There is a bill right now in the US House of Representatives that would require women to register for the military draft upon reaching the age of 18, just as men are currently required to do. This proposal is sure to ignite a firestorm of debate, and DePaul University student Danielle Harris is among the first to weigh in on the issue in this May 2016 editorial in her school newspaper, the DePaulia.
Read it here: Harris, “Combating sexism: Women and the military draft”
- Harris’ explanation of the debate about women registering for the military draft provides the foundation for a larger argument about US military policy. What is Harris’ argument? Do you agree? Why or why not?
- Harris clearly takes a position in favor of equal draft requirements for women and men. How does she represent opposing positions? How fairly does she treat opposing views? Explain your conclusions.
- This is pure speculation, of course, but if women and men were equally likely to be drafted for military service, do you think that the United States might be more cautious about sending troops into combat? Do you think the gender of military personnel should be a factor in deciding whether to engage in foreign conflict? Explain your reasoning.
- Read (or re-read) Sheryl Sandberg’s essay in Chapter 20 of your text. Although Sandberg never mentions the military draft in her discussion about opportunities for women, we can make inferences about how she might respond to the proposal. Do you think she would agree with Harris that “American men and women must carry equal responsibility for protecting and serving their country”? Why or why not? Point to specific passages in Sandberg’s essay to support your conclusion.
- It seems safe to say that few in the United States would want to resume the military draft, but draft registration is considered crucial in case a large-scale recruitment should ever become suddenly necessary. What do you think? Should women be required to register? Use Harris and/or any of her sources as your They Say and write an essay arguing your position.
They Say I Blog 
The article, “Draft on tap: Danielle Harris on women and the military draft” discusses why women are not allowed to be a part of the draft and why there is so much controversy on it. As a feminist I believe that if women want full equality, all women who qualify should be able to sign up for the draft. I believe me and women deserve equal rights all around. I should be treated just like a man and any politeness should be from my personality not just because I am female. Ted Cruz is quoted in the article saying, “The idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think is wrong. It is immoral.” This is upsetting. If the American government is okay with forcing their sons into the military, it should be the same with their daughters. I agree more with what Bailey says about how a bigger problem is how women are treated in the military. Women are not offered the proper birth control and the problem with unprotected pregnancies. My problem with this is less about equality and more about the idea that I am anti war and I am more against the draft in general. I personally believe that if a majority of Americans do not want to join the military for a war, the American government should question why we are participating in whatever war Americans disagree with. So the discussion should not be about gender in the draft but why we participate in a draft anyway. Why do we force boys at the age of 18 to sign a paper allowing them to be forced to fight a war they do not support? And I completely agree with the final statement that, “As long as the military draft exists in the United States, American men and women must carry equal responsibility for protecting and serving their country.”
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Harris’ argument is mainly that if you are in good shape and have no disabilities, then you should be drafted for the military no matter the gender. As a female myself, I am on both sides. I am used to the thought that I don’t have to be drafted, therefore I don’t have to worry about being sent to war when I turn eighteen. I can then focus on college and my future ahead. On the other hand, I am blessed to be a natural citizen of the US so I do believe that if the nation is ever in trouble, I should stand up and help.
For combat, I think that the men are the ones who are suited for this job. With conflicts against foreign countries, I think that the women are the ones who are the negotiators and are able to find a reasonable solution.
Resuming the military draft when we have many people already choosing to join the army would cause chaos. James Bailey mentions that his only concern with women being drafted would be the chance of pregnancy. If a new draft for women were to begin, some people will start to complain about being forced with if they can or cannot choose to have kids. Many women may even try to use it as an excuse just to avoid the draft completely.
