Jessica Lynch has amnesia

Dis · May 4, 2003, 15:18

They are trying to get her to regain her memory. But is that a good thing? Isn't amnesia a good thing in this case. The brain does this for a reason. To protect itself from harmful events.

Call me a sexist if you will, but women should not be in combat zones in the army.

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 15:23

What exactly is the extent of her amnesia?

Are there some events she can't remember? Only a specific period of time?

Or does she have some kind of brain damage where she has trouble doing basic functions?

Dis · May 4, 2003, 15:25

she cannot remember any events after she was captured. she still knows who she is etc.

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 15:28

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
They are trying to get her to regain her memory. But is that a good thing? Isn't amnesia a good thing in this case. The brain does this for a reason. To protect itself from harmful events.

Call me a sexist if you will, but women should not be in combat zones in the army.

This is a poor viewpoint.

To go with your thought process, only straight males should be allowed to serve their country.
(I'm assuming here, that you oppose Gay service.)

And to answer the thread question, she can deal with what she remembers.
What lurks in the mind unremembered, can't be dealt with as easily.

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 15:29

Oh, so it sounds like a side-effect from her going into shock.

I think that is common when something traumatic happens.

chequita guevara · May 4, 2003, 15:31

Anyone who doesn't have a physical or mental disability and wants to serve in the Armed Forces should be allowed to do so . . . unless there's a valid security reason to keep them out. I shoulda been allowed to serve!

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 15:32

Exactly.

I voted for "The military should have all women divisions/units and all men divisions/units", but would add, I guess 2 more units, to allow for Gaydom.

Rufus T. Firefly · May 4, 2003, 15:33

Quote:

Originally posted by Dissident
she cannot remember any events after she was captured. she still knows who she is etc.

So she doesn't remember that her Iraqi doctors, from whom she was "rescued," actually protected her by hiding her when Saddam's soldiers came to the hospital? And she doesn't remember that, two days before her "rescue," the same brave Iraqi doctors actually risked their lives by putting her into an ambulance and driving her up to the American checkpoint, only to have to turn around once the Americans began firing on them? That's convenient.

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 15:34

I think all US officers are trained at West Point to shoot at every doctor they see.

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 15:37

Or VMI.

yago · May 4, 2003, 15:39

I don't see any difference between a man and a woman in arms. They both can get traumatized by the things they go through. Woman can as good shoot with rifles as men do. It's plain silly to exclude women from fighting on the front.

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 15:39

I agree Slow it's pretty much standard doctrine throughout all the military schools.

I think in the advanced classes they teach you how to shoot the nurses too.

asleepathewheel · May 4, 2003, 15:45

I fail to see the relation between her having amnesia and women being in the military. I imagine many men would have amnesia if they saw their colleagues killed, be beaten over several days, be stabbed, shot and god knows what else done to her.

That said I don't have a problem with women in the military. Why prevent people that actually want to join up from joining up? The women that I have known have been as capable in every aspect of life as I or men have been. So why not the military? It doesn't mean you slap them with an M-16 or whatever and send them in the first wave.

to people who want to be in the military.

Kirnwaffen · May 4, 2003, 15:53

Women should be allowed to serve in combat units IF they meet the same physical standards as men. Period. This has nothing to do with Jessica Lynch because she was not serving in a combat unit.

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 15:54

And shooting dumbass 2nd Lieutenants.
Can't have them out there making whacko decisions, not even consulting their top N.C.O.

ajbera · May 4, 2003, 16:01

Women should be allowed in the military, provided they meet the appropriate physical/psychological requirements. It has always pissed me off that certain groups (firefighters, for instance) have lower physical requirements for women. If the job requires an individual to be able to carry a 200 lb. person down 20 flights fo stairs, that standard should be applied to al candidates. Fewer women than men will be able to meet those standards, but that's life. Those people who can, regardless of sex, should be allowed to do the job.

So, women should fight if they want, as long as they can perform the physical duties as well as men can. Hell, not all men qualify for many duties - no reason to cut off half the population from applying for the job just because significantly fewer will be able to do so.

Gays should be alowed to fight too, though then there are other challenges to be met. Still, no reason to deny anyone with the ability and desire to defend their country from doing so.

I concur - thumbs up to people who want to be in the military. Anyone willing to sacrifice their life to preserve their homeland and fellow citizens deserves respect.

asleepathewheel · May 4, 2003, 16:03

Quote:

Originally posted by Kirnwaffen
Women should be allowed to serve in combat units IF they meet the same physical standards as men. Period. This has nothing to do with Jessica Lynch because she was not serving in a combat unit.

I would agree. If they can lug the arms then great, but if not, can't slow the rest down or have someone underarmed, I mean less armed than others.But the other jobs in the military: pilots of all sorts, mechanics, medics, other jobs, I would think they could do just as well if not better than any man..

oedo · May 4, 2003, 16:06

women should not be in the military. period.
actually I think men also shouldn´t be in the military.

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 16:12

Oedo, what are you going to do after you dismantle your country's military?
Wave bye-bye?

oedo · May 4, 2003, 16:25

Quote:

Originally posted by SlowwHand

Oedo, what are you going to do after you dismantle your country's military?
Wave bye-bye?

frankly I have no idea. but I promise you, if you ever plan to disarm my country you won´t get any trouble with me.

seriously, I like the swiss idea of armed civilians. I don´t really know how it works but somehow it seems to work - in Switzerland at least.

SlowwHand · May 4, 2003, 16:29

Switzerland is not what one would call representative.
Think someone will take them over for their watch-makers ?

Chemical Ollie · May 4, 2003, 16:47

Quote:

Originally posted by Kirnwaffen
because she was not serving in a combat unit.

Her fate proves that all units are combat units. They just have more or less training for combat.

oedo · May 4, 2003, 16:53

right, even hitler didn´t try to attack our swiss cheese-friends. the only empire I know about trying to attack switzerland have been the romans. it was a complete desaster. conquering Helvetica wasn´t that much of a problem. however the swiss scattered salt all over their land before they fled, in order to make it useless for the romans. they finally succeeded with their "strategy".

Kirnwaffen · May 4, 2003, 16:53

Quote:

Her fate proves that all units are combat units. They just have more or less training for combat.

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 16:53

She sure as hell fought hard before they took her too.

The report says she kept firing until she ran out of ammo.

Oerdin · May 4, 2003, 17:26

I'm voting bare foot and pregnant just to piss off the feminazis.

Inverse Icarus · May 4, 2003, 17:28

Quote:

Originally posted by chegitz guevara
Anyone who doesn't have a physical or mental disability and wants to serve in the Armed Forces should be allowed to do so . . . unless there's a valid security reason to keep them out. I shoulda been allowed to serve!

if you dont mind me askigng, why couldn't you?

Ted Striker · May 4, 2003, 17:55

There are alot of old Roman stories about Celtic women racing into battle and kicking ass.

DinoDoc · May 4, 2003, 17:58

Quote:

Originally posted by UberKruX
if you dont mind me askigng, why couldn't you?

IIRC, he was kicked out for medical reasons before he could start basic training. I think it is one of the reasons he went red.

St Leo · May 4, 2003, 18:22

the only empire I know about trying to attack switzerland have been the romans. it was a complete desaster.

Don't forget about the Burgundians and the Austrians. They failed miserably.

OTOH, the French kicked some serious Swiss ass under Napoleon.