Santorum: Concerns about "emotions" if women on front lines
Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum.
/ AP Photo/Jeff Roberson"I want to create every opportunity for women to be able to serve this country" Santorum said in an interview with CNN.
But, he said, "I do have concerns about women in front line combat. I think that could be a very compromising situation where - where people naturally, you know, may do things that may not be in the interests of the mission because of other types of emotions that are involved."
Santorum went on to say that while "probably, you know, it already happens, of course," due to the "camaraderie of men in combat."
But he said that if women were also serving on the front lines, "it would be even more unique."
"And I think that's probably not in the best interests of men, women or the mission."
In an interview with NBC's "Today" show on Friday, Santorum clarified the remarks, noting that he's not concerned with women being emotional -- but rather that their presence on the field could impact men's decisions in battle.
"When you have men and women together in combat, I think there's, men have emotions when you see a woman in harm's way. I think it's something that's natural. That's very much in our culture, to be protective," he said. "That was my concern. I think that's a concern with all of the militaries."
According to the new Pentagon guidelines, women can be permanently assigned to battalions in roles such as medics, radio operators, intelligence officers, or communications officers. In practice, women have already been serving in these roles in temporary positions, but the new rule formalizes this practice, effectively opening up about 14,000 jobs.
Still, women may not yet serve in combat roles on the front lines. The new rules maintain a ban on women serving in infantry roles, as well as in combat tank units and in special operations commando units.
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Apparently, our soldiers are deathly afraid of another gay soldier seeing their private parts in the shower, and they'll totally fall apart if they see their fellow female soldiers in danger.
It sounds like they are way too fragile to protect our country.
But think about this for a minute. The military has *always* trained men to see the enemy as the out-group, or even as non-human. Using this and other methods, they train men to kill other humans. I think it's safe to say that this method has proven to be highly effective.
Now, if the military can do that, don't you think they can handle training to the "protective urge" as well?
I think Santorum's attitude is offensive to men in the military, and to women in general. It says that women in combat roles will act like helpless, prissy, incapable losers, and that men are incapable of treating them as equals. In other words, just what you'd expect from a righty.
thats because strong, logical and powerful women are rare and hard to find.
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From a Santorum supporter...enough said.
Very patronizing. I have a strong feeling that Santorum is basing all he knows from the women in his family - obedient, submissive, devout, etc.
Besides, has Santorum even seen those horrible videos of teenage girls beating the crap of each other?
When you wish to protect population levels, send males off to war.
When you wish to reduce population levels, send your females.
We are now in a crisis of both population and moral authority in which the future of our species is wholly in doubt.
he has very valid points and people are just dismissing them without attempting to understand them.