In Praise of Powerful Women

The Harvey Weinstein episode is quite ironic. Famous for producing movies which feature sex, sexual assault, and rape, he was dethroned by allegatons of sex, sexual assault, and rape. He used his powerful position in Hollywood to demand favors from aspiring actresses on the legendary casting couch. This is despicable and unforgivable behavior. We shall return to Mr. Weinstein.

Your columnist was raised in a household full of strong women. A mother who could do, fix, bake, grow, or cook anything that you could imagine. Who directed choirs and played beautiful music. Who broached no disrespect. Who expertly wielded a willow switch to command the attention of her nine children, five boys and four girls. Our sisters were equally strong, intelligent, and capable. In our family, the takeaway to us guys was: don’t mess with the women!

Then, with a high school buddy, into the Marine Corps. You would think that a male bastion, but there were many strong female figures even in those early days. Gunny  Beardon, who shared her expertise on programming computers and her guidance on how to deal with idiots. Her philosophy was wise and her insights into human nature profound. She was a strong role model, and the Corps was full of such women.

And today the Marine Corps continues to value the many contributions of women. In this year alone, two major “firsts” have been achieved:

·         In April the first female Marine, Second Lt. Lillian Polatcheck,  graduated from the Army-led Basic Armor Officer Leaders Course and she is also the first to lead a Marine Tank Platoon.

·         In September, a female Marine Lieutenant (whose name was not made public) completed the grueling Marine Infantry Officer Course in Quantico, Virginia. She is now serving with the First Marine Division in Camp Pendleton, Calif.

It is essential to realize that these women fully met the criteria and demands of their training. There were no special dispensations nor softening of requirements because of their gender. This is extremely important for one reason only: combat Marines operate in lethal environments and they deserve to be led by fully qualified officers. This is serious business, and any type of “affirmative action” which promotes an unqualified officer will result in dead Marines.

But that is not what happened. The key point here is that these particular women, and many more to come, are fully the equal of their male colleagues.

Even more encouraging, while the Marine Corps is being singled out as a particularly successful example, the other services are all on similar tangents. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard are all gratefully accepting the service of strong, capable women in roles previously reserved for men.

An excellent example of this is former Air Force Colonel Kim Campbell, who won fame as an A10 Warthog fighter pilot in 2003 for nursing her heavily damaged aircraft back to base after delivering close air support. Her Distinguished Flying Cross citation reads, in part: “Captain (at the time) Campbell's professional skill and airmanship directly contributed to the successful close air support of ground forces from the 3d Infantry Division and recovery of an A-10 with heavy battle damage.” This is one capable, serious officer who, by the way, happens to be a woman..

Let’s return briefly, however distasteful it may be, to Harvey Weinstein. He was a power broker in the fantasy world of Hollywood. As a result, he wielded power over women who aspired to success and fame. He abused that power to fulfill his own sick desires over a period of many years. It is good that that is all blown up.

Speaking of fantasies, here’s one. Let’s put Harvey Weinstein into a Mixed Martial Arts fighting ring with any one of the aforementioned female warriors. Odds are, he would learn a grim lesson about real power.