Am I the only man that feels guilty?

[JetMaxx]

This is a very direct commentary I just found on the UPI newswire while seeking latest war info..
http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=200 ... 2540-6267r

Even though I'm now 41, and honestly doubt I'd passed a US military physical even at age 18 due to severe asthma...this article makes me feel very guilty

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PW

[Arizwx]

Perry,
You seem somewhat distressed.First the height issue and now this.BTW..I'm a tad over 6 foot.When I applied fro OTC/Flt anything over that was a considered a liablilty.Have you ever been in the cockpit of an F-4 or F-16?Its not suited for size.It's tight.I was nervous..very nervous.But then..there were issues of another kind.A War was on in SE ASIA..and no Volunteer Army or Navy or Air Force or Marine Armed Forces of much significance compared to todays' standards existed then.We were trained,well trained.We also had to deal with issues much more significant than this..I assure you.
Do you believe pictures of people..notice PEOPLE in the Armed Forces that were wounded, captured,MIA,KIA or serving ever got TV time?Not often.The sheer numbers were too much to begin with,and the US GOV would not have it for PR reasons.The outcries against the War were large enough I suppose to justify any of our own being shown.HOWEVER,the Media took great pride in showing Body Bags...and North Viet Cong being shot in the head at point blank range.Or burned children from Napalm.
Grenades being thrown into Cafes where I used to eat...by NVM Cong on Motorcycles in Saigon.More body bags.
Yet..today people cay out..hey the Iraqis don't fight fair!We aren't used to this!What BULLSH!T!!!
WTF is this?Short attention span theatre?That was 1973!
We had something called the draft.Lotteries..YES Lotteries!How would you or anyone feel about having you entire future decided by the number you draw from a computer and your birthdate?Insanity.Killing by Lotto!!!They gambled with my life..and the life of my brother..and my cousins and my neighbors and my friends!I thought to myself..this is wrong.I signed up.
I was not going to get a Deferrment because my Dad was loaded and I igot straight As in College.No way.Plenty did though Perry.It's thesame argument then isnt it?Who goes?Who stays?Is it different now?
Sure it is.
I mentioned the other evening in a thread about women..and it being disadvantageous to have Females in Combat Zones.There were no remarks,no retorts.No notice.Politically incorrect?Old School?Dam straight it is.And I have no apology.Women have no place IMO..in Combat.NONE.
It's not a political issue.It's logistically unsound for a Uniform force to be segmented on the battlefield.Notice..UNIFORM..not Uniformed.Make the distinction.
Moreover..the enemy will use any means of media propaganda to break our solidarity.Putting out pictures of young women,supposedly raped,tortured or killed is not appetizing to the Western Judeo-Christian Psyche..and these Arab goons know it.The cultural differences are vast.
I will not argue nonsensical issues such as strength or stamina..I'll let a 3rd grade science teacher explain that to Feminists IF they would pay attention.There are obvious differences...and ill suited for Combat.
Yes I know there are 200 lb Buffed Babes from Buffalo that can kick azz.
Is that the norm?No.Are they female?Yes.Can this be exploited by the ememy in Psych Warfare?Yes.
Moreover..what cushy azzed XO assigned a Female Chef..and mother of Kids back home to the front advance?Are we that short of troops???
NO.Its the Polically Correct set that has infiltrated our Military Brass.
Idiotic.IF females are to be anywhere near an MZ..this is lunacy.Why on earth would that assignment get the OK?This is WAR.Not Barney.Or Oprah.
Let the Femmes scream bloody murder,because NOW that's exactly what it is.I hope they are happy.I'm sure as hell not.
Now,I apologise to the BB if my response is somewhat terse.However,I am royally miffed.
Perry,you my friend are a true American.There is NO reason to feel guilty at all.As Pres Bush remarked recently in a speech..there are MANY ways to serve your country.Being decent and kind and giving to neighbors,family and the community of the needy.The families of troops..
you serve them well Perry.I know you do.Dougalsville,GA is blessed to have a decent man like you in thier midst.I am sincere in these remarks.
Be proud.
That said,and if I may.There will be many days and nights that lay ahead for our Troops and this Nation.What they are doing is risky.What this Nation has chosen to do is risky.We didn't choose the fight..THEY did dammit.And now they are going to pay..BIG TIME.
However.Keep in mind.Our troops watch Fox News.They see much of what we do.We must be careful.This is dangerous work.Very dangerous.When I see the TV Generals second guessing our battleplan I am most unhappy.
It is one thing for us to muse here on a small message board.It is of little or no significance.BUT.On FoxNews?Its looks more like ESPN calling a play by play football game.I actually heard one pompous azz saying 'if we keep this up..we'll lose like we did in Vietnam or Korea!'Can you belive that???Well thanks pal.I got news for you.We kicked azz in Korea until Congress screwed it up along with the UN and we kicked major azz in Nam until the UN and Congress screwed that up.It was not for lack of anything..but lousy politics that cost us.But LOSE???I am miffed.
We have a job to do and so do the troops.Let's support them as much as we can.I know you do Perry.
Thanks.

