ALL ARE NOT EQUAL Breonia Wilson Holy Names University

All Are Not Equal

In The American revolution, women for the first time stood alongside men in the face of war. For eight years women proved to be an asset for the soldiers fighting for our great nation. The women were not physically fighting with them however once they got off that battle field they were there to assist and nurse the men back to health spiritually and mentally. Women had become the back bone. While men were taking care of the forefront women were holding down the home front ;from cooking to cleaning or just lifting the men’s broken spirits. These women were the pioneers of women soldiers today. They were the home away from home in the depths of despair.
The American Revolution caused a chain reaction. Women across the nation started volunteering their services which included nursing. The Spanish war was the true testament of how dedicated these women were to their troops. This was not a hobby for a species formerly known as feeble, fragile and vulnerable unable to function without a man. This was a job that had to be done; this was a chance for women to prove their capabilities to the man made society. With diseases like malaria, yellow fever , and typhoid that spread vast amongst the troops, women had to act fast in nursing the men back to health although this widespread epidemic resulted in honorable nurses dying, it also proved that women were fighting for the greater good of the American civilization; just as men were. In my opinion the Spanish war was a beginning of a long journey for women it opened up the door and in 1901(McNulty 2012 ) the army nurse corps was established.

However this is not the same as directly engaging an enemy. The Persian gulf war is the highlight of women in combat across the nation.(Griffin 1992 ) 40,000 brave soldiers demanded acknowledgement of their hard work and appreciation for being the assets they had become to the formerly known all male military. You cannot discredit the (Women in war 1996 ) 40,000 women for pioneering what women soldiers have become today however women do not fit the standards to serve in the infantry.
The physical differences between men and women are obvious, as few women have the strength, speed, or aerobic capacity of even the average man. This alone makes it hard to believe that women could be adequate enough to fight alongside men in physical combat. It’s a proven fact that women don’t posses the same upper body strength (Analysis: Women in combat 2005 ) as men do; Although women today are portrayed to be fast or faster than men, The fact is they are not. Yes, there have been many women who have fought alongside men successfully and made it home safe; but I’m more than certain that many women were killed due to not being physically or mentally prepared; (Clemmit 2009 )and it was with great strength of the men that were standing behind them. In my opinion men join to fight for their country while women join to prove themselves; although both genders have the heart to fight they do not recieve the same training (McNulty 2012 ),which means they are not on the same level. Its typically uncommon for a woman to be able to carry a seriously wounded fellow male soldier off the battle field (Analysis: Women in combat 2005 ); There are some women who have proven themselves. Today women are being awarded what they have long waited for. The rule of exclusion from combat (McNulty 2012 ) has been lifted. what this means for war is women will have to rise to the occasion and prove they can efficiently fight for our country under the same standard as male soldiers. The question now is will they?
The pressure is now on for women to conquer the tasks they've wanted for so long. My firm belief is women will not stand to the challenge. Having admiration for our brave military women should not be the bases of their acceptance into fighting in