Women firefighters say Sept. 11 has made their profession wrongly seem all male

Boston Globe ^ | 18 Mar 2002 | David Crary

[white trash redneck]

NEW YORK (AP) The question is awkward to ask, but not hard to answer: Why were no women among the 343 firefighters killed at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11?

Numbers tell the story. Nationally, roughly 2 percent of professional firefighters are female. In New York City, women account for just 28 of 11,400 firefighters less than 0.3 percent.

[2Trievers]

"Of course; any female who can pass this test is arguably not a woman in any way either"

Of course there are no feminine, athletic women firefighters in this world ... because if there were, you would have found them and screwed them, right Provocateur?

[OldFriend]

Considering only MEN firefighters lost their lives, what would they prefer.......pretending women lost their lives. Sheesh......they are proving the point they aren't fit to serve.

[SuziQ]

SHE'S the one giving women in firefighting a bad name. Why doesn't she just clam up and acknowledge the sacrifice made by the MEN who responded to the WTC attacks. This would prove she's worthy to be in their ranks! I don't recall hearing any of the men from the fire stations who did not respond to the WTC or the Pentagon whining that THEY did not get the chance for glory because their units were not called. What a WHINER!

[Steve_Seattle]

"feminine, athletic female firefighters"

If a city had 20 female firefighters and 19 were dyke-types and one was a beauty, who do you think the press would profile? And, of course, they would cite her as an example of how stereotypes are always wrong.

[NYCVirago]

Was there anything stopping her or other women from immediately volunteering when the planes hit ? I thought I remember that some firefighters were off duty when they reported.

I don't know the exact figures, but a bunch of firemen who were killed on 9/11 were off duty, and simply showed up at the WTC to help. There's no reason that the female firefighters couldn't have done the same thing.

[phasma proeliator]

"There's no reason that the female firefighters couldn't have done the same thing."

I understand your point but...
There is a reason none showed up....
and that's the reason they don't belong on the department.

[Steve_Seattle]

Some of the firefighters profiled in the recent tv movie expressed a feeling of guilt that they were spared (a common experience among survivors of tragedies), but they certainly did not claim that they were victims because they didn't die. They correctly saw that the victims were the ones who died, not the survivors.

[2Trievers]

"The sad thing, is that you would lose that lawsuit bigtime"

And your degree in juris prudence is from which institution Provocateur? Ignorantia vivis neminem excusat.

[Jay W]

9/11 showed the world that you need brute strength to carry a hundred pounds of equipment,up 110 stories-with no excuses or special exemptions. You need brute strength to lift heavy pieces of steel, searching for victims- with no excuses or special exemptions. Excuses and special exemptions on physical fitness requirements, cost lives.

That's an excellent point, because in the final analysis it's only physical requirements that matter.

Much the same argument can be made for keeping women out of combat roles in the military.

[Steve_Seattle]

"a bunch of firemen killed on 9/11 were off duty."

Some retired firefighters even showed up, but I don't know if any were killed. The firefighter in the famous picture with Bush on top of the rubble was retired, and just showed up to help out.

[Graewoulf]

Is this a credible story? If so, then Lt. Brenda "The Bawler" Berkman needs a reality check on the facts of who died and who did not.

Being "politically correct" or even "gender correct" should NEVER be in conflict with reality! History is not some "story" that is re-written to fall delicately on the pristine ears of those with weak stomachs!

Her comments are the grist that lib and "the media" history re-writers love to use.

She will have to defend her comments to those who look reality square in the eye.

Her comments raise serious doubt that becoming "gender-blind" is a goal worth pursuing.

[SkyPilot]

''What was most hurtful was to be so invisible at the funerals and memorial services,''

Uhhhh, that's because no women Firefighters died Beavis.

[da_toolman]

They mighta broke a nail?

Disclaimer:
Any resemblance of the previous statement to an extremely sexist remark is purely coincidental. It was meant as a purely humorous statement. </Asscovertag>

[dead]

• Little Miss “I Feel Ignored at Other People’s Funerals” was profiled in the PBS special "Sex, Power and the Workplace."
• She has also appeared on NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Rosie O'Donnell" show.
• In 1996-97, Lt. Berkman was appointed by President Clinton as a White House Fellow in the Office of the Secretary of Labor.
• She recently completed speaking tours of Australia and Japan for the State Department.
• In October 2000, a play about Berkman entitled "Firework" opened off-Broadway.
• She was awarded the Susan B. Anthony award from the National Organization for Women
• She was awarded the Woman of Achievement Awards from both New York Governor George Pataki and the New York Women's Foundation.

  
  I don't know of any male firefighter, dead or living, who's been so blessed with publicity.

  Yet she’s upset that she couldn’t bask in the reflected glory of a dead sister firefighter. What a pig.

[NYCVirago]

If a city had 20 female firefighters and 19 were dyke-types and one was a beauty, who do you think the press would profile? And, of course, they would cite her as an example of how stereotypes are always wrong.

This comment may be offensive to some, but I would much rather have the bull-dyke types in the fire department than some little 5-2 waif who's worried about her hair and nails. Same goes for the police department and the military.

[SuziQ]

Waaaaaaa!!!!!! Waaaaaaaaaah!!!! I'm a victim too!!!!!!!!

I was reading this article to my 14 yr. old daughter and her response was "Somebody call the WAHHHMBULANCE!"

[Steve_Seattle]

"what was most hurtful was to be invisible at the funerals"

No, sweetie, what was most hurtful was that more than 300 firefighters died.

[stands2reason]

Same crap as from the "women in combat" moaners.

[goldstategop]

Face it ladies... the MEN were heroes and did all the dangerous work and they tried to rescue WOMEN as well as men and children. So much for your whine about being underrepresented in the firefighting profession as a result of 9-11. The country has had it with incessant male-bashing.

[vollmond]

Yeah, but has she ever fought a fire?