difference = equality

A few nights ago I watched an episode of NCIS in which one of the female main characters ends up being killed. It wasn't the greatest episode, disappointing considering the story line could have been fantastic! However, that isn't why I am writing about it today... in one scene the Senior Agent (Gibbs) is in the autopsy room with the medical examiner (Duckie) and they are discussing women in combat. It was Duckie who said, 'until they can be equal in death they can never really be equal in combat'. I thought about that statement for days afterwards. I fully believe in the equality of gender, however, there is something to be said for the differences in genders that has simply been ignored since women's lib. Is equal the same as different? I don't think so.

As a woman I enjoy being feminine, I love that my husband is bigger than myself and can wrap his strong arms around me in a protective embrace and I will feel safe there. I love that at night before bed he goes around and locks the house up, or when we walk down the street he walks closest to the road just in case a rogue car leaps the curb, I enjoy the feel of his hand over mine when travelling in a crowd, as he makes his way in front of me so that a path is cleared and I don't get bumped.

Does all of this mean that I am old fashioned? Men were built to be stronger, to be the hunter, to be the protector and you know what? I am okay with that, because I was built for my own purposes as well. Together man and woman compliment each other, we dance together and it's beautiful, our footing is perfect, if each dancer were to attempt to do the same part they would end up in a colossal mess on the stage.

Now, all of this is not to say that I believe women should not be in the military or in combat... not at all... I just wanted to point out the value in having roles that are different, that doesn't mean we aren't equal just that we are not the same.