For years, women in the military have not been allowed to be in combat. On Thursday, January 24, this ban was lifted by military leaders and the Pentagon. CNN contributors, such as Jerry Boykin, are against this move and say it weakens our military. Yes I agree that women are not as physically strong as men and it might be dangerous to have them fighting against male combat soldiers in battle, but if the women can prove their strength both mentally and physically then I think they should be allowed to fight.

Currently, women are barred from 237,000 positions according to Greg Myre, a National Public Radio contributer. All of these positions are going to be reviewed by the Pentagon and then it will be decided which will be opened to women. I think that if a woman can prove herself in a combat position then she should be able to fight with the guys. It isn’t the 1800’s anymore! Boykin is calling this a “dangerous experiment” when in fact it is our military evolving and finally accepting equal rights. After all the same process will be used in choosing combat soldiers. The women will have to perfect their skills just as much as the men currently do in order to be placed in the tougher positions.

I think that this is a great opportunity for the women that serve in the military and it shows a great deal of empowerment. I understand that it can be dangerous but the more that the news rips it apart, the less successful the operation is going to be.

To read the article on CNN click here.

To read the article on NPR click here.