Santorum: Women Are Capable Of ‘Flying Small Planes’

[ProSense]

Santorum: Women Are Capable Of ‘Flying Small Planes’

By Eli Clifton

The Pentagon announcement easing the ban on women serving in combat led Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum to express his concerns that missions could be put in jeopardy “because of other types of emotions that are involved.”

But today, Santorum attempted to clarify his seemingly sexist statement in an interview with ABC News:

RICK SANTORUM: I was talking about men’s emotional issues, not women. That’s something I’ve talked about repeatedly. [...] Men in our culture are focused on if a woman is in trouble, obviously, to react to try to help to protect and care for that person. That is something that is built in culturally. So my concern is that being in combat in that situation, instead of being focused on the mission, they might be more concerned about protecting a woman in a vulnerable position.

Watch it:

<...>

Having put to rest the allegation that he was suggesting women were emotionally unfit to serve in combat — and instead having argued that men are emotionally unfit to serve alongside women — Santorum went on to emphasize that he has no problem putting women’s lives in danger.

<...>

In the past 24 hours, Santorum: accused Obama of helping Iran acquire nuclear weapons; suggested that male soldiers are incapable of controlling their emotions around female comrades in combat; and said women are better suited to “flying small planes.”

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/02/10/423325/santorum-women-small-planes/

Don't forget the "guillotine!"

[CTyankee]

1. OK, which unit did Rick serve in?

Now, was that in say the Iraq War?

What you say?

No? What?

[sofa king]

46. He was in the 1st Closeted Chickenhawks

[CTyankee]

49. OH....I thought so! I could tell from the yellow stripe down his back...of course. thanks.

[gejohnston]

81. he commanded the

red pieces in Stratego and watched John "made war movies while more talented actors fought in the real war" Wayne movies.

[tallahasseedem]

2. Fuck this guy...

he'll figure out how "emotional" we are when we're angry enough to make sure his party isn't elected in November.

[Liberal_in_LA]

16. +10

[roguevalley]

32. plus google. I am glad he's acting like this. If it pisses you off then you know what womankind has

felt for ten thousand years. Truly.

[muntrv]

3. And Rick knows this based on how much action he's seen?

[MichiganVote]

4. Ok so which is it? Women don't have feelings when men are in trouble? Or..

Women are sure to be in trouble in a combat situation?

Or does he mean to infer that women can't be trusted to do anything right?

Right. So let's see. The republicans have -0- hope of the black or Hispanic vote. They piss off the seniors by trashing "entitlements" and they don't support the education of the kids in the country so the parents are unhappy. And God knows they have no use for a woman without a multi-million dollar checkbook.

So who the hell DO they want to vote for them?

[The Genealogist]

30. They'll have people who listen to AM radio and Faux Snooze

Those people are trained pretty well. I think if St Ronny came back from the dead, he could get one of them to eat a dog turd. Those goobers will follow orders, regardless of how crappy their lives become due to Repuke policy.

[newspeak]

87. yeah, and he has the women

who hate their fellow sisters. Ever read, "the secret of joy?"

[dixiegrrrrl]

77. Well, obviously SOMEONE votes for them, 29 states have Repub. Governors.

'Course I am assuming each election was fair and square.

[Cowboy8541]

5. Another idiot who has never served

[Aerows]

6. Oh, so men that end up fighting women in combat

Would be similarly compromised.

Uh, no. Women have served in armies since time began. It's only with the Victorian era that they were trained that they had to be fainting daisies.

I know some women serving in the military that a sane man wouldn't dare cross, and not just because she carried a gun. He wouldn't cross her because she could take him in hand to hand as easily as breathing.

Santorum is thinking of 5'2 tiny women (which I pretty much am part of that contingent, too, but crossing me is also a grave mistake), but there are some hard women in the service.

[xmas74]

51. I know some terrifying 5'2 women.

I think he's just afraid of women in general.

[HockeyMom]

7. The more Ricky opens his mouth,

the more he puts his foot into it.

