One of the most recent topics on the political front has been the debate as to whether or not women should participate in the draft.  Traditionally women have never had to worry about filing with Selective Services, but now, against the better interest of the nation, this may soon change.

According to Lewis C. Brodsky in 1996, “women aren’t being considered for a draft because, historically, the draft was used to fill combat units.”  However, many are beginning to argue that this purpose is no longer relevant. In January of 2013, the Pentagon lifted the ban on women in combat positions, roles that involve being on the front lines, due to the changing perceptions of women in the military, and this action began a series of debates concerning the draft for women.

Due to the increasing equality between men and women, some women also believe that they should have the same positions as men, and many men are starting to question why they are the only ones required to be eligible for the draft.

The root of this is simple: people do not want to be told what they can and cannot do, and in our increasingly accepting society, people are constantly calling for the lessening of distinctions between different races, cultures, and in this case genders.

Along these lines, senior Kylie Routson said, “I think [drafting women] would also really eliminate whats left chivalry since women could be killed in action.”

While equality in each of these groups is certainly important, citizens must realize that each group does have its own strengths and weaknesses. In the case of men and women, while women should be treated as no less than men, they should not necessarily expect to be given the same roles as men. Because of this, women should not be required to be drafted.

Routson also said that women should not be drafted “Because traditionally, women have been the primary caretaker of children. And I’d rather lean toward tradition than venture away from it.”

Though not all women may embrace this role as primary caretaker, since according to the U.S. Census Bureau more women than not are mothers, women must remain exempt from the draft.  The topic would have more approachability once this is not the case which is unlikely to be anytime soon.

Additionally, women are more prone to sexual assault both from the enemy and their own countrymen. While women certainly can prove to be valuable assets in the military, placing them in predominantly male spheres of influence could be dangerous to these women.

As senior John Li said, “[W]omen may be prone to rape from both ally and enemy soldiers, which may scar these women.”

Even before the approval for women to be allowed in the combat positions, the Department of Defense estimated that about 19,000 rapes occurred in the US military per year with only about 14% of them being reported.  This number will certainly not decline now that women are joining the front lines or if we are to start drafting women into the military.

In short, women should remain as they are.  There is no need to send more women to their deaths involuntarily through a draft purely in the name of social progression, if it can even be called such.  Later might be the time to broach the issue again, but now is certainly not that time.