Reflections on Veteran's Day and the Feminist View of War

Although the timing is now pretty bad (it's 40 minutes until midnight), I wanted to post something about Veteran's Day. First of all, I hope everyone took some time out to reflect upon the sacrifices that war veterans have made for us, and what we owe to them. Ed Bartlett wrote up a short essay that relates to men's issues and the way war is often spoken of as an expression of masculinity - when the only thing particularly masculine about it is the body count. Click Read More for the submission.

Reflections on Veteran's Day and the Feminist View of War

A couple days ago I was talking to a woman about Veteran's Day.

During our conversation, she expressed the feminist theory that war is
simply an expression of male aggression, and it has nothing to do with
men risking their lives to protect their families and countries. She
suggested that if women were in control, we wouldn't have any wars.

In response, I mentioned to her these historical facts:

• In 1973, Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir helped launch the Israeli
  counterattack against Egyptian and Syrian troops in the Yom Kippur War.
• In 1982, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher declared war on
  Argentina in a battle over the British-occupied Falkland Islands.
• Just a few weeks ago, President Bush requested Congress to support him
  in his war against terrorism. All but one of the female members of
  Congress voted in favor of the resolution.

Veteran's Day was established at the close of World War I, a war that
claimed over one million U.S. casualties, almost all of them men.

Veteran's Day commemorates the supreme sacrifice that men have made in
the past. And Veteran's Day recognizes the four men who have already
died in Afghanistan in the fight against Osama bin Laden.

The feminist theory of war stereotypes men as inherently violent. This
theory ultimately serves to discount the many sacrifices that men have
made since time immortal to protect their children and womenfolk.

It's time we put to rest the feminist explanation for war, a
far-fetched, hare-brained theory that does not stand up to even the most
superficial historical analysis.

Edward E. Bartlett

eba@intr.net

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http://news.mensactivism.org/articles/01/11/13/0425204.shtml