<p>I am a woman
I am a mother ( one son and one daughter)
I am intelligent
I am strong and buff
I am as independent as they come (ask my husband)
I enjoy having men open doors for me
I enjoy having men courteously desirous of assisting me
I can match any man intellectually
I am smart enough to know I cannot match most men physically</p>
<p>I have no desire to enter into combat or serve as a police officer
I have the utmost respect for any person who does desire a military or police career</p>
<p>As long as they understand what they are entering into</p>
<p>Every person has limits. IQ, gender, physical handicap, emotional stress A person is only weakened by those limits if they cannot first accept their limits in order to find the detour of accommodation on their individual path to success</p>
<p>Equality doesnt mean symmetrical</p>
<p>Women and Men are both limited in that they cannot perform all functions equally</p>
<p>That is a truism of life</p>
<p>Many women, here, who are charging sexism are also ones who have benefited by modified USNA acceptance standards for female</p>
<p>That is a truism of politics today</p>
<p>I believe the crime of rape has become co-opted and politicized
I agree that both or neither names should be divulged
I agree that many people have been harmed, in some way, by these recent USNA events</p>
<p>Zaphod:
I have no doubt there are MANY that agree with you sir. Thats OK by me. Its a free country and your service to it is greatly appreciated, especially by myself. I imagine that all of our perceptions are narrow. After all, we see the world through no ones eyes but our own.</p>
<p>I suppose that if I WERE a woman my views would not be well-received in many places. As a man, my opportunities are pretty much guranteed.</p>
<p>To the poster who comments on "modified" entrance standards for women at the academies as if it somehow allowed "less qualified women" to take the place of "more qualified" men I would point out the fact that there are some women in all three academies who are more intelligent, perform better militarily, and are in better physical condition than many of their male and female classmates, just as there are some men there who outperform members of both sexes as well. As you said, men and women are not equal in every respect and trait, but for every trait you can and will find both men and women who can outperform some large percentage of the population of the other. Men and women don"t have the "right" to do every job, just the right to have the "opportunity" to show they are qualified to do every job.</p>
<p>The crime of rape is not politics. I doubt it is treated as such by the Service Academies, nor do I think that their attempts to eliminate sexual harassment is just the result of some monkey put on their back by politicians---it is after all, only the right thing to do. Most important change happens because a small group of people have the courage to take an unpopular stand--At West Point they call it choosing the harder right vs the easier wrong.</p>
<p>cc 3071a- I could not have said it better! Not knowing the details of the case I can almost guarantee alcohol was involved as is usually the norm with accusations of rape. Alcohol abuse (whether of legal age or not) remains a major problem at all colleges including USNA. The only differance is the mids do their drinking out in town. I think this issue far outweighs any "remedial" gender appreciation classes. My son tells me repeatedly that the nice, respectful, intelligent young men and women (typical mid description) that he sees at school each day act like complete opposites when drunk. A lot of sex goes on whether consentual or not and then nobody remembers what really occurred as they were totally out of it. ok-enough venting!</p>
<p>Yes, Yes and Yes. I guess the prevailing question right now is was the quarterback at this "well" before? Was this a first time visit or and end of relationship visit?</p>
<p>I have a question for those in the know abt USNA---
Based on sdnavymoms comments above, if a midshipman comes back to the barracks drunk as a skunk from a binge off base, doesn't he or she have to sign back into the barracks? Wouldn't someone notice a midshipman returning that is drunk enough to do something they would regret later? Would that person not be obligated to report an inebriated midshipman? Is it THAT easy to report back in that kind of physical state? If it isn't, is alcohol consumption inside the barracks an issue?</p>
<p>Why would you come back drunk when you can get a hotel room and party like a pig all weekend? What is this coming back to the barracks stuff???
