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The idea of women in military combat roles on the frontlines and whether they should be included in the draft has been hotly debated for years.
Some think women should be in combat, but not the draft, while some think they should be in both. Some think neither. I believe women should be allowed on the front lines.
There are some women who want to, and are physically capable of fighting just like men, so why haven’t they been included? Many would say that women on the front lines creates problems like not being able to carry wounded soldiers, putting male soldiers as risk and not being able to handle hand-to-hand combat.
These are legitimate concerns, but combat and war are increasingly changing. Letting policies that have been in place for centuries rule over the modern-era is ignorant and doesn’t account for changing times.
There are many people, including myself, who could not succeed in the military at all. However, anyone willing to put in the effort and put their lives on the line, should be allowed in every part of the military.
On the question of the draft, I don’t think there shouldn’t be one at all. We shouldn’t be forcing anyone to fight if they don’t want to. If there’s not enough people in our armed forces when we need it, that’s our government’s fault and problem.
If our armed forces and veterans were treated with the respect, dignity and help they deserve, they might not have these issues. How we treat veterans is a separate issue, but one that should be discussed, especially since Emporia is the founding city of Veteran’s Day.
However, if the draft must exist, it should at least be equal. If women are going to fight for the same equal representation and rights afforded to men, then women should be in the draft as well.