Since 1944, the military did not officially allow women in combat zones, arguing against their ability to survive in times of war. Recently, news broke about the potential lift of Boy Scouts’ ban against homosexuals. The former ban will definitely disappear; the latter seems on the cusp. Although only one out of these two instances of progress seems likely, it’s still a step towards more equality.
In case you didn’t know, women have actually always been on the frontlines – especially in Iraq and in Afghanistan, when gathering intelligence. They might not have received official recognition, but to their comrades and loved ones, they were valued military personnel. We believe the move, decided by defense secretary Leon Panetta, is a step towards equal gender roles.
Boy Scouts will leave in the hands of local scouting groups the decision to allow gay members. The mere proposition of this change proves just how far society has progressed in its acceptance of homosexuality.
Boy Scouts of America might have been pressured by the significant loss of support from organizations.
The ban on homosexual boys and leaders have been consistently reconsidered. In July 2012, the Scouts reaffirmed its ban. The Mirror is glad to know that the national board will take into consideration their bigoted stance once again.
Though we will be interested in following how exactly more women will be integrated into the military, we applaud this coming change, and we hope that the Boy Scouts take into account the change of time and the change of opinions.
This week also marked another progression towards the eradication of bigotry and inequality. The MLK Memorial March on January 29 was one of the coolest events to happen on campus in a long time. The march was a perfect example of how instigating change on a larger scale, such as the change in policy in the military and Boy Scouts, starts right in your immediate community.
For example, as students and faculty stood outside of the library as the final destination of the march, students exiting the library got caught in the crowd as they tried to leave. Though many busted through the masses and walked away unaffected, a few students turned around and stopped to listen to what was being said by different speakers.
It is precisely these few students who are made aware of social inequality through these acts of activism who can make the difference in a petition to, say, allow women on the front lines and gays in the Boy Scouts.
Leave a Reply