Senator Ted Cruz said the other day in New Hampshire that it is "nuts" to require women to register for the draft.

Senator Marco Rubio and Governors Jeb Bush and Chris Christie have indicated that they may be open to requiring that women enroll in Selective Service and become eligible to be drafted, given the recent order opening all positions in the military to women.

Here is what Cruz said:

"It was striking that three different people on that stage came out in support of drafting women into combat in the military," Cruz said. "I have to admit, as I was sitting there listening to that conversation, my reaction was: Are you guys nuts?"

"We have had enough with political correctness — especially in the military," Cruz said to loud applause in the town building. "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 contact — I think is wrong, it is immoral, and if I am president, we ain't doing it."

"I'm the father of two little girls. I love those girls with all my heart. They are capable of doing anything in their hearts' desire, but the idea that their government would forcibly put them in the foxhole with a 220-pound psychopath trying to kill them, doesn't make any sense at all."

Bravo!

Here at IWF we have diverse opinions on women fighting on the front lines and the related issue of women being required to register for the draft. Senior Fellow Amber Smith believes that that, now that women are eligