Sexism, Rape, and Abuse on the front lines

Remember the “Rosie the Riveter” posters during high school? Rosie wasn’t a real woman, but instead encompassed a spirit that all women had during World War Two–determination. They took over factories, plants, and started making their way into the military. Yes, the military, where the men fought to save our freedom. Women wanted that right too.

Women have wanted to be in the military as far back as the Revolutionary War, when Deborah Sampson of Massachusetts disguised herself as a Continental Army soldier by the name of “Robert Shurliff”. Fast-forward to 2012, where women proudly serve in combat. Unfortunately, women’s rights are violated still while they serve, with sexism, rape, and abuse from foreigners. Do women have a place they want in the American military?

Just because Eve ate the fruit doesn’t mean women are the evil ones. Women are strong and smart, just like their counterparts. They are able to multi-task most of the time, often doing three things at once–or more. They are perfect to be able to fight for our freedom.

What exactly are the women’s rights being violated? Sexism, for one, is a common issue. Women simply are assumed that they can’t do everything that men can do, and that’s wrong. Another issues is rape, where Time magazine reported in 2008 that there were 3,000 cases of rape, and 80-90 percent don’t tell their commanders for fear of persecution from their peers. Men have no right to rape women who are their fellow soldiers in war. Women are also being raped and abused by foreigners they are in the war against.

These problems exist. It’s a shame that they do exist. Women are supposed to have every right that a man does, but yet they don’t. Women in combat should be allowed to be in combat without worrying if they go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, they might get raped by their fellow soldiers. Women shouldn’t have to hear sexist jokes about themselves. Foreign people shouldn’t be allowed to rape women who may be protecting the country they live in. To top everything off, women in the US military aren’t allowed to serve on the front lines or become a Navy SEAL, because the government believes that they don’t have the same mental and physical capacity as men do.

Women have every right to serve in our armed forces. Our freedom depends on men and women who fight for our country every day. Whether you agree that we should be in a war or not, we should all agree that women shouldn’t be treated like a second-class citizens in their own military that they serve in. Women should be treated like anyone else–human.