[denverbill]

8. Jebus I hoped he'd last a little longer before he completely imploded.

I was hoping he'd be the nominee. It's like he can't say stupid shit fast enough now.

[tanyev]

9. Ricky, you gonna tell your good buddies in Israel that women shouldn't serve?

Hmmm?

[kestrel91316]

14. Israeli women aren't christian so they're expendable.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

10. And Santorum is capable of functioning with a small brain.

Barely.

[Faygo Kid]

13. No doubt, given his bluster, that's not all that's small.

Taught to disrespect women since young, no doubt.

[Motown_Johnny]

11. and I said "Blah" not "Black"!

sure


we all bought that one too

[newspeak]

88. when he fabricated "blah."

I think santi is willing to tell a lie to get out of "hoof and mouth" disease. So, it doesn't make him an honest broker to the public at all.

[noamnety]

12. This is the same basic argument that was used in DADT

Straight white men are the only ones who should serve in the military because straight white men are too weak and emotional to serve alongside anyone that isn't exactly like them without freaking out.

[vaberella]

37. Exactly. n/t

[Shankapotomus]

40. And undisciplined we might add.

The military prides itself on discipline so shouldn't it follow that discipline should extend to controlling your reactions while serving along side anyone not exactly like themselves? They can go into battle and die but they can't deal with the guy in the next bunk? Bullshit.

[Honeycombe8]

15. I thought all military "guys" are buds and come to each other's aid when in trouble.

So....he's bothered that they would STILL do this, if the "bud" is female?

That's a copout argument that's been used for years for various things. It was used as a reason to keep women from the street police force and keep them on dispatch.

Then, of course, there's the obvious answer. That's a problem of the MEN, not the women, and certainly not a reason to keep women from serving, if they meet the requirements.

That problem can be addressed with training aimed at the MEN.

Might as well say, "African Americans can't serve in the military, because the white men would feel so hostile toward them, that it would affect morale." Again, that's a problem of the WHITE MEN...not of the Af. Americans.

Any reason that doesn't state that the women simply cannot do the job, is just the same ol' copout. As far as doing the job, the military guys go to boot camp, training, are well tested. Anyone who can't cut it, can't cut it. If a woman cuts it, she can do the job. Period.

[Shankapotomus]

39. And basically Santordum

is saying all men can't cut it so he can exclude all women. Laughable.

[Old and In the Way]

17. Stupid positions require even stupider rationales...somestime multiple stupid ones.

I'd be insulted if this guy was running as a Democrat. It's understandable because his audience is incapable of being intellectually insulted.

[madrchsod]

18. really is that all they have?

dam if i were a republican i`d hide my head in shame and join the democratic party.

[yellowcanine]

19. Ricky,"I was talking about men’s emotional issues, not women." Of course you were. No one

believes you Ricky. Anymore than they think you were saying "blah" instead of "black."

[riderinthestorm]

20. So the all female flight crews of my latest flight on a 747 should be grounded?

Or perhaps the female captain of the Airbus 380 I took a couple of months ago? She should be grounded as well according to Mr Santorum - cause those are big ass planes and he doesn't think they should fly them filled with 500+/- lives at stake? Perhaps the Airbus captain's male co-captain might have gotten all emotional having to sit next to her in a crisis??

This is such bullshit. There are no "front lines" anymore in today's modern wars. The entire countryside of Afghanistan and Iraq are warzones. Women driving gas tankers are just as much subject to the war, as their (more highly paid "combat" designated troops) who are travelling in the convoy to the next base. Women flying fueling runs or servicing equipment, or being MPs... nobody is out of the danger area anymore.

[roguevalley]

33. how about Tammy Duckworth, Santorum?

[riderinthestorm]

65. Well, he'll squirm out of that one by saying that she lost her legs technically in a helicopter

So it's not a small plane....


Or he'll justify it with some piece of further hideousness like "if the little lady had just stayed home she'd have her legs now wouldn't she...."

