by Diane Robertson
Last week there was good news for the families of America. Several senators successfully eliminated a provision that would have forced women age 18 to 26 to be registered for selective service or the draft.
The house passed a military bill last summer that included a “Draft our Daughters” provision. When the bill reached the senate again this fall, 17 conservative senators, led by Senator Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, signed a letter advocating opposition to any defense bill that included the “Draft our Daughters”.
The senators won and all provisions were removed!
Former Marine Corps servicewoman Jude Eden said that “Combat is not an equal opportunity for women because they don’t have an equal opportunity to survive.” Women do not have the same physical prowess as men. Even the most athletic of women injure more easily and receive injuries more frequently than men of the same age. There is a reason there are separate women’s sports and men’s sports teams and leagues.
I can look at my kids and see the difference. I have a 12 year-old son who is tall and weighs nearly a hundred pounds. He is strong. His sister, who is just 17 months younger, is short and weighs less than 50 pounds. She is healthy, but not at all strong. If the measure had passed, both my large, strong son, and my small, weaker daughter would have been required to register for selective service and serve alongside each other during war. I have no question that my tiny little daughter would not survive. While I would never want my son to have to face war, I know he has a chance to fight and make a difference.
Forcing women to go to war is also bad for families. Women are the mothers. Many women become a mother for the first time between the ages of 18 and 26. Women bare children; they raise the next generation. It is bad enough that a nation requires fathers to fight. But, if the women were to go out to war, life would be lost for two generations.
As a mother, I am very grateful to the senators who stood up and protected the daughters of this nation as well as the generation to come.