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In regards to the bill in the house of representative requiring women to register for the draft at the age of 18 years is obscured. I get the point that it is believed that if women want equal rights then equal rights are what they shall receive. The thing is that not all women believe in that type of distortion of equal rights. I believe that women should be treated fairly. If a man and a woman do the exact same job it is not just for the man to make more money just based solely on the fact that he has a penis. In my view that is equal rights. Fairness does not mean that I think that men and women are the same. Equal rights and a women being compare equal to a man is two totally difference stances. Women are not the equivalent to a man. Men and women have completely different body make ups, women face many obstacles that men will never face. Men have different coping skills that just are not a natural ability to all women. It is just genetic fact that women and men are not the same, if we were then men would be able to have children and have that maternal instinct. If a woman makes the choice to be in the military and hold herself to the same standards as a man that is her right and I totally support that but to hold every female to that position. My point is I do not believe that every woman wants to or has the capability to do so. To force our daughters who should be caregivers, mothers, nurturing types to enroll in a draft to satisfy what they have perversely decided as equal rights just shows where are values as a country has went. What happened to the days when a man held the door for a woman and was courteous as a sign of respect. Oh that’s right we now have a group of women whom that would offend because they think they are equal. Equal rights for women was intended for the purpose of workplace fairness, thus equality, not for our daughter to be forced into the military via draft.
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Harris’s argument is that if you are able too then you should be drafted to military even if you are a female. As a man it does not bother me if females are not drafted to military. We do need someone at home if there was a draft. Although currently we do not have to worry about this currently. But if women want to be drafted i think that they should have the equalness to be drafted. But the draft currently would be madness. So many people are joini g all 5 branches of the military men and women that it would be over crowded.
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Harris takes the position in which he is in favor of making it a law that both men and women should be obligated to register for the military draft when they are of age. I agree with his argument, and I also think that when it comes to making decision on whether or not to send troops into combat, that it will thought about different rather than when it is only men. Because of the female increase in the service I do believe that it would be a more cautious decision because of mothers of children who would have nowhere else to go. I think this does need to be considered but only if it is due to the draft. On the other hand if these women chose to sign up for the military then I do not think it should be a cautious decision because they signed up for it and should know what to expect.
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Harris brings up the controversial topic of women being forced to sign up for the draft when they turn eighteen years of age. The first reason as to why is because of equality between the sexes. The United States has not used the draft since the 1970’s and reinstating the draft requires approval from Congress, therefore the likelihood of the draft ever being needed again is very slim. Having women be required to sign up would show that both male and female citizens are capable of being in the armed services and protecting our country. Men and women are not equally made though. Some women are fully capable of signing up for the military and handling both the mental and physical stresses that it can cause, but the women who can do that are a select few. Making every woman sign up just because a select few can is outlandish and could also be immoral.
In the article Harris quotes Ted Cruz saying “We have had enough with political correctness, especially in the military. The idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think, is wrong. It is Immoral.” (qtd. in Harris) The question that is really stated here, and Harris also states this point, is that forcing both men or women to join the draft would be considered immoral. Men being forced into combat situations and to sacrifice their lives is also an issue of morality, even if men are more capable of handling most military situations than women.
The issue Harris chose to explore most was women getting pregnant in the military, particularly during deployment, and how that would affect the people surrounding her. While reading the article Harris spent more time discussing the issue of unplanned pregnancy and birth control in military settings over the issue of women signing up for the draft. While these both can be very important issues because they affect the overall well being of a squad that has been deployed, the availability of contraceptives should not be the main concern and more focus should have been put on the bill that would require women to sign up for the draft.
Overall this article was very informative and it gave some really interesting points, but women should not be required to sign up for the draft. Even if the draft is never used again it needs to be looked at as if it were going to happen tomorrow. The feministic issues of “I can do anything a man can” should be put aside for military situations. Men are often more physically capable, which better equips them for handling combat. In conclusion women should not be required to sign up for the draft, unless they feel they are capable of performing physically and mentally in circumstances of war.
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Women should not be required to register for the draft because of many, many reasons. This country was based off of the word of God, hints the constitution and our founding fathers who created it, whether you like it or not. Many people now cringe when hearing anything about God in terms of morality, in the government, or even at public schools. Of course, what I am saying right now has no purpose at all, because what moral law are we following? Opinions are what overrule everything nowadays, history is irrelevant and facts are shoved into the deepest darkest places.
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I believe that women should be required to sign up for the draft. It is important for women and men to be treated equal then why should men be the only ones that have to sign up for the draft. The women that believe this is not true must be stay at home wives and not care about the sexes in our world. Even if the girl gets pregnant that is how we get a feature generation to sign for the draft also. These factors are things we need to look at. Women may have to try harder at these task but they will get it done that is for sure.
