JOHN writes:

As a male in the military, I would say these are the main reasons why more men do not protest affirmative action in the military:

1) The concept of egalitarianism is primary above the concept of readiness, a warrior ethos, and the various other traits necessary for a successful military. One of the strongest arguments against including women in combat roles was put forth by Capt. Richard Hooker in his article “Affirmative Action and Combat Exclusion: Gender Roles in the U.S. Army.” The article does not take a moral stand on women in the military, but it does make the statement, “some evidence suggests that combat readiness and full gender integration may not be fully compatible.” The article makes interesting reading.

2) Speaking out against the institutionalization of feminism at the official level is career suicide. Annual sexual harassment training succeeds in demonstrating the fragility of women in combat roles– there is no intended irony in that statement.

3) You would be surprised by the number of military members who have no desire to understand the moral implications of certain aspects of the military. I know members who are excited to hold a “coming out” party when DADT is repealed. These are the preponderance of military members. The inclusion of women in the military is simply acceptable to most military members. [emphasis added]

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Ivey writes:

I had an interesting experience while preparing a speech in school. One of my female classmates had been in the Navy while my husband was a soldier for 12 years. Our speech topic had to be controversial so I chose women in the military, a subject I was exposed to over those 12 years. My classmate challenged my topic stance so I related a story about a 100 pound female soldier not being physically able to carry equipment during a training situation. This classmate argued for female soldiers while admitting she couldn’t use the larger wrenches required for her job while enlisted, supporting my stance whether she realized it or not.

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