[waterstraat]

Women will never be truely equal unless they share equally in the armed forces, and in combat. Women should not be spared the draft if there is one. Giving women all the good things, but not making them share in the responsibilities of freedom, is not equal.

[Lorianne]

It is MEN, not women, who are exempting women from selective service registration and MEN not women who are keeping women from serving in combat positions (which I agree with on the basis of qualification but not as a wholesale exclusion based on sex alone).

As I've said, I'm not a proponent of women in combat on any type of quota system whatsoever. But if there are women who are qualified (and I believe there are a very small minority who are) then they should be allowed to serve in that capacity. Also, in a all volunteer military like we have now, the military should not be excluding ANY qualified persons who can serve in any capacity, be it combat or any other. We cannot afford to turn away qualified persons who are patriotic enough to enlist.

Incidently, not all men are qualified for combat. The military finds useful positions for people of all kinds of aptitudes. Proportionally, more people are involved in logistics and support positions.

Are men who never serve in the military or who never see combat "not equal" with men who have?