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It is very clear that Danielle Harris supports the idea of women being required to register for the draft, just as men have to, if the draft were to be re-implemented. I definitely agree with her position on this topic for the simplest of facts, women should and deserve to equals in the military. I believe that if women are qualified and capable of doing the job they should be given that opportunity. I feel the same way when it comes to the draft. They should be equal across the board, and not just certain areas. It is obviously clear to me that the opposition of this clearly does not understand its importance. It is not about just drafting our young females into the military and then off to war, it is a step in establishing complete equality in the military between men and women. At this point and time women are still treated like they are second class, and held out of at least one third of the jobs in the Army and Marines. They are also not allowed to serve on submarines or front line ground units. Females in the military are also held out of the more critical jobs that lead to advancement. There are actually people that think drafting females is wrong and immoral, namely Senator Ted Cruz, “We have had enough political correctness especially in the military. The idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think, is wrong. It is immoral” (Harris, 2016). How can Senator Cruz claim it to be wrong and immoral to draft and possibly send females to war, but it is not the same for men? What makes a woman’s life any more important or valuable than a man’s life? Fortunately, there are people that understand this and are not silent in their opposition. One such person is a twenty-one-year-old serving in the Marine Corps, “My opinion on women in the infantry is if she can carry me seventy-five yards and can stay next to me on a hike with a ninety-pound pack on, by all means let them in” (Harris, 2016). Just as Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley and Marine Corps Commandant General Robert Niller both supported the adding of women having to register for Selective Service, and as General Niller added, “It’s my personal view in the light that every American physically qualified should registered for the draft” (Harris, 2016). There are no reasonable arguments to say a female should not have to register for the Selective Service just as males have to when turning eighteen. The arguments given in the opposition of females being able to be drafted are ludicrous and completely outdated. Bottom line is that females being able to be drafted would do much more good than harm in so many different ways, and people are not even looking at those situations. In all honesty I do not believe the draft will ever be re-implemented, and this is just to symbolize females finally being recognized as equals in the military.
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I understand and I get what is being said. But if the case were to force females to draft and it becomes reality that the draft actually happens. What will happen to the children, who will tend to the children? Now a days there is a large number of teen and young moms out there, and most likely single parents, who is going to take care of these babies if the women were drafted. I am not saying I am against the female draft, I support equality but to force the females to draft is another. Back then, women were kept at home during war time, to man the house while the men are gone. Work to continue to provide, just in case men did not come home. Support and maintain the homeland, so that there would be a home to come to. Women have a certain natural instinct that men don’t have and vice versa. At the same time, that would mean everyone in a household would be drafted with no one home. I hope it never comes to this.
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I disagree with both the argument presented by Harris and the responder Slade Uncleback. Personally, I do not think women should be involved in the draft. Women consistently argue that equality is an issue, but in all honesty, what percentage of women would be comfortable knowing that they could possibly be sent to fight for our country. As the article mentions, “the notion of sending involuntary citizens to war is morally questionable” so the draft itself isn’t something I necessarily agree with. Women during the Vietnam War were utilized at home and maintained the United States while men went away and fought. There is nothing degrading in asking men fight for our country and for women to be used in a different way. In reality, the draft doesn’t place everyone on the battlefield but its runs the risk of doing so. Women can be utilized to help during a war, but in ways that don’t require them to do anything they don’t want to do.
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While Caroline is probably wrong when she claims that there is nothing degrading in asking men to fight and women to be used in other ways, she is right that the idea of sending involuntary citizens to war is morally questionable. I personally do not support the idea of the draft and therefore, do not think women should be put in the draft because there should not be one. For the sake of argument though, lets say that I do support the draft. I myself am a woman and I preach equality, but genetically speaking, men tend to be more violent in nature than women. As a solution to this problem, I would propose that women be drafted, but not for combat unless they wish to do so. Since I do think that having women be ‘used in other ways’ as Caroline said is a bit degrading, women may have the choice as to what they do, as well as men. I don’t think anyone should be forced to fight and with this proposal, at least citizens would have some say in what happens to them.
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I disagree with the responses who say women should not have to be involved with the draft. I believe this because the recent push for equal rights for women should not be limited to the military draft. If women want to do everything men do, they should have to enter the military draft. Women feel that they don’t receive equal treatment in the United States, so they cannot pick and choose which rights they can and cannot have compared to men. When drafting, however; I feel that men and women should have to pass a physical to ensure that they are physically ready to be effective in a war. I also believe it is unfair to men who have to enter into the draft. Everyone should have an equal opportunity to be drafted.
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This article by Danielle Harris discusses the debate regarding whether or not women should be required to register for the military draft when they turn 18, just as men do. There were many responses to the article, battling both sides. Many commenters responded saying that men are more capable of battling on the front-lines, and that it should be on a voluntary basis for women. While I understand that combat is typically a male-dominated field, women have proved themselves fully capable, especially in recent years. As mentioned in the article, 15 percent of active troops are women. That number would be significantly smaller if women were not capable of being part of the military.
On the other hand, some responders mentioned that if women want equality on all fronts, that the military draft is no different, with which I would agree. It is unfair for expect equality in the admirable things in this country. Of course, women want to make as much as men (and I agree with that completely) but it does not make sense that they wouldn’t also be required to follow the same obligations as men.
I also think it is worth noting that many citizens feel called to serve their country and serve on a volunteer basis. The United States hasn’t need the draft in the last 40 years, so requiring women to register for the draft most likely wouldn’t be that big of a deal anyways.
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I believe that making women sign up for the draft when they turned 18 would cause more problems than it would help the situation. Even though Harris states that “leaders have also made clear that a revival of selective service is unlikely,” we still have to think of the consequences that could result from making both men and women sign up for the draft. One problem that will be seen fairly quickly if the draft was a requirement for both men and women would be who would be exempted. I feel that for men, it is a lot easier to list the exemptions then it is for women. For example, if a woman was to become pregnant at 18 or sometime in their 20’s would there be something in place to prevent them from being shipped overseas to fight with a new born or toddler at home? Secondly, if men and women are forced to sign up for the draft, then are we going to be okay with leaving the United States to be upheld by the children and the elderly? I understand and agree with the argument that men and women should have equal rights, but I believe that on the subject of the draft, it would be too risky and too complex to force women to sign up. I believe that when the time comes that a war is being fought, if women want to sign up for the war, then it is their choice, but it should not be forced upon them.
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By focusing on the idea that women should not be forced to serve because of the potential lack of care of their children, VY overlooks the deeper problem of stereotypes in the United States. VY questions what would happen to children if their mothers were to get drafted, but this question should not even be asked. Women work, and are often not home for their children, so the fathers take care of the children and the house. This concept, which is relatively new, breaks the stereotype that many Americans believe: women stay in the house, and men do the work. Something that VY lacks to address in his response, that Harris mentions in her article, is that times are changing, and laws should progress with society. Contrary to what VY says, this potential law does not mean that every household would lose both parents, it just means that maybe one would have to serve our country. Like Danielle Harris quotes in her article, it only makes sense to draft women who are qualified, just like it makes sense to draft men who are qualified.
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I agree with Harris that women should be drafted into the military because females should be treated as equal as males. This does not include women who are pregnant or disabled. Since women are pushing for equality with men in all areas of society, then women should also be drafted into the military like men. I agree with Chris’s statement that women should not just get to pick and choose where they want equality. They should either be treated as equals to men or not. Equality means everyone is equal in every way not just ones they want to be equal in. There has recently been a push for women to become more involved in the United States military. Women want to be treated as equals to men in the military, doing the exact same jobs as men. Since they have gotten this equality voluntarily, in a mandatory draft situation, they should be treated as equals as well.
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Gender Equality is currently a highly debated issue in America today, and has become one of the most controversial issues in America today. In Danielle Harris’s article “Combating Sexism: Women and the military draft” she presents both sides of the argument. On one side of the argument are those who believe that putting a female in active combat situations is immoral and wrong. On the other side of the argument are those who do not see gender, and see everyone as rather able bodied or not able bodied. Harris shares an interview with a marine fireteam leader, who voices his opinion that if a female is able bodied he welcomes her to join. Harris concludes with a rarely talked about issue in the subject area, if females in squads that require close relations and communications get pregnant and have to leave their duty, it could upset the balance of the squad.
