Letters to the Editor
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I'll still take Webb any day over Allan.
This may surprise you, but a lot of women who consider themselves feminists, myself included, happen to agree that it's not a good idea to have women in combat. We're not dealing here with stereotypes about character and emotion, but with some very basic, intractable facts of biology. Women, on average, are smaller, less muscular, and slower on their feet. Granted, there are some exceptions. You'd probably rather have Venus Williams in your foxhole than a man who's about as physically fit as I am. But we're talking norms and averages here. And one thing I have in common with Venus Williams is that I can't pee, you should pardon the expression, standing up. That may sound trivial, but think how it slows down an army on the march if half the soldiers need those few extra minutes to relieve themselves. When I was younger, another thing I shared with Venus was the possibility of getting pregnant. Obviously, a pregnant soldier can't fight, and let's face it -- human nature in a co-ed situation is human nature. Mr. Webb's remark about "horny women" may have been unfortunate, but it meets the true definition of a political gaffe, in that he inadvertently told the truth a bit too bluntly.
Susan Wood