PFC Jessica Lynch
I'm not sure what to think on this one. On one hand, I believe that she's getting undue attention solely because she's a cute, blonde, white girl. I agree with Amp (!) that it's condescending to focus on her gender, as if a female *soldier* defending herself is to be viewed as something extraordinary. Don't get me wrong — she was tenacious and brave — but no more so than the men and minorities who fight alongside her (scroll down to "Good for Pfc Lynch, but ..." — the permalink isn't working).
On the other hand, she was nearly the first female American soldier to die in combat, and was pioneering in that respect. Rachel Lucas expresses such sentiments. Is it condescending to focus on the gender of Sally Ride, the first female Astronaut? It was not that long ago that women were finally allowed into the military, and this is that struggle coming into fruition — disproving the chauvinism that women are somehow inherently ill-suited for combat duty.
I love it when agreement with me generates a (!). :-)
Sally Ride was either the first or one of the first female Astronauts; but Pfc Lynch, I suspect, far from the first woman to serve in combat, or to (almost) die in combat.
I say "I suspect" because I know next-to-nohting about military matters, but it just seems unlikely to me that Pfc Lynch would be the first one. Think of all the women in support roles who have died in combat; think of all the women in militaries other than the US military.
I do agree with you (!) ;-) that Pfc Lynch is newsworthy as an added data point to the ongoing "should female soldiers be allowed in combat positions?" debate.
Posted by: Ampersand on April 5, 2003 2:22 PM | permalinkI read what everyone has to say on this matter... and regardless of what happened we should all be thankful that Pfc. Lynch lived....
Posted by: observor on April 17, 2003 8:35 PM | permalinkI don't agree with you all. It is on the Focus of the mission that is extraordinary. Let's get you all over there fighting...Being blind sided by an un expected raid, taken hostage. Being deprived the necessities of life for 8 days, Being beaten and bruised while your legs and arm is broken, and we'll see how you feel. You can talk the talk here at home all safe and sound, however without PFC Jessica Lynch, that would be one less person fighting for the freedoms that you an I enjoy. You should be kissing her ass right now. I would love to see you over there as a POW. You'd shit your pants.
Posted by: Jonas Fogg on April 19, 2003 10:57 AM | permalinkWell, Jonas, then why didn't the male POWs get nearly as much attention, while Lynch got the cover of People Magazine?
Oh, that's right, because she's a woman!
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on April 20, 2003 1:00 PM | permalinkread the latest news about our joan of arc,on the BBC website.the truth WILL SET YOU FREE.
Posted by: on May 21, 2003 12:53 AM | permalinkLook point blank you are not a hero if you get captured. When you are in the military(Marines) you are trained and taught that you never surrender and you do anything necassary to keep from being captured. To me it is being hyped up and to the observor you can kiss her ass all you want cause to me as a member of the armed forces it is an embarrasement to see the pictures of her being carried out and is nothing to be proud of. I've been in those situations and in the mix you do fear for the worse but that is when your training kicks into high gear and you fight to the last breath and remember observor the real hero are the ones that cant walk with today and walk with us only in our memories.
Posted by: quietstorm on June 13, 2003 9:20 AM | permalinkevery war has its heroes.first WW had sgt.york,2nd ww had audie murphy.and so this jessica was a shoe in for a starring role in this faux war. wake you dum dums.
Posted by: on June 28, 2003 4:18 PM | permalinkSo far, this is the poorest explaination I've heard. Not worthy of any further comment. Take some time to educate yourself and work on your spell'n, dum dum.
Posted by: on July 10, 2003 12:36 PM | permalinkWhat act of valor did PFC Lynch do to earn the Bronze Star? Just survive capture? I think it cheapens the medal because hundreds of military have done much more heroic deeds without the fanfare that has been shown to PFC Lynch. Don't get me wrong I'm glad she survived, but just because she's a blond, 19 year-old female doesn't warrant her the Bronze Star. My father was a WWII vet-24 years in the Navy, my husband 20 year Marine spent 2 tours in Viet Nam, my oldest son is a Captain in the Air Force and my youngest son is a 2nd Lt. in the Army waiting Ranger School so don't think me unpatriotic. Cathy
Posted by: Cathy on July 23, 2003 9:47 PM | permalinkThis is to Jonas Fogg, what about us that can walk the walk but also fight the fight. She is a fraud and she was not out there fighting for our country she was to busy curled up in a ball on the ground while those who were fighting for our country died along side her and she did nothing about it. And without jessica lynch we would not have had to spend all that time and wasted money to rescue her ass. She is a fake. Now she wants to medicaly discharged, I know a colonel who was shot down in grenada and other cobras circled around him with no ammo just to keep the rebel forces of his tail and in the event one got shot down and all crew died and he was rescued. He was given the chance to get out but he vowed that for those who gave their lives for him he would stay in as long as the marines would let him and he served faithfully for them for 26 years, those are the real heros.
Posted by: quietstorm on August 5, 2003 10:57 PM | permalinkI was just reading the article on Jessica Lynch and how she was too busy rehabilitating for the release of her new book to go see the gentleman that saved her. Now I would like to be able to think of a polite way to say how I feel, but it is difficult. She joined the service willingly as thousands do. They all put their lives at risk when going to war. I must be missing something I guess because I do not see what makes her so special. I do think it was news worthy to tell us about what happened just as it is news worthy to inform us of those that die daily but enough is enough. All the pride, admiration, and sympathy I had for her flew out the window when it was announced so quickly she was writing a book. I for one will never purchase it. I have a daughter that has been in the service for almost eight years and I am very proud of her. I know this is not the way she was brought up to act. What about the young girl with the ankles that were shot up? She is not so important and if not why?
Posted by: Bonnie on October 27, 2003 10:13 PM | permalinkPlease tell me that what I just read in today's Parade magazine isn't true, that the man who told the U.S. troops where to find Jessica Lynch recently went to her hometown to visit her and was told by her attorney that she was too busy to see him. I sure hope this isn't true but if it is I ask this - with all the media attention that's been focused on her since she was found has she now forgotten that that man single-handedly literally saved her life, that if he had not had the heart to walk 6 miles twice to let the Americans know how to get to her that she most certainly would not be alive today?? I just hope like heck that this isn't true because there should never be a day of Jessica's life from this point on that she should ever turn that man away for any reason.
Posted by: Alesia on November 10, 2003 12:24 AM | permalinkThis is all hype, for Americas first blonde girl in enemy territory....
She said she just knelt down and prayed, sure i feel bad for what happened to her... She was in t
he hands of friendly doctors at an Iraqi hospital
how can she be called a hero... the heros are still there saving our fallen and injured troops.
Who doesn't feel some sympathy for Jessica BUT after watching the interview I feel like Jessica herself has chosen to Profit from her experience which in my opion is so very wrong. From what I have heard she was no hero at all and instead just a scared young girl not a hero. She was not a POW because she was in a hospital where the doctors and nurses were saving her life not holding her hostage. I would like to know why she chose to write a book about her experience and make alot of money instead of standing up for all the young scared Americans in Iraq that like her should have never gone. She never should have been in Iraq and she did not help our people out there as far as I can see. Why is she hoping the memory of sex crimes done to her in Iraq to Fade away IF she can't remember any sex crimes done to her in the first place? Something is wrong with that statement. We should spend alot more time Praising our Real Herosl.
Posted by: on November 11, 2003 11:46 PM | permalinkNo more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.