Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!aero-c!nadel From: willis@cs.tamu.edu (Willis Marti) Newsgroups: soc.feminism Subject: Re: Military Discrimination (was Re: Sexism vs. Men's Oppression) Message-ID: <16830@helios.TAMU.EDU> Date: 3 Jun 91 23:43:22 GMT References: <282f3194.17a3@petunia.CalPoly.EDU> <2590@winnie.fit.edu> Sender: usenet@TAMU.EDU Organization: Computer Science Department, Texas A&M University Lines: 18 Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org Status: R Originator: nadel@aerospace.aero.org As a kind of followup to the postings on women in the military, I'd like to point out that the debate is focused on the wrong question. The issue should not be : "Women should be allowed to be in a combat unit if they so choose." but rather "The military should be allowed to assign women to combat units as it chooses." This would reflect true non-discriminatory policy. For a male in the military, even if you are in a non-combat unit {excluding legal & medical} you may be assigned to a combat unit or even changed from being a clerk to a rifleman *without* his consent. Women could then volunteer for combat assignments but the military could then also assign non-volunteers, like it now does men, to combat duty. Does this restatement of the issue change/affect anyone's opinion?