Flirting with disaster

September 13, 1999

The feminization of the military, police, and fire departments is a
cancer, which threatens to destroy a cornerstone of American strength.

The insidious liberal tool of “incrementalism” has been used against
any and all politically incorrect targets: tobacco, alcohol, guns, fast
cars, and the military and paramilitary subcultures in America.

Gen. John A. Vessey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a
statement to the House Armed Services committee noted, “The greatest
change that has come about in the United States forces in the time that
I’ve been in the military service has been the extensive use of women.
… That’s even greater than nuclear weapons, I feel, as far as our own
forces are concerned.

In October of 1997 a wicked witch of the east, Sara Lister, assistant
secretary of the Army for manpower and reserve affairs revealed her
unbridled ignorance, and insuitability for the job she held. She took a
knife to a gunfight when she said, “The Marines are extremists.
Whenever you have extremists, you have some risk of total disconnection
with society.” Gen. Charles Krulak, arguably one of the finest men to
ever wear a uniform promptly replied, humiliating her. Regrettably, the
Army actually defended the indefensible. Defense Honcho Bill Cohen was
satisfied with a mealy mouth apology she offered Gen. Krulak, but
Congress wasn’t and within 24 hours of a congressional resolution,
Lister was history.

The Department of the Army was spared the offensive sycophant, but
the attitude persists.

Drew Carey is a very funny comedian and a former Marine. His
response to this feminization of the military noted,

I recently heard from a U.S. Park Police officer in San
Francisco. He is one of the guys who police the Presidio and the
National Park Service lands in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reportedly,
he and his fellow officers are being harassed and discriminated against
by the female leadership in the department.

Apparently, the U.S. Park Police leadership (which enjoys the luxury
of being 3,000 miles from the direct supervision of the U.S. Parks
Police Chief) introduced a policy that “offensive” material would not be
allowed in the locker rooms at the station. No big deal really. I
actually had to do something similar with the Military Police Company I
commanded. However, I guess my perception of “offensive” and that of
Maj. Gretchen Merkle of the Park Police is different.

All political cartoons lampooning Bill and Hillary Clinton and other
anti-constitutional types were torn down. Get over it guys; I can live
with that. HOWEVER, when the men posted three by five American flags on
ten lockers, THE FLAGS were torn off as well. They put up American
flags four times since then, and they have ALL been torn down each time
by management. Wait a moment … this is a FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY. They are the United States Park Police. How even in the most
oppressive PMS hormone imbalance can the Officer in Charge of a Park
Police station consider THE FLAG “offensive”?

Reportedly it is OK for Merkle to display soccer player Brandi
Chastain in her sports bra after ripping off her jersey with the slogan
“Girl Power!” beneath it. The guys are not offended by Brandi’s
picture, but they are kinda torqued about the removal of American flag
decals. Me too!

I called the Park Police to speak with Merkle, but she was on
vacation. I asked to speak to her second, Lt. Christine Hodakievic.
She was in a meeting, so I left my number. I did get a call from a
Michael Feinstein who identified himself as the Public Affairs Officer.
He questioned the charges, but said he would “look into it.”

I hope to be able to speak with Merkle soon to hear her efforts to
defend what is obviously a duality of standards, and potentially “abuse
of power under the color of authority.”

Lest you think that this is a tempest in a teapot resulting from a
bunch of Neanderthals’ umbrage at having to report to women, I have
more. When we discussed this issue on my radio program a retired female
officer (from another bay area department) called to corroborate
Merkle’s enthusiasm for pursuing her agenda of sticking it to any man
who crosses their path. Another incident reported that Merkle walked
into a crowded testing room and shouted, “Girl Power!” in support of her
sisters in the room. That incident was reported, but apparently no
disciplinary action was taken.

I am really looking forward to speaking with Maj. Merkle.

I shared a podium with Maj. Gen. Jack Singlaub recently, and he
recounted a story that Brian Mitchell used in his superb book, “Women in
the Military/Flirting with Disaster.” In August of 1976, U.N. forces in
Korea were at DEFCON 1 with B-52s flying toward the North Korean
capital. Fighter jets were warming their engines, and helicopter
gunships were hovering across the border. Jack says, “We had rounds up
the spout … and every weapon had a target.” War seemed imminent, but
“then a funny thing happened.” Commanders throughout Korea were flooded
with requests from female soldiers for transfers to the rear. They
EXPECTED to be evacuated. Many reportedly just abandoned their posts.
Others actually reported for duty with their children.

Mitchell reports that only one third of uniformed women believe the
military’s primary purpose is to fight wars; two thirds don’t. The
pending reality check is “women are not fit to fight, and the military
brass knows it.”

The purpose, the mission, the goal and objective of the military is
to close with and destroy the enemy. We want and need our military to
kill people and blow up stuff. You don’t have to like that, but until
YOU want to pick up a rifle and stand a post, you want and need the
military to do that. That means you need arrogant, hard charging, more
balls than brains, fighting machines. Machines more focused on kicking
butt and taking names than any politically correct, outcome-based,
sensitivity trained rat excrement.

Again, Drew Carey: “Besides, fighter pilots are supposed to be
aggressive a–holes. That’s what we pay them for. I don’t know about
you, but I don’t want a navy full of fighter pilots who’ve been to a
sensitivity seminar. I want mad-dog, rabid killers going to battle for
me and mine. Men and women. … If you’re a wimp who doesn’t know how to
find the exit at a rowdy party, go fly a kite, not a jet fighter.”

If you are a female Park Police officer using your position of
authority to pursue a personal feminist agenda, don’t be surprised if
when you push men around, they actually embrace your mantra and treat
you as equals. That means when you pick a fight … you get a fight.