[petal*pusher]

Excellent article JettMax.........and Arizwx, had I seen you comment, there would have been a response!

I'm an "oldster" on this board.....I know, I know......but what you say is absolutely true! I remember well when the feminist movement started in full force........kind of wondered what they thought was so bad for us females. Your reply Arizwx, made excellent reading.

America needs more men like the both of you.............p

[Arizwx]

Excellent article JettMax.........and Arizwx, had I seen you comment, there would have been a response!

I'm an "oldster" on this board.....I know, I know......but what you say is absolutely true! I remember well when the feminist movement started in full force........kind of wondered what they thought was so bad for us females. Your reply Arizwx, made excellent reading.

America needs more men like the both of you.............p

Thank You PP!
Those words were very kind and meaningful.I do not wish to appear as of I am not comtemporary in my thinking.Just the opposite is true.I have been an advocate of many women's issues.Sexual harrassment in the workplace,dicrimination,equal pay,glass ceilings for advancement when deserved and so on.I was an executive for Xerox Corp in SF for many years and remember well the changes that were long overdue.I was very proud when my ex-wife worked for Merrill-Lynch and she stood up and said Enough harrassment!Good for her!
However,the battlefield is not the Glass Towers of SF.Those beautiful buildings are a result of our free economic system,defended by our Global Resolve and our committment to protect our way of life..our multicultures and microcosms of family and respect for all that chose to live in this great Nation peacefully.When people begin to think that we have become a narcissitic self absorbed society steeped in shallow pursuits that may appear meaningless...read some of Perry's threads over the years.He is a the real deal.No pretense,no BS.Just our good Buddy Perry.I assure you,he is someone anyone of us could call upon if need be.That is America at it's very best.He 'gets it'.Therefore and to that end:
We are the greatest Nation on the face of this 3rd Rock from the Sun.If we do not step up to the plate and stare down the fastball of those that wish to destroy us...we will perish...and the World will be a backward sea of violence and archaic bitterness.It is also known as Evil.
This is the classic battle then of Good vs Evil..is it not?I ascribe to the staunch belief that we,with our Higher Power..I choose to call God Almighty will be with us in this perilous time in History.This is the crossroads.This is the battle for survival.We must prevail.And if I offend anyone by describing what I believe to be truth,I shall not apologise.
This is much too serious for Socially Correct matters to rear thier ugly heads,and IMO, they may be better suited to be addressed by the ACLU or the 9th Circuit Court in the future.Right now,we have a War to fight and win!
BTW,I had a friend years ago,a Jesuit Priest who used to frequent Adrain.
Quite the temporal Dogmatic Thinktank!Impressive.
Enjoy your Sunday.
~Be Well & Safe~
I remain,

[JetMaxx]

Thanks for the kind words Petal Pusher and ArizWx!

