However, enemy troops fought harder when they found out they were being confronted by women.
ReplyDeleteI really thought the boys were trying to be funny when they said the women soldiers could perform important tasks like cooking and first aid, but they were 100% serious. I asked another class and they also believed that was all the women had to offer
ReplyDeleteFunny arguments. Drinking isn't legal for 16 yr olds... right?
ReplyDelete