What would you do?

*

 

That sucks. I feel for you.

You know, in this case, in my personal opinion, I'm okay with them discriminating against me. He's afraid of pmsing women? Great! PMS is good for something.

I have to wonder, are women often hostile to that recruiter? He tells himself it's hormones, but really it's just because he's a jackass.

 

I think a girl with a gun could be a very scary thing...

 

ANYONE with a gun is a scary thing.

 

So would I.

 

I don't really belong here (I suppose), but I have a question. Why is it that women cannot admit that they're physically weaker than men? It's not like we're saying you're a waste of human life and therefore should be lined up and shot, we're simply saying you can't pull the same weight, physically as can a man. Why is that such a problem? This has been proven through studies, and honestly, this is one of those things that if you're alive for long enough, you'll see it as common sense with or without "civil" study.

You're, on average, physically and emotionally weaker than a man. This doesn't mean you're stupid or unable to work a job. I think women should be allowed to test with the men (which they are) for physical jobs such as a firefighter, but I think they should be thrown out the door if they can't pass (which they are if they can't). What's so wrong with that? How many female firefighters do you know? I know 15 firefighters, I know zero female firefighters. I certainly wouldn't want a 115 pound woman attempting to save me from a burning building, just as I wouldn't want some 5'2 inch, 115 pound guy trying to save me from a burning building. I'm no country bumpkin, Jethro trying to start an argument, but really, why can't women admit this to be fact? Women are portrayed as toughies on television now, kicking men in the groin left and right, which is fine, but the female power thing is simply a joke. How many times have you heard of a woman trying to defend herself from a man who ended up getting her skull cracked open, a leg broken, her collarbone shattered etc? Several times. Why? Because the average woman simply can't 'hold-her-own' against a man in a physical confrontation. It doesn't matter if it's in self-defense or not.

With that said, I can't find a problem with women being in the military in any manifestation. I've never been in the military and therefore can't speak from experience, but even an infantry job is basically just holding and possibly shooting a rifle ( I guess there's an emotional strength needed to bare battle conditions, but that's not the physical context I'm arguing). Beyond bootcamp or the very rare,hypothetical hand-to-hand scenario in battle, I can't see too many extremely physically demanding jobs in the military. I'm sure a military veteran could correct me on that. Now, in context of emotions, not to flare any feelings, but I'd be afraid to serve next to a woman in extreme battle conditions. I've seen women flip shit about some pretty small things. I'm sorry to generalize, but in my own experiences with women, they don't put up much of an argument against the 'extremely emotional' "stereotype". If you want men to stop saying you're emotionally weak... stop being emotionally weak.

I'm sure this seems like a 'macho moron' post full of generalizations, but like I said, this is all from my own experiences with women and I understand that there is a plethora of things at which the women in my life could dwarf me, but none of those things involve physical or emotional strength.

 

Not all women are physically weaker than men. Also, not all men are stronger than women. When put to the challenge, I will admit that I am weaker than a man, if I am. But there have been instances where I was stronger than the man I was opposing.

I'm sure the kind of woman who really wants a firefighting job will be a bit beefier than 115 pounds.

All we're saying is that we shouldn't be stereotyped just because "most" of us are a certain way. Not everyone fits into "average".

 

well, generally speaking, women are physically weaker than men. It's simple evolution - we weren't doing the high muscle mass tasks as often as the guys. But we have a way higher pain tolerance than guys. And I wouldn't say we're emotionally weaker at all... we just react to emotional shit different. (Society, I think, also plays a part in determining what emotional things we should react over, but that's a whole other thread's worth of ranting, I'm sure)

But yeah, when they change the requirements for entry into certain jobs, such as firefighting or police work, to get a better demographic representation, it bugs me. Because it's essentially prejudice against the people who would normally get in but now can't, because those spots have been filled with unqualified people. Grr.

*note* this is not to say that us gals don't have the potential to be all muscly and strong like a lot of guys are, we just have to work out some to get there.

 

Yes, that's true. There are body-building women in this country. But, my point was, men are on average stronger than women, with or without body-building and women who complain about the statement being made or who feel that they're being stereotyped need to realize that while stereotyping is a bad thing to practice, knowing the facts and acknowledging them is not.

I don't understand the other user's context of basically "cultural variables", but I don't see how one could not admit that women are on average emotionally weaker than men. Crying at school because you failed a term-paper isn't making a good argument for your stance. I don't believe we simply "react differently". Crying in a situation as meaningless as this is showing greater emotional weakness. Men don't generally get violent (which is generally the argued converse) over a situation such as this, and thus, plainly put, the average female is emotionally weaker than the average man. Take a situation such as the bombing in Madrid (an example that I can base with fact, instead of my own experience). What did you see? You saw women crying, and you saw men helping those crying women out of the wreckage. To me, this is one of thousands of copius examples of the fact that the average woman is emotionally weaker than the average man. Now, does this mean that you, Tamee, an individual female fits that description? Not necessarily, but my point was never that all women are emotionally weaker than men, simply that most are and that women seem to want to ignore this fact, or complain when a male calls it a fact. It's not a subjectivity, it's not an opinion, and a labcoat is not needed to prove this.

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, because that's certainly wasn't what I was trying to do.

 

Exactly.

 

men also have to work out to get there.

 

I'm sorry but I don't see the average woman crying at school over a failed term paper.
But crying is just a release of energy, and it's good for you. That doesn't mean you are emotionally weak. I have talked to guys who have felt like crying at times, but think they need to hold it back to appear "emotionally strong". That does not mean they are emotionally strong. In fact that may mean they are weaker emotionally because they feel afraid to acknowledge their own emotions and impluses.
I think "emotional strength" can be measured in how you acknowledge, accept, and deal with your emotions, and I don't think that can be judged from a glance.
But don't worry, you have not offended anyone.

 

a friend of mine wrote a paper on this, why women weren't allowed in combat, that sort of thing. he went into it with sort of the idea that it was discrimination, and it was an outdated idea.

basically he learned, that it has less to do with women not being able or qualified, but more to do with morale and male bonding. men tend to do stupid things in the presence of females, on purpose or not.

it also had to do with that "hero" instinct, that caveman ideal of "protect the womenfolk" the army doesn't want to even begin to try to train that out of it's soldiers.

women stronger, men stronger, whatever. that all comes down to an individual basis. but in the case of the armed forces, it's mostly that stuff I said.

 

Can I Remind Everyone That We Have Childern, A Man Couldnt Handle That Kind Of Pain Thats Why We Were Intended To Bare Childern. Thats Why There More Women That Men, Thats Why Women Live Longer That Men.

 

I'll agree with that. It makes more sense than any other argument I've heard on this subject.

 

A teenager with a lot of experience with emotional women? Hmmmm.


Post again in 10 years.

I think my brother might be able to open a pickle jar that I can't, but is he emotionally stronger? I think not. I think we deal with emotions in different ways.

My ex-husband had a nervous breakdown from watching me have an emergency c-section. Just try to picture it. As my belly is being cut open I'm trying to comfort him. A pillar of emotional strength, I tell you.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I can be emotionally unstable with the best of them if it will keep me out of the military. In that case, I'm PMSing ALL the time. Look out.

 

is this sarcasm?

 

In the Marine Corps (former Marine Sergeant here) the physical standards for men and women are very different. Men had to do a minimum of 3 pull ups, 60 sit ups, and a 3 mile run in 28 mins. Women had to do ZERO pull ups (they just have to hang from the bar for a specific amount of time)! I forget what they had to do for situps and the run though (it was a while ago). The weight standards are very different also. This is because MEN and WOMEN ARE VERY DIFFERENT. How can you argue that they are not?

 

Okay...yes, childbirth is extremely painful, but I don't think one thing has anything to do with the other.

 

Crying isn't a sign of "emotional weakness." Not unless you have been brainwashed that it is. It is an emotional response, but not a weakness.

I do agree that for jobs like firefighting, where physical strength is needed to do the job, womyn should be held to the same standards as men. People's lives and the lives of the other firefighters are at risk. There are some womyn who will make the grade, and others who won't.