Why We Need Women in War Zones

Media • February 2011 • Views: 1,365

THOUSANDS of men blocked the road, surrounding the S.U.V. of the chief justice of Pakistan, a national hero for standing up to military rule. As a correspondent for The Chicago Tribune, I knew I couldn’t just watch from behind a car window. I had to get out there.

So, wearing a black headscarf and a loose, long-sleeved red tunic over jeans, I waded through the crowd and started taking notes: on the men throwing rose petals, on the men shouting that they would die for the chief justice, on the men sacrificing a goat.

And then, almost predictably, someone grabbed my buttocks…

[…]

Please read it all. Especially you, Mr. SpaceJesus. Thank you.

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7 comments

celticdragon Sun, Feb 20, 2011 8:06:45am

Great article. I agree.

SpaceJesus Sun, Feb 20, 2011 11:48:16am

I'm just gonna repost what I said at the end of the last thread.

"I would never place an employee in a position where something about them would make them more of a target than others. Common sense and safety should trump short sighted greed every time."

At SpaceJesus News Corp., we would take better care of our employees, even if that means protecting them from themselves occasionally. For instance, I wouldn't allow a black reporter of mine into the midst of a white nationalist coup of some sort because it is reasonably foreseeable that his skin color would increase the likelihood of attack. I wouldn't give a damn how bad he or she would want to go. I wouldn't allow a Middle Eastern Muslim reporter of mine to report from the epicenter of a Geller hate rally either. This is just common sense, and as the hypothetical boss, I would have the inherent task with looking out for my reporter employees. I know I can't get rid of the risk of something bad happening to one of my reporters, but if I have the chance to decrease it by sending somebody else, I would do it every time.

Jadespring Sun, Feb 20, 2011 11:54:06am

re: #2 SpaceJesus

Which is why is I was a female reporter I would not care to work for your company.

Thanks but no thanks. I can make my own decisions about risk to my person.

SpaceJesus Sun, Feb 20, 2011 12:11:01pm

re: #3 Jadespring

Fair enough. If you don't want to work for somebody who cares about their employees, go for it.

Jadespring Sun, Feb 20, 2011 12:12:55pm

re: #4 SpaceJesus

Fair enough. If you don't want to work for somebody who cares about their employees, go for it.

Oh I like employers who care. I just don't like employers who take that caring into the realm of patronization.

SpaceJesus Sun, Feb 20, 2011 12:28:34pm

re: #5 Jadespring

How is it patronizing?

Word to the wise: if you are trying to couch my argument as being "father knows best for daughter" you are making a mistake. As quite possibly the most liberal person posting here, I am all for equal opportunity, just not at the expense of unnecessary unequal risk.

Jadespring Sun, Feb 20, 2011 1:27:00pm

I'm not couching anything and it has nothing at all to do with whether your liberal or not. Patronization is shall we say equal opportunity. Found most everywhere.

You can couch it all you want in caring words about 'risk' and whatnot. It's still you making decisions on what you think is too risky for someone based on what you think is best for them because of who they happen to be. In this case female or black. Fine do it. That's your perogative but don't think that it's not a viewpoint based not based in patroniztion. That you can't see it is your issue not mine.

I've seen this attitude and viewpoint a zillion times in my life and it's hardly been relegated to ones political stance. It's just as much and issue with liberals and some of the worst I've ever come across are lefties. It's actually way worse to deal with when it's lefties because many have this idea that just because they're left of course they're free from it. Only righties do that sort of thing. It is simply not the case in the real world. Talk to most any woman that's involved in political leftie world and you'll find dozens of examples.

Also did you even read the article? Do you think the women, the types who are actually being talked about here would agree with you? In fact it sure looks like some of it was talking about how they didn't want the exact sort of thing you are suggesting to happen. If they don't want it and you insist that if it was you involved you do pretty much exactly what they don't want then how are you able to suggest that it's not you playing an "I know best' role. You are playing that role like it or not. If you don't like father knows best then use mother knows best instead. It's still the same thing regardless of gender.

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