A Crash Course in Feminism Mk. II (or, why everyone should be a feminist)

[Wolfshade]

I think we agree that men and women expected to do the same job need to have the same minimal physical fitness.

Sorry I was derailing the conversation with my musings.

[eldargal]

I think that that comment relates to my comment about the law being in place to protect the vulnverable from those that are stronger. In terms of the actual laws rather than law enforcement.

Yep.

As to the tests I do not believe they would be discriminatory against women. It is possible for them to be so, I mean you can have tests that would be next to impossible for all but a small percentage of men to complete and there would be even fewer women capable in the current situation which would exclude women. It is also possible for the tests to be far too excessive for what these officers are reasonably expected to deal with on the job which could also help exclude women. But from the sound of these tests they do not seem excessive, they just seem to be based on something that many women may not have done even those that consider themselves fit by modern standards. There is no reason why with the proper training they wouldn't be able to complete it, the trouble is they may never have had that training before.

[Denzark]

I agree with that. I remember getting in a debate somewhere else, after a Jane's Police Review article that told how one constabulary had highlighted its attempt to make firearms posts more accessible to females by selecting a lighter weapon. My response was that selection of weapon system should be based solely on the performance characterisitcs delivered, ie mag capacity, accuracy, muzzle velocity, calibre, whatever. Individual officers then train and get to the required standard.

If the weapon replaced was more capable than the lighter newer one, then capability has been reduced due to the wrong reasons. If the new weapon ssytem was as capable or more than the old - then it should have ben procured on this basis in the first place, not just to make it easier for females.

[eldargal]

Yup and that's rather offensive honestly, the idea that women need lighter firearms. I mean a fully loaded Glock 17 is about a kilogram which is a tiny dumbbell and the MP5 is around 3kgs? Those are fairly common police firearms I understand it. I can't believe for a moment that any relatively fit woman could not handle either of those effectively with the appropriate training and if they struggle with the weight it is nothing a bit of strength training wouldn't fix.

Hell my five year old cousin can lug around a 5.5lb nerfgun for extended periods of time without suffering. She a badass.

[Deadlift]

Taking this a step further to..........Mars lol

I watched a Panorama program last night and it was about the different barriers of getting humans to the red planet. One issue brought up was muscle loss from being in space for such an extended period of time. Far longer than anyone has spent on the ISS. Anyway they have found that Testosterone injections are paramount in preventing muscle loss during extended periods at 0g. Problem is you really shouldn't give women injections of testosterone of the concentration required for any length of time. So as it stands a Mars mission is likely to be an all male mission (the Chinese are apparently working on a Mars program).

[eldargal]

Hopefully they will come up with an alternate solution.

[Wolfshade]

[Nerd rage]Argh! there is no 0g [/nerd rage]

I would go to Mars.

[eldargal]

Actually I remember reading that one of the treatments to combat bone loss in space was estrogen injections so that's rather amusing.

[Deadlift]

I hope so, I wouldn't want to be lock in a box for 3 years with no female company that's for sure. I'm not talking about shagging either.

[Psychosplodge]

I drove past mars once.
Luckily I had no reason to stop in slough.