I must admit that I don’t find the question to be simple. I will continue to think on it, but I also realize that I will always be limited in my thinking. I would like to point out a couple of things. Number one, I personally have experience and it was an experience like no other in my life, and I have not figured it out in my mind. Two, anyone and everyone is entitled to have an opinion and voice it, but three. I would suggest that most women would weigh appropriately men’s opinions about natural childbirth procedures and their efficacy as opposed to women’s and more importantly, women with experience’s opinions. Number four, please keep in mind that if a man were to be very loudly vocal about his opinions in the example above he might know more about it than you mothers, or he might think he knows more about it than you mothers.
My experience was during a time of war, and I was drafted. So, my experience is different than today’s all volunteer services. It was also about half a century ago, and things change with time. Not all things. The reason for our military hasn’t changed, but the use of it to enact social change has.
Some will say that this is a flat out denial o one’s right to fight for the country they love. I call bullshit on that one. If the country was being invaded and overwhelmed, I doubt very much if the question would come up. All hands on deck means all hands. But, in a time when the military has more people wishing to serve than there is call for, the military has some discretion in whom it allows to serve. So, the situation we are in has something to do with it. I think almost everyone would agree that in the right situation, or should I say a dire situation that no one would be too concerned if a person was sixteen or seventeen, if they could keep us from losing our way of life, or country. But, that it also a recognition that there is a sliding scale. Jake Matlala was a 4 time world champion boxer, but would have been considered to short to serve at just under four feet ten inches. No soldier anywhere near his size would have been able to beat him at fighting. Oh, and George Foreman was too old to enlist because old guys can’t withstand the rigors of physical combat. Right!? Of course there are exceptions, but they have the ability during this period in time to be somewhat selective.
The military probably is our society’s most powerful single tool used for change in our history. It forced integration well before the states got things figured out. Recently, it has been used to champion equal rights for women, to I believe our country’s great credit. The big question at the time was about combat readiness. Could the military maintain its ability to fight? The answer has been simply, Yes. Now, the military, at the time it was thrust upon them argued that it wouldn’t. It is I believe upon the advice of the military leaders that at this time they believe that transgendered men and women serving is not the best way to go. So, we know that they can be wrong, and that using the military to change society has been used and can be used to effect social change.
It seems to me that much of the arguments will be from those outside of the military and be geared more toward social change. Some will be about using resources spent to enact the inclusion of transgendered individuals to be the problem, and some will bring up unit cohesiveness. My self, I think in the overall scheme of things, in the amounts of money spent by the military that money may not be the biggest problem, and like in the past, arguments about unit cohesiveness may end up being overblown. Now, remember that I am an outsider, now, so my experience in the past gives me insight that 95% of the population doesn’t have. I have been in those units. But, I am an outsider now. It seems to me that what is left is a question of whether or not you believe the military should be used at this time for social change. Maybe in this case, this social change. There I am right back at the start. Would you let your daughter shower with a biological male who identifies as a woman? What if your daughter wasn’t a Marine, but a 10 year old Girl Scout at the public pool? What if your son is the male who identifies as a female? Should she be sent to shower with the other males? Should there just be no Men’s or Women’s restrooms in the Marines? How about just open stalls and showers at the public pool? Those of you who have it all figured out are ahead of me. I still have questions.
Sometimes the simple ones are tough for me.