Gender And War

Last week's group talked about gender and war, which I think has become a growing issue among our lives today. We were split into groups and each had a different gender and war conflict to discuss. My group talked about how it was a big step for women to become suicide bombers. This was for a couple reasons, one: because no one thinks about women willingly giving up their lives. and two: because war or killing is usually done by the men, not the women. Even now that women are allowed in the army and allowed to fight, it doesn't mean that they are fully considered equals in the army. Women are still limited in doing some things in the army, as in being in the front line. This is because women aren't as strong as them men, and so in times of battle, if men are wounded or killed, and people are needed to drag the bodies, the women aren't strong enough to do that. Hence why they aren't allowed to be at the front of the line. Another topic about suicide bombers, whether men or women, is who convinces these people to kill themselves as well as many others around them. I know for myself, I cannot imagine one day strapping a bomb to my stomach, knowing I was going to soon be gone from this world, and along with me the people who are around me, when the bomb goes off. Taking such an action that would go in the news depending on how much damage I did, would make me remembered in a small way. But it is hard for me, to think of doing this, as I said before. Then again, it might be hard for us, here in the United States to think of killing ourselves, but some people are really committed to their country and their religion. Not saying that no one here does, but I think its a different aspect then here. True, the people who go off the war are risking their lives as well, but I believe there is a difference, because any one of the troops that are sent over seas have a chance of living, while a suicide bomber is going to die, no matter what. So back to the the female suicide bombers, I think that the women are showing the men, and other women in the world, that they are just as capable of doing what men can do. This was a step to "equal" ourselves in a way, but is it such a good thing to want to do? That is for each of us to decide!