You might ask do Mids need to go as far as the Eastern Shore or can they just duck into the Inns in Annapolis????</p>
<p>Why not expect these people to behave like MIDSHIPMEN instead of GIRLS or BOYS?</p>
<p>I'm Hispanic. Never once have I ever used it to get ahead. I was a Midshipman who was Hispanic, not a Hispanic Midshipman. I am an American of Cuban descent, not a Cuban-American.</p>
<p>People start thinking all wrong and they lose sight of what the place is SUPPOSED to be and what THEIR roll in it is.</p>
<p>Throw in the usual political posturing by the usual suspects, and you end up with crap like this situation.</p>
<p>I guarantee you that if the QB is exonerated and the girl admits she lied, ALL HELL is going to break loose in the halls of the DNC and the NOW gang. Facts don't matter; it's the AGENDA.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, if the kid admits it or is found legitimately guilty, the same bunch will be howling about the Navy in general and the Academy in particular.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I have a question for those in the know abt USNA---
Based on sdnavymoms comments above, if a midshipman comes back to the barracks drunk as a skunk from a binge off base, doesn't he or she have to sign back into the barracks? Wouldn't someone notice a midshipman returning that is drunk enough to do something they would regret later? Would that person not be obligated to report an inebriated midshipman? Is it THAT easy to report back in that kind of physical state? If it isn't, is alcohol consumption inside the barracks an issue?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Again, data is 15 years old...</p>
<p>There was no requirement to report an inebriated midshipman unless that midshipman seemed to be in serious trouble (alcohol poisoning) or if he/she was out of hand. I don't know if Mids on weekend have to sign in even if they are there, and all the others have musters to be at.</p>
<p>Alcohol consumption in the Hall (not "barracks", BTW) is a HUGE no-no. Like "tossed out on your ear" no-no. The only place alcohol may be consumed is in the Officers club, and then only if you are 21 or over. IIRC, only 1/C Mids are allowed to go to the O-Club.</p>
<p>Normally, if a Mid comes back to the hall sufficiently plastered, the guys on watch mmay assign someone to a "drunk watch", which means they toss the poor drunk into his rack, and this person hangs around for a few hours to ensure that the person is OK. Don't know if they do that anymore, either.</p>
<p>Sadly, I suspect that this case will not have alcohol involved. I suspect that this is a breakup gone bad.</p>
<p>Last visit to the well.............I think I agree with your opine. The bigger question is how many mids knew that it was over before this event??</p>
<p>You don't have to be drunk as a skunk for your judgement to be clouded! Also, the "jimmy-legs" (non-military gate guards) do not have much authority to stop impaired mids unless their behavior is way off the charts i.e belligerant, stumbling etc. When the marines were at the gate you had better be sober. In addition (and I know I'm going to catch a lot of flack here) football players at Navy are definitely treated different than your average mid. Many of them think the rules don't apply to them.</p>
<p>What the heck has this got to do with the DNC and NOW? </p>
<p>If he is found guilty the Navy HAS a RESPONSIBILITY to do what it can to make sure this doesn't happen again---it has nothing to do with Bill Clinton, NOW, the DNC, Alec Baldwin, Hollywood in general or Hillary Duff.</p>
<p>If he is exhonerated and it turns out that alcohol abuse by one or both of them is involved, the NAVY has a responsibility to do what it can to make sure this doesn't happen again (how about by ensuring midshipman report back from off base in a sober condition?) </p>
<p>If he is exhonerated and it turns out both were having consentual sex in Bancroft, it is the responsibility of the NAVY to deal with that issue as well (unless sex in the academy barracks is not against the rules).</p>
<p>I agree with you Zaphod, they should behave as midshipmen, both on and off post. Sorry about calling it the "barracks"--- :)</p>
<p>There is any number of variables involved here which could (and will) have an impact:</p>
<ul>
<li>Where did this supossedly occur? Was it in a Mid's room, or elsewhere?</li>
<li>If it was in a Bancroft Hall room, where might the roomate(s) have been?</li>
<li>Did anyone hear anything? Was the act stopped in progress by passers-by?</li>
<li>Was there actual intercourse, and was it consentual?</li>
<li>What physical evidence is there? </li>
<li>How much time passed between the alleged act and the initial report?</li>
<li>Were they alone?</li>
</ul>
<p>
[quote]
What the heck has this got to do with the DNC and NOW?</p>
<p>If he is found guilty the Navy HAS a RESPONSIBILITY to do what it can to make sure this doesn't happen again---it has nothing to do with Bill Clinton, NOW, the DNC, Alec Baldwin, Hollywood in general or Hillary Duff.
<p>I just cannot imagine the situation of a RAPE occurring in a Mid's room in Bancroft. Having lived there, it makes no sense that something like that can occur without anyone hearing something.</p>
<p>Wow.....you really think so? As a republican I am very concerned with how this is handled---I want the truth to be revealed, whatever it is, and I would expect those in authorty to rectify any shortcomings at any academy that might be revealed as part of the investigation. As the parent of a West Point Cadet, I see this as having the potential to affect that academy as well.</p>
<p>"I just cannot imagine the situation of a RAPE occurring in a Mid's room in Bancroft. Having lived there, it makes no sense that something like that can occur without anyone hearing something."</p>
<p>I would tend to agree with you and then I think about how someone (gee who would that have been?) hacked Nicole Simpson and Mark Goldman to death outside her home and no one heard a thing....
Unfortunately violent crimes are committed every day with no witnesses.</p>
<p>shogun: how does any academy go about rectifying a character flaw? How would you recommend that a war crime or a sex crime be determined prior to?</p>