Chapter 3 and 4

When I was in the Marine Corps, I did not believe that Women or Homosexuals should be allowed in combat positions.  And to clarify, after years of reflection, my viewpoints have changed; however, reading chapter 3 and chapter 4 made me realize the true systematic implications of interpreting a group of people in a specific way.  Moreover, with the constant use of Facebook (and other social media devices) the term “media” is a lot broader than it used to be.

Let me explain.  With the recent ending of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the inclusion of women in direct combat, my Facebook newsfeed has been inundated with comments from my fellow Infantry Marines.  Some post pictures of women who are represented to be of the weaker sex; others just post articles and quotes about the “inefficiencies” the military is now promoting.

Like I said before, I no longer agree with this sentiment, but I find myself not eager to fight against the sometimes-inappropriate representation of women.  The two chapters, especially chapter 3, made me question why.  I always assumed I was avoiding confrontation, but now reflect on my past beliefs and how they may affect my current beliefs.

Going along with what the two chapters discussed, the overwhelming amount of pornographic material available in the male-driven military might represent the misrepresentation of women in submissive roles.  The Male Combat Marine, who sees himself as a protector of freedom, or a warfighter would easily attach himself to a dominant position in a gender role and would see the opposite gender as the home-provider and the “the person being protected.” 

Now before the announcement of the inclusion of Women in combat, there was no mention of this issue in my Facebook newsfeed; however, after the announcement, the “media” interpretations began to filter, recreate and distort the image of women – the role of women in the military (in my Facebook feed), even though women have served in combat zones before, changed due to the altered perceptions - Just like the changing role of the picture of Marilyn Monroe.  The Marines who feared the changing of the Status Quo (in my feed), only used representations that are negative and sometimes pornographic in nature; the one who no longer believes this (maybe not just me – hopefully not just me) didn’t say a thing – more than likely due to the fear of similar labeling.