Your Mother Wears Combat Boots

When I was a kid, there was one way to insult another kid that I never really understood.  You would supposedly insult another kid and his mother by saying "your mother wears combat boots."  I never really knew what that meant, until now.

It seems that Leon Panetta, in his last act as Secretary of Defense, will announce today that women can now take on direct combat roles.  Yes, women will now be allowed in combat.

As Catholics, we are often accused of being patriarchal and of denigrating the role and importance of women.  Now, that is complete nonsense, of course.  If you merely recognize the fact that men and women are inherently different and have different roles to play in life and society, then you are a patriarchal member of the he-man woman haters club.

So our culture, which is now indistinguishable from our government, is determined to show us how true equality and dignity is done.  Nothing screams equality like putting women in harm’s way, where they must kill or be killed, where they are in danger of capture, rape, and torture.  Well, you always hurt the ones you love.

Men going to combat has always been viewed as a necessary evil. Putting our sons in the line of fire should be a last resort for any civilization that pretends civility.  However, it was something that had to be done when there was no other choice to defend those things worth fighting for.

But there is nothing dignified about war.  By putting women into combat, we do not dignify women.  All we have accomplished is having one less thing worth fight for.

I now understand the insult, "your mother wears combat boots."  It means, congratulations women, you are no longer worth protecting.  We have liberated you to die. 

Is it me or could the world use some more patriarchal types?