I don't want to get bogged down in this debate, but I wanted to make a point.

The military in Iraq is NOT the military of old. Lets not forget that this administrations handling of this war has been incompentent. With that the rate of new recruits has gone down... so what did they do? The lowered the standards. Many young men are going over to Iraq with known mental problems, criminal records and known propensity for violence. Don't you think that would increase the chances of bad acts?

I just want to make one other point. What we want to be truth is often a long way from what the truth actually is. Yes, I want to see woman given every opportunity that any man has. If a woman wants to serve in the Military I believe she should be given that chance and if that includes combat then so be it. However the fact remains that no matter how much we wish, want or demand that men who rape or abuse take responsiblity for their actions...they won't. The reality of things NOW in this moment is that women are being raped and not a few by a "few" bad apples, but on a pretty large scale. You are not able to compare the actions of these bad apples here to what is happening there. There is way too much of a difference, area, situtation etc.. to make the a plausalbe argument. It's as dishonest an argument as the one used by the Bush supporters who compared the loss of life in Iraq with car accidents in the US.

The fact is their is a difference between men and women. Men got the braun women got the brains (not that women can't be tough). Why do we demand that women be forced into combat, possibly what they would be better at is the logistical strategy of war. Women are the stronger sex in many ways but there is nothing wrong with recongnizing the difference and understanding that those differences don't have to be at odds but actually could work together.

Bottom line as a country, as a man or a woman we should respect our soldiers and support them in every way possible. It takes a great deal of strength for many of the women serving to willingly leave their children and families to serve their country.