If he's gone this far and made this statement out loud, I'm guessing it's only a small step to take it into complete assholery!

As an FYI, I worked on Tammy Duckworth's first campaign against Pete Roskam. She's LOVELY!!

[momrois]

56. I hope

...that on Rick's next flight on a commercial jet, the female pilot will welcome him aboard by name.

[riderinthestorm]

66. I REALLY hope one of them does that. Please, please, please!!! nt

[dixiegrrrrl]

78. Guess he never heard of Jessica Lynch.

Bet SHE's happy hearing what he said.

[Initech]

21. And this asshole wants to be commander in chief. Fuck him!

[moriah]

22. Is it just me, or does that pic make him look a bit like Warren Jeffs? n/t

[Blue Owl]

23. How is this not a campaign-ender?

Rick, it's not 1930 anymore you freaking idiot.

[riderinthestorm]

24. Except of course for his rapture ready idiot supporters who do want to go back to 1930

Jim Crow, women as secondary citizens, white male privilege etc. etc.

The rich elite will simply manipulate whoever the religious right latch onto....

[Katashi_itto]

44. It's not a campaign ender because the average Republican is even more dimwitted than he is

[Posteritatis]

58. It's not because most of his supporters are misogynists. (nt)

[TwilightGardener]

64. Hell, I thought "Blah People" would have been a campaign ender--but Republicans don't care.

[LadyHawkAZ]

25. He forgets to mention that...

men think that way because they have been carefully trained to think of women as weak, helpless, stupid, emotionally unstable creatures that can't do things for themselves and can't handle a crisis. It's a myth that has nothing to do with reality.

If Frothy would care to step a little closer, I'd be happy to dispel the myth of the "weaker sex" for him. I don't doubt there's any number of military women who would be happy to as well.

[eppur_se_muova]

26. Like these women in their li'l ol' bombers ?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_Airforce_Service_Pilots#WASP_aviators

[roguevalley]

34. beautiful. That picture of four looks like my aunts walking together. They could do anything.

[justiceischeap]

27. I hate to point out the obvious, but aren't women unofficially fighting in combat?

I mean, there were a lot of women that fought in Iraq, right? They didn't give them guns just because they accessorized the uniform well. I'm sure there were women in Iraq who actually killed other people and the men didn't fall apart, right?

[pinboy3niner]

31. And women fighter pilots flew combat missions throughout the Iraq War

Their combat role was very decidedly official. Ground roles for women troops have been more limited, but combat support jobs often expose women troops to direct ground combat.

[Whisp]

28. pic looks like Agent 86, tho

Get Smarter, Ricky

[flamingdem]

29. I hope he's nominated

Now that would destroy the pugs forever!
That is what we desperately need in our country along with reigning in the Blue Dogs.

[grantcart]

35. I'm too emotional to respond to this stuff.

[Shankapotomus]

38. So the argument that women are unsuitable

to serve in combat is because MEN are? Are you friggin' kidding me? That is the worst excuse I've ever heard.

Okay, then if men are so emotionally weak, why don't we ban men from serving in combat and only allow women to do the fighting?

[eShirl]

41. I'm guessing because somebody has to be a barefoot & pregnant baby machine

[Warren DeMontague]

42. Please, please, please nominate this useless clusterfuck of an imbecilic goober.

Please.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

47. god, yes!!! The comedy gold

would be a mine that yields for generations!

[Warren DeMontague]

73. Not to mention the electoral landslide.

but the comedy would be good, too.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

84. not to mention!

oh yes

[Sgent]

43. I almost hate to bring this up

because I'm going to get pilloried.

That being said, I know when the Israeli army put men & women in combat units, casualties among men went up by something like 40%.

Now, that was over a decade ago, and I haven't seen any recent research. In addition, the Israeli army is still mostly draftee's. But it somewhat supports Santorum's assertion. Doesn't mean we shouldn't integrate it, but its something to be aware of and train around.