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I've always been vehemently opposed to U.S. female military personnel being located anywhere near a combat area (harms way)....and it has nothing to do with sexism....or their ability to do the job as well as a man. It's solely because of what evil men with no sense of conscience or honor can and will do to a female POW. As horrible as knowing men POW's are being brutalized, tortured, and executed...it doesn't come close to the horrifying thought of America's daughters being mistreated.

I was raised to honor and respect women at all times....at age 41 I address all women as "ma'am"--even high school girls working as cashiers at Kroger. I can't stand by and say nothing when a man mistreats a woman verbally in public. I've had several fights because of it...and will today fight to defend a lady's honor to the death if neccesary. I have three younger sisters ages 37, 26, and 18 that I'd die for; the same goes for my Grandmother and my sis's little girl.

To even imagine what horrible things those three young American women POW's have endured (and possibly are enduring) at the hands of those evil Iraqi #$%$#$# is almost more than I can withstand. While it is saddening...my primary emotion is rage. When this war began, I only despised the Iraqi leadership...Saddam Hussein. I now have a white-hot hatred of all Iraqi's...and it's growing hotter by the hour

The Iraqi people are very fortunate that I'm neither president of the United States or General Tommy Franks...because if I were--Baghdad would today be radioactive dust--just because of what horrible atrocities have been committed against our three female POW's. Even so, I'm almost certain there will be severe reprecussions for what was done to those three young ladies. IMO many Iraqi civilians will die....because there are plenty of USAF pilots, USMC Sgts, and US army tank commanders that are just like me: they also have little sisters that remind them of Jessica Lynch...or wives, girlfriends...or daughters.

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PW

[Aslkahuna]

who are bombing Iraq are women and probably couldn't care less about Civilian Casualties among the Iraqis now. As far as women in combat are concerned, onec I saw a NPA cadre pass by where I was living in the Philippines. In the cadre was a very attractive young woman in her early 20's carrying a M-16. I remember thinking that if I were trying to take out that cadre that she would be the first one to go-not because she was a woman but because to me she looked to be the most dangerous and deadly of the group. Women in the Armed Forces is not an issue everywhere. In Russia, many women died in the service of their Country in WWII and in Israel women have died in the service of that Country. As far as Draft Dodgers are concerned, let us not forget that US has elected a Draft Dodger as President so as we wring our hands over the fate of our woman soldiers remember the Manok (Chicken) we put in office in 1992 nor should we forget the recent politicos who used service in the National Guard to escape being drafted. Iraqi's are Muslim and to many Muslims (though admittedly not to the more secularized ones) women are chattel to be treated as slaves so such actions are to be expected.

Steve

[streetsoldier]

If my memory serves, in "Gulf War I" the Iraqis took two women as POWs..a Marine, who was raped repeatedly (and said after liberation that she "expected" such treatment as a job hazard) and an Army surgeon who was spared such attention, although it was attempted, due to her medical standing and the fact that her arm and leg were broken.

I'm just as "beyond rage" as anyone about this..for the reasons so eloquently expressed above in previous posts.

[Steve H.]

I agree absolutely. Women should not be in COMBAT. I guess I missed the post arwx. The feminist movement twisted our society up big time. Ain't the way God planned it. Sorry ladies, take no offense, but having women in combat not only is disadvantageous for them, but for the men who may serve with them. I am not knocking those who are serving, don't get me wrong!! I support the women in our services. Women were used as test pilots during WWII for our fighter production lines, and of course Rosie. But I feel they shouldn't be subjected to combat. Feel guilty...no. The liberals put them in that position; especially NOW. I feel for their families. Anyway, that's how I see it.

[Aslkahuna]

but many of the Bombers and Fighters that were ferried across the Atlantic were flown by Women. There were Female Military Nurses in the Philippines, Hong Kong and Singapore who were taken POW by the Japanese in WWII. Navy Nurses and Wives risked their lives getting the wounded to hospitals during the attack on Pearl Harbor. But the bottom line is, whether you like it or not, we DO have servicewomen in Harm's Way in our Military now and that is not likely to change at all. As to what they think about it, remember that every woman in the US Military (and man for that matter) is a VOLUNTEER.

Steve