I have a split mind on the subject presented by Harris. While I do believe that equality is something that must be measured as a whole, and a step in the direction of equality, even if it’s undesired equality, is a step in the right direction, I agree that unplanned pregnancies and gender differences would cause problems in parts of the military that require close bonds. I feel the law should be modified, to either exempt females from certain aspects of duty of separate the two genders and form squadrons and fireteams that are required to be bonded based on gender. The law is definitely a step in the direction towards gender equality, though I do believe it needs to be modified now to address the issues it has presented.
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Honestly, I haven’t quite decided my position on the issue yet. On the surface, my more sensible instincts have kicked in. Women aren’t as physically tough as men, which is hard science, and forcibly holding them to the same standards is inhuman.
Now, drafting women who are unmarried with no kids and not forcing them into front line combat seems like the ideal choice here. America does have a population to maintain, and like it or not, women are key to that process. That’s what everyone seems to forget. In simple biological terms, men are meant to do the hunting and fighting, and women have the kids and keep the family.
With the advent of modern technology, we can change this some, but
the inherent gender roles still exist, and that’s something we should all keep in mind. They don’t make anyone “better”, but
I still wouldn’t hire an architect to fly a space shuttle.
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I feel as if the military draft should remain to resume. Women should not be required to register, even though I think that men should still remain to be required to register. I feel like women should not be required to register because not all women have the correct mindset for that. I think that a women that wants to be in the military has her mindset that, that is exactly what she wants to do with her life. Some women have children, some want to care for their families. Not every woman is strong enough to join the military. That is why when a women does join the military to some families it may be a shocker because, being in the military is definitely not easy, you have to prepare for that physically and mentally. If a woman is not prepared for the military or it is just something that they do not want to do they are not going to try. Even though the military can try to prepare a woman for battle, when it really comes down to it, a woman may not be able to handle it emotionally well either.
I feel like a man in the military they have the strength and the power to do some of the tasks that may be required throughout the military. Not saying that woman do not have that, but I am sure a good majority do not. Woman come off as more fragile and more delicate where as a man is the opposite. In the military you have to carry large amounts of equipment, pounds of equipment. Some women are not capable of that, because some woman may be smaller than others. I think emotionally a women would have a lot more trouble handling certain situations. It just comes off as that woman are a lot more emotional than men. Not saying that is necessarily true, that is just how it seems. The draft should remain most definitely, and I understand that it should be equal that both men and woman should have to register. But I feel like for woman it should be up to them if they want to register or not, just so they know what they could possibly be getting their selves into. As a woman myself, I would not want to go into the military. I do not think that I am capable of doing most of the tasks that are given. I do not think that I would be ready for any of that physically or mentally. I just know that I can’t, because it is just something that I would not want to do. It should be a woman’s choice to register, not required. Men should remain to be required still just for the simple fact that, that is how things have always been, and there is no reason for it to change now. It still seems to remain equal for both.
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After reading Harris’ article on whether or not women should be forced to enter the draft, I do not agree with Sara Beth Spears. Her claim that women should be treated as equals to men rests upon the questionable assumption that women are physically equal to men. While there are certainly some exceptions, generally a man is much stronger, faster, and more agile than a woman. Another issue with sending women into war is that most fathers would not allow their daughter to enter a war, but they would be proud to allow their son to enter that same war. As stated by Ted Cruz, “The idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think, is wrong. It is immoral.” I completely agree with this statement, because I know that if I had a daughter, there is absolutely no chance that I would allow her to enter the war, while on the other hand, I would be willing to allow my son to. In her response Sara stated, “women should not just get to pick and choose where they want equality.” While I agree with this statement, I believe that the military is the one exception that should be made, just for the safety of the women in this nation.
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I disagree with Jordan Ramos’s post. She is generalizing the characteristics of all women that they are mostly more emotional and do not have the capability of performing like men do. Also, recently women have been pushing very hard for equal rights to men. If they want to be completely equal to men, they should have to be able to be drafted if needed. Women protest too much and believe they are not treated equally, so it would be contradictory to be able to pick and choose what rights they should be able to have. I disagree that women should have the choice to sign up for the draft or not. Every person should be treated equally, included women, however; if they are pregnant they can be excused.
