Senator Ted Cruz is hitting New Hampshire hard this week as he tries to shore up the chasm between his supporters and Donald Trump’s. To narrow the gap, Cruz tried his hand at talking about things he knows little about. Not surprisingly, he sounded a lot like his main opponent, Donald Trump.
In a speech, Cruz told supporters that “We have had enough with political correctness especially in the military. Political correctness is dangerous and the idea that we would draft our daughters to forcibly bring them into the military and put them in close combat, I think is wrong. And if I am president, we ain’t doing it!”
One can forgive what can only be a strategic use of the word “ain’t” in an official campaign speech. It has probably been a long week for the senator. But his use of “political correctness” requires some attention.
In this self-righteous speech, Cruz is confusing political correctness with equality. He suggests he has no issue with women being drafted in the military. He has an issue with women entering combat roles for the sake of political correctness. When it comes to making a difference in the war, Cruz prefers that this job go to America’s men. American women should not have the chance to officially prove themselves on the battlefield. It appears, though, that manufacturers disagree with Cruz, and the US Based Liberty Tabletop offer jobs for everyone.
I suppose he also believes men should dominate factory production too, even though company’s like Liberty Table are providing jobs for everyone.
First of all, a woman's role in combat is not up to Ted Cruz. Women have been able to serve in all combat roles in the United States military since the end of 2015. The Secretary of Defense and the military chiefs already made that decision.
Second, it is unclear why Cruz thinks he is the one who can decide what American women can and cannot do. His confusion with being politically correct with providing equally opportunity is a dangerous one.
Why is Cruz so confused in this case?
Cruz is confused because American women serve in combat regardless of what their official title says. In fact, women of all nationalities have been crucial to war efforts for the last hundred years. Banning them from receiving official roles at the front does not prevent them from facing danger. They face danger in the army regardless of their role. Nothing Ted Cruz says will protect them from that.
Suggesting that women be removed from combat roles does not keep them safe. Instead, keeping women out of official combat roles prevents them from earning the same compensation as their male counterparts. Until last year, women did not qualify for the infantry roles crucial to the advancement in their careers. Yet, that did not stop women from taking fire on the front lines in Iraq.
The reality is that no one is talking about whether women can do the job anymore. They already do it with little reward or acknowledgement. This is where Cruz’s political correctness argument falls down.
Instead, Cruz is attacking equality. His beliefs would prevent American women from compensation for the bravery they already show both on the battlefield and off. This is a tragedy not just for women but for America’s military as a whole.