[riderinthestorm]

63. You'll need a link for tha statement please. AFAIC, most combat roles are closed to Israeli women

"Combat" roles for women in the Israeli defense forces are pretty limited (usually flight crews, trainers etc.) It's been a large area of complaint for IDF women since combat roles are necessary for moving up the military heirarchy. They served equally in combat during the war of independence if I can recall and were only shut out of equality in the ranks in 1951 when the government primarily wanted women to make Jewish babies. Challenged in the 90s, the IDF opened up a very few combat roles for women but there's no way to say with any degree of certainty that the IDF's readiness has been damaged since so few women really participate 100% equally with men.

[hobbit709]

45. Hey Frothy, would you have said that to the face of these women?

http://mysite.pratt.edu/~rsilva/main.htm

[mainer]

48. Women soldiers helped defeat big tough US soldiers

A reminder that it's not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog.

http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/tayvie.html

http://firebasenam.myfastforum.org/sutra10137.php

[AlbertCat]

50. to react to try to help to protect and care for that person.

And, at the same time, men... manly men... have to watch out that some gay soldier might be creeping up behind them! They'll never be able to concentrate on their jobs!

What's a tough guy to do?????

[Iliyah]

52. He's only spewing

out what majority of the upper gop minions truly believe in. They believe wholeheartedly that women are third rate and must be controlled by their beliefs, ie baby makers, et al. That the lower class, y'know, people who are beneath them are bascially worthless and therefore need their divine intervention. Since women and the working class deserve nothing but their "undeniable" love, they (gop) believe they are the "chosen" ones by their GAWD. And if the stupid people will not belileve in them they (gop) will try and destroy the world all in the name of their GAWD.

[bayareaboy]

57. Spewing first class ... ...

That doesn't make it any difference though. To me the whole spewing scenario is much like inciting to riot. it bears more responsibility than the act of riot. I really don't know why because both to me are really reprehensible. In fact the spewing thing, because it is FREE SPEECH might be totally BS and lacking merit but it still is FREE SPEECH.

But if I was working in a shop with Frothy he would be getting lots of kick me signs on his back. So is that inciting to riot?

But I agree his idea of the difference between the sexes is bizarre horrorshow.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

85. that sounds like an accurate analysis

I know it's speculation, but you're probably absolutely correct.


How typical, the conservative christian man spouts the ideology while avoiding the difficult results such ideology burdens you with....while the woman is the one shackled to house, home and responsibility behind the scenes, and with no voice in the situation.

(ok, yes there are some big name christofascist women out there who reverse the scenario, but in general, it seems this way to me)

[Raine1967]

90. What? Wait, When did Santorum say this?

Meanwhile, Santorum gallivants around the country, while the child languishes in the hospital, and makes comments about deciding not to love her, because it would hurt too much when she died. He says one time her breathing stopped, and he just stood there while her mother rushed in with emergency equipment, and did CPR until the child started breathing again, then took her to the hospital.

That is REALLY damning stuff. I had not heard this before. Is there a link for this or is this speculation?

Thanks in advance.

[gulliver]

54. Women shouldn't serve in any jobs for the same reason.

I know what Rick is saying. Working with female colleagues in any job is essentially impossible. You are constantly fearing for their career safety and emotions, constantly trying to protect them. No matter how big, strong, or smart a man is, he just can't get any work done if every other thought is to make sure that that his female colleagues stay comfortable and protected.

Say what you will about Saudi Arabia, but they know how a culture should treat women.

[LiberalFighter]

55. If men are unable to control their emotions around women

wouldn't that mean they are unfit to serve?

[Posteritatis]

59. I do sort of like the logical conclusion where nobody anywhere's fit to serve in the military.. (nt)

[TwilightGardener]

60. Small planes, yes--because the big ones are too hard for the ladies to steer or back up in.

[arely staircase]

61. as long as they are dainty, girly planes nt

[baldguy]

62. Way to denigrate the professionalism of America's soldiers there, Rick.

[provis99]

67. because women are too weak for combat...

like these two Russian snipers, credited with dozens of Wehrmacht kills

[awoke_in_2003]

79. Russia also allowed female fighter pilots. nt

[pinboy3niner]

80. As the U.S. Air Force has since 1993

See Post #70.