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I disagree with Caroline Scobee’s argument that women shouldn’t be required to register for the draft because some would be uncomfortable with it, because that it is extremely unfair and sexist to any man who is uncomfortable with registering for the draft. Disregarding the morality of the draft, since it is the current system whether its moral or not, women should definitely be included in the draft. Equality can’t be achieved if it is provisional to one sex’s preferences. Harris points out that it’s more of a symbolic issue considering that the draft will more than likely never be used again, but it’s still a possibility that men have to involuntarily subject themselves to, so women should have to as well.
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I completely agree with Caroline Scobee. Women should not be involved in the draft. Physically and mentally women do not compare to the men that fight in combat. Yes, there are already women in the military, but that was their own choice to join. Women do argue for equal rights, but I do not believe that many women would be comfortable with being forced into signing up for the draft. The article mentions that the draft is not morally acceptable for men, so it should not be imposed on women as well. Women can be used in different ways to help the war effort. For example during World War II women helped on the home front by working in factories and taking care of small businesses while the men were off fighting.
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Although I agree with Ariane Towner up a point I cannot accept her overall conclusion that women should not sign up for the draft if they are capable of performing in a war like circumstance. I believe that if men are required to sign up so should women, and then after they report to duty should the unfit ones be vetted out. Simply not signing up for the draft because they don’t feel up to it seems too arbitrary and leaves too much room for interpretation and too much room for people to make up lies to get out of service. I believe that the draft is constitutional and that any citizen should be required to put their name in for it because we are all called to defend our country if need be. The decision of whether or not to send the drafted citizen into combat should be up to the government or doctors employed by the army, not the person who is signing up for the draft. Contrary to what Ariane writes, I believe more focus should be placed on contraceptives being available to the armed forces instead of whether or not women should be required to serve. This is a more pressing matter as women are already in the armed forces and the prospect of a draft is not in the near future at this moment. More pressing matters regarding the current situation of the armed forces should be focused on first, not whether or not someone believes they should be required to sign up for a draft that may never happen again.
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I strongly agree with those who are in favor of women being included in the draft. I believe that if one is able to physically and mentally serve, one should sign up for the draft. No, I do not think that everyone is made for the military but I do think that for feminist to want equal rights for women to their male counterparts, women should also be included in everything, even combat. Since the Vietnam war, a draft has not occurred, so the chances of another draft are slim. Many people who are against women going into the draft say that “the women should not have to be put through those type of situations”, yet they want equal pay and treatment for women and men. How is anyone going to take them serious if they are not able to fight for this country they are wanting equal rights in? I too, want equal treatment of men and women, but to keep one’s argument, women can not be excluded from combat because they have the genetic makeup of a women.
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After reading Danielle Harris’ “Combating Sexism: Women and the Military Draft”, I wholeheartedly agree with Caroline Scobee’s statement that the draft is not something that I currently agree with, and that women, or men, do not have to be fighting to support the military in different ways. Although I am proud to be a US citizen, my patriotism does not extend to fighting in a war that I do not understand or agree on, and I believe that both men and women can support armed forces both on and off the battlefield, and that does not require them to be enlisted. However, the question of whether or not the draft is morally correct is not the topic at hand, so with that being said, I agree with Harris who says that “American men and women must carry equal responsibility for protecting and serving their country” if we are called upon in a military draft. The article cites that military personnel would be comfortable with anyone serving beside them if they are physically fit enough, and I respect the opinions of those who would know best from their experience.
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In the article, “Combating Sexism: Women and the Military Draft”, Danielle Harris explores the perspectives on whether or not women should be required to register for the military draft. Harris clarifies that restoring the selective service is very unlikely. Individuals want women to be required to register for the draft because of the symbolic meaning that is attached to the bill.
Harris includes the opinions of several relevant individuals in her article. Two top military officials agree that women should be required to register. Senator Ted Cruz states that drafting “our daughters” is immoral. James Bailey, a marine, disagrees with Cruz but states his concern of women getting pregnant during deployment. The author confirms Bailey’s concern with statistics but suggests a solution to fix this problem. The author also includes the opinion of Taylor Dein, a recent graduate from Army Basic Combat Training. Dein stated that for women to be equals in the military, qualified women must be required to register for the draft. In the last paragraph, the author comments on Ted Cruz perspective by arguing that if “forcing daughters to join the military is immoral, sending American sons to war should be viewed as just the same.” In this sentence and the last one it is clear that the author’s stance is that for the two genders to be equal in the military, women should also be required to register for the draft.
Harris uses the classical argument form in her article. I believe that the author is writing to an audience intended to be neutral or friendly. While the author’s argument could be effective toward a friendly or even an undecided audience, the support that Harris includes would not be enough to persuade a neutral or hostile audience. Harris mainly uses sources that focus on the perspectives of others. This is effective in providing ethos for the author.
However, this article does not really focus on why women should be regarded as equals in the military. Providing this kind of information would be more effective in persuading neutral audience members. The author may not have provided that information in her argument because she assumes that the audience is already aware of the quantitative and qualitative reasoning behind that controversial debate. The author did utilize the rhetorical strategy of logos in providing statistics about service women and birth control.
Like many other social institutions in the United States, the military has a long history of sexism. Gender roles have long kept women from the social status, prestige, income, and wealth that men have. I agree with the author that women should be required to register for the draft in order to promote equality within the military. I think it is funny that even though this bill is merely symbolic there are still individuals such as Ted Cruz that object. I cannot fathom why certain people continue to want women and other minorities to remain disadvantaged. While women and men differ in some biological aspects, women as just as patriotic and physically fit to protect their country.
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The topic of this article is women being eligible for the draft. This article caught my attention because I currently have a classmate who is very passionate about this issue. Harris’ and my classmate’s stance on this is clear, they both think that women should be eligible for the draft. Before agreeing or disagreeing on an issue like this you have to look at both sides of the argument which Harris did to an extent. She brought up the point that an unplanned pregnancy while a woman is deployed can be a big problem and I agree. Another thing that should be taken into consideration is the fact that women aren’t as physically capable as men. I understand that statement may sound offensive and sexist, I also understand that there are some cases where women are physically equal to and superior than men but overall they are not. I’m not suggesting that this should keep women from getting drafted I do however that is something to be considered when it comes down to certain combat scenarios. The best protection to have is to be in good shape and be properly trained but that doesn’t cover every scenario in a combat situation and sometimes a fight between life and death may come down to pure physical strength and while I’m aware that this probably a rare case it is still something to be considered. Another thing that could be argued on both sides of this topic is the fact that if women get taken as prisoners of war they could be treated worse than men and could be subjected to rape. Now I say this could work for both sides of the argument because even though women are more likely to get raped that doesn’t mean that men can’t but I’m simply looking at every possibility. Even with this all this said I think that women should be eligible for the draft, Harris said that this topic is bigger than just the draft. This topic represents how women are seen in America and in order for them to be seen as true equals they must be held to the same rules, regulations and burdens that a man must. This is one of those things that needs to be done in order for America to advance further as a society and for us to close inequality gap. Plus as I said earlier a lot people see fighting for this country as a burden and I agree. I understand having patriotism and loving one’s country but to potentially die for said country is a big responsibility. If women want the right to enter the draft they have to understand that on top of it being equality it is also a burden that have to share in as well. Every year women are doing something that use to be only considered for men and I think that should continue. This could also be seen as a deterrent for rival factions in different countries if they know we could essentially have twice as many military personnel
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Draft on tap: Danielle Harris on women and the military draft
Harris clearly takes a position in favor of equal draft requirements for women and men. She does this by including that both Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller, support adding women to the draft. She also shows that Ted Cruz, the former presidential candidate does not agree with adding women to the draft. He believes that adding daughters to the draft is immoral and wrong.
I feel that if a woman is standing up and willing to defend her country then she should be allowed to. There are no rules saying that females aren’t allowed to. That is why they go through extensive amounts of training and are tests that they have to take in order to pass the basic training. I think that by Harris adding what James Bailey says about this topic is very good. It shows that men in the military do trust women and it shows that they are capable of working together. Bailey makes a good point about females getting pregnant in the military and that they are more likely to become pregnant. Harris also shows that there are ways to prevent women from becoming pregnant and that unplanned pregnancies can be prevented.
Taylor Dein, who recently graduated Army Basic Combat Training, says that she is unsure of whether or not she supports selective service. But she does believe that in order for women to be considered true equals, that they be required to be physically fit and pass the requirements for entering the draft. That is why they have basic training and the reason that they have certain physical tests that are needed to be passed in order to be qualified to join the military.
I agree with what Harris says at the end of this article. She says, “If those like Cruz truly believe forcing “daughters” to join the military is immoral, sending American sons to war should be viewed as just the same.” I agree with this because the United States is an equal country, men and women are to be treated the same. This proves that statement to be right. And that they can both protect and serve this country. Yes, I agree that the Army is not for some females but there are females out there that are capable of fighting for this country as some men. And what is going to happen when there aren’t enough men to fight? Who is going to be the one to step in?
Women have the right to join the military if they want to. Women should be allowed to sign up for the draft if there comes a time that one is needed. Will I be signing up? No, because I do not think I am capable for performing the physical and mental things that are required. The Army is not for everyone, but man or woman, we should all have a choice is whether or not we want to join.
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I whole heartedly disagree with Senator Cruz’s stance on requiring women to sign up for selective service. Leave it to a politician to attempt to dictate what’s best for the american military. If women are to be looked at as equals to men, they should be required to do the same things that men are required to do. You can’t have a double standard if you’re looking for equality. I believe, if women a pushing for the military to open up all jobs (especially combat jobs) to them, then it’s only fair to the men that women must sign up for selective service. Like the article states, the draft is unlikely to be enacted anyway so why make a big deal of it? I personally have two daughters and I would never want them in harms way (especially against their will), but if they’re to join the women’s fight for equality, I believe requiring them to sign up for selective service is the right way to go. I feel that the fight for women’s rights and equality has gotten out of hand over the past ten years. Sure, there are many women who feel they’re held back in life at fault of just being a woman but, there are also many women out there who are just fine with assuming the traditional role of a woman. It’s my opinion that whether you’re a man or a woman, you can achieve anything in life as long as you put in the hard work and dedication.
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in the article combating sexism women and the military draft Danielle Harris lays out both arguments about whether or not women should have to sign up for the draft. Its a tricky subject matter because not every women can meet the standards to be able to serve in the united states military. I believe if women want to truly be equal and if we continue to make young men sign up for the draft then we need to make women sign up for the draft was well. Not every women will be able to meet the standards but not every man will ether.
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I feel as if she does bring up good points that the draft should be equal and everyone should have to register for the draft. But some points she brings up to show the opposing side seems very sexist. Sen. Ted Cruz says That we should not put our daughters into the war, but this contradicts that everyone should be equal in this country. This means that everyone should have equal responsibilities and equal opportunities.
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In her article about women and the military draft, Danielle Harris argues that the inclusion of women in the draft is a symbolic issue. Harris’ purpose is to emphasize that the debate about including women in the draft is more than a question of morality. Harris explains that the selective service is not active and likely will not be revived, and since it is equally immoral to require men and women to register for the draft, all genders should face the same registration requirements. Harris emphasizes that the inclusion of women in the military draft is important for establishing equality and maintaining that all people share the responsibility for keeping the United States safe.
I agree with Danielle Harris’ argument that women should be included in the military draft. In order for gender equality to exist, certain sacrifices have to be made and freedoms have to be compromised. Registering for the draft is not desirable for most people, however, one cannot pick and choose which benefits they would like to receive from the government. The United States is a free country, therefore accepting the risk of being drafted is the small price that all citizens should have to pay. The debate about the inclusion of women in the draft is controversial because there is not a simple solution, and if there was a simple solution to the problem, then it would have been resolved already. In a perfect world equality would exist without sacrifices, however if including women in the draft if necessary, for establishing equality, it must be done.
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In response to Ted Cruz’s saying that to draft our daughters, sending them to combat involuntary is wrong, Harris states that “Perhaps this claim would hold more merit if the word “daughters” were replaced with “citizens.” The notion of sending involuntary citizens to war is morally questionable, but for as long as the United States maintains the legality of the military draft women should be required to register just as men are.” I wholeheartedly agree with this statement, as I think it’s wrong to send citizens to war against their will, so long as it may happen, it should be equal. This also shows that Cruz’s reason for being against an equal draft is rooted in sexism as he doesn’t view women as equally capable, but rather as fragile, whereas men are expendable.
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