The hand that rocks the cradle pulls the trigger, too
For decades, women have been brainwashed to believe that opportunity was denied to them because of their sex. Feminist advocates declared war on the chauvinistic society and demanded that allowances be made for women so they could compete on an “equal playing field.” Ironically, the liberal institutions have been more resilient in holding on to their glass ceilings than the bastion of male dominance, the military.
Katie Horner learned as a young girl that empowerment came from within rather than from legislation or quotas. Her childhood taught her other important lessons as well.
As always, Horner’s M-4 rifle was shoved between the right side of her seat and the plexiglass canopy. Her 9mm pistol was stashed in her escape-and-evasion bag, which she stuffed into a crack beside the console. A Cobra’s cockpit is a tight squeeze. On the ground, she wore the pistol in a shoulder holster. Her father taught her to shoot when she was growing up in Texas. “Never point a weapon at something you don’t intend to kill,” he told her. Her father and brother shot doves. Horner shot skeet. She had a problem with hunting something she wasn’t going to eat and didn’t have any other reason to kill.
Now Marine Capt. Katie Horner pilots a Cobra helicopter and has served two tours in Iraq. While there, her targets weren’t clay but Iraqi insurgents attacking other Marine ground units. The Washington Times has covered her story of triumph over stereotypical discrimination and the role and controversies of women in today’s combat military theatre.
Ready to Kill
Debate has been driven by the question of women’s abilities to perform well in combat situations. Everything from the psychological differences between men and women and the impact that a co-ed combat unit would produce. Would women as “natural” nurturers be ruthless enough to kill no matter what the enemy? Would men be more “protective” and sacrifice their own safety to protect female comrades? Physical differences may play a difference in the majority of past warfare, but today’s mechanized and high-tech military has led to opportunities where intelligence and discipline is more important than muscle and macho.
Zero in on the act of taking a life, and the pros and cons change. Strength becomes largely irrelevant at the moment of killing in modern warfare. With today’s weaponry, if you can move your finger, you can pull a trigger. So if there’s anything about women that makes them less effective at killing, it may be more psychological than physical.
If the record of Capt. Horner is any proof, women will continue to fill an increasing role in the military, fighting side by side with their male counterparts.
I saw Sen. Clinton’s new campaign ad, the one where the children are fast asleep at 3:00 am and there is a call made to the White House, and I became disturbed. My mind suddenly flashed to scenes of the movie, The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. I already have mentioned to my friends that Sen. Clinton reminds me of the actor, Rebecca De Mornay, how much more scary is her likeness to the character Peyton Flanders? Seriously, look up some pictures, watch the movie, compare mannerisms, and notice the manipulations and insidious smirks… Should US citizens be afraid?