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From: rsp@PacBell.COM (Steve Price)
Newsgroups: soc.feminism
Subject: women in combat
Keywords: women in war
Message-ID: <64700@aerospace.AERO.ORG>
Date: 10 Jan 90 20:14:29 GMT
Sender: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Reply-To: twinsun!PacBell.COM!rsp (Steve Price)
Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
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Approved: nadel@aerospace.aero.org
Status: R

I've noted with interest several articles in the press about female 
soldiers in the U. S. invasion of Panama of 1989.  It seems that a
number of U. S. women soldiers got to kill people in combat there and
that this was quite exciting and thrilling to them.  Their comments
in the press seems to evidence a certain exuberant satisfaction at 
being able to behave just as the male soldiers did.  

I admit that I'm being a bit sarcastic in saying that it was the killing
that excited them -- but I think that that is at least a part of the
thrill of combat.  In any case, I'd be interested in what Feminist 
reactions there are to the prospect of full combat participation by
women military personnel.  This seems to be a potentially explosive issue
for people who'd like to see women allowed to experience the full range
of choices as citizens, but who also have reservations about the use
of deadly force as an instrument of policy.

Personally, I think there may be a little bit of sexism in the assumption
that men can kill and be killed as combatants, but that this is unseemly
to allow in the case of women.

Reactions?
-- 
Steve Price 		UNIX: pacbell!pbhyf!rsp		PHONE: (415)823-1951

...argument does not teach children or the immature. 
   Only time and experience does that.			Doris Lessing