[awoke_in_2003]

83. only 50 years behind the times. nt

[newspeak]

89. russia had female fighter pilots in WWII

besides fighting in the front lines. Also, during the war between iran and iraq, iran finally trained women soldiers. I believe iranian women gained more freedoms because of this. Women can vote, drive; unlike our ally SA.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

94. There were volunteer Russian female ground combat units in WWI who fought in the trenches

The most famous was the First Russian Women's Battalion Of Death organized by Maria Bochkareva who was wounded at least three times and was decorated for killing German soldiers in hand to hand combat with a bayonet.

[underpants]

68. Isn't that the same thing that Bush scared up with about AlQaeda? - crop dusters

I believe it was.

[Aviation Pro]

69. 'Women are better suited to “flying small planes.'

Think I'll pass this on to members of the 99's and other women that I've personally trained who are currently flying the following aircraft: A320s, B737NGs, CRJs (700 and 900) and ERJs (170s and 190s).

This walking wad of fuck certainly lives up to his Google name, shitstain.

[pinboy3niner]

70. And the F-16, the fighter that women have been flying in combat operations for years

The U.S. Air Force began accepting women as fighter pilots in 1993. By 2008, the USAF had 70 women fighter pilots.

Here's a USAF fighter pilot with her l'il ol' F-16 Fighting Falcon...


Maj. Shawna R. Kimbrell, 555th FS, is the first African-American female fighter pilot in the
Air Force. (USAF photo by A1C. Ashley Wood)

[Zoigal]

71. Geez, Rick, glad to know this..

Got my small plane pilot license when i was sixteen,
in 1945. Passed all the exams, etc with flying colors even
though i was a young Woman.
Santorum needs some reality education IMO..
Who, in their right mind, could ever could vote for this guy?....z

[Skwid]

72. HAW HAW...I taught a young small girl to fly small planes 20 years ago. Now she is a 767 captain.

I bumped into her just after she got the 4th stripe and asked if she had run into any trouble or resentment in the cockpit...she said "We don't call it that any more"!

[pinboy3niner]

74. "We don't call it that any more," LOL!

Good one!

[Aviation Pro]

91. Yeah, we call it a flight deck nowadays....

...and its got more to do with automation than sensibility.

[Skwid]

92. There's more to the 'joke', as it were...think about it. If you knew Sam (Samantha) you'd know

exactly what she said next. I don't even dare get into it here.

[MrScorpio]

75. Someone should call Erica Jong nt

[Rex]

76. Hey RICK

This former 96 Romeo says FUCK YOU AND HAVE A CRAPPY DAY! I DARE him to stand in the same room as I and repeat that offensive bullshit.

[arely staircase]

82. react to try to help to protect and care for that person?

aren't they to do that for each other as it is?

[onager]

86. Glad this woman didn't know that...

And you can bet the grunts she was helping out are glad of that, too. She was flying the A-10 Thunderbolt, a damn big, ugly airplane. The Vulcan 6-barrel cannon alone in the A-10 is bigger than a VW Beetle. Its main job is supporting ground troops:

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- Capt. Kim, an A-10 Thunderbolt II pilot deployed with the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, surveys the battle damage to her airplane. Kim's A-10 was hit over Baghdad during a close air support mission on April 7.



Here's many pages of photos, showing female military pilots from all over the world - even Pakistan.

Even here, on a professional aviation website, some asshat brought up the "women shouldn't fly" crap. He got slapped down pretty quick. Mostly by male pilots who pointed that anybody capable of flying the damn plane "should" be flying it.

http://www.patricksaviation.com/forums/thread.php?t=1283&p=1

[11 Bravo]

93. Quick, someone tell Amelia Earhart!