This holiday break went by way too quickly. And as most bored “breakees” often do, I watched several movies to pass the time. One in particular which stood out to me this break was a 1997 film “G.I. Jane,” starring Demi Moore as Lieutenant O’Neil as a test-case female trainee in the elite Navy SEALS commando force. This is due to a crusading chairperson of the military budget committee pressuring the would-be Secretary of the Navy to begin full gender integration of the service. No one expects her to succeed in an inhumanly punishing regime with a standard 60 percent dropout rate for men.
For me, the most memorable scene was one in which she was captured during training.
“Do you think we should go easy on women, Lieutenant?” she is asked as the master chief chokes her. He beats her up and even begins to attempt to rape her, saying, “Guys, I’m saving her life and yours. Her presence makes us all vulnerable, and I don’t want you all learning that inconvenient fact under fire.”
He then tells the lieutenant to “seek life elsewhere” to which she taunts back with a three word phrase (about getting a car wash, if you know what I mean) which earns the respect of all her fellow soldiers.
Afterwards, discussing what they witnessed, some of the men feel assured that they don’t need to worry anymore.
“It ain’t gonna happen again,” one says, to which the master chief responds, “Yeah it will. It may not be with you, or these guys, or with me, but she’s not the problem. We are.” This is because the master chief, like most men, still has certain feelings about women and doesn’t quite fully come to terms with his deeply-held belief that men should protect women. Ultimately the movie raises the question, “Is a woman’s life more valuable than a man’s?”
I am always for personal choice. Therefore, I have no qualms supporting females who wish to place themselves in harm’s way in combat, so long as when these situations do arise, the decision is made by the officers involved, not made a political issue.
In fact, this has been happening much more since 2001 both in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes though, a woman’s desire to serve her country in a high-risk combat situation is not logistically advantageous for her and more importantly for those with whom she is with on the battlefield.
This is because, as much as some don’t like to admit it, males on average are physically more adept in combat situations compared to the average female. There are always exceptions, and this is why I believe it should always be handled on a case-by-case basis.
Extreme feminism tells us women are the same as men, and in “G.I. Jane,” this moment is epitomized when Moore commands master chief to do the deed which, when a female asks, is anatomically impossible.
It is at this point in the movie, bloody and beaten to the core, that she becomes a real “man.” The line insinuates that success for women in the military will come when they think of themselves as men. We can talk about equal opportunity all we want, but does anybody really believe that it’s a victory for women to submit themselves to a system which reveres manhood (equaling physical strength and courage and the right to say that infamous three-word phrase which I can not even put into print)?
It is time for post-feminism – a movement which will recognize the equality of women to men, but one which will also realize their differences.
Is gender a social construct? Am I a man because society says I am a man? Are you a woman because society calls you woman? Sure, maybe in a certain sense, but there is no denying women have an incredible gift that a measly, maggot man will never have: the ability to sustain and nourish life. Human life can literally flourish in your womb, can feed on your own body and because of that, you will have a connection to life on a level that I will never understand.
So forgive me, “G.I. Jane,” for finding your life more valuable. Forgive me for wanting to protect you, forgive me for being a gentleman and opening the door for your, forgive me for allowing you to make me “weaker,” forgive me for holding you to a higher standard you sometimes view as “oppression.”
Julio Cespedes is a senior majoring in biological engineering. He can be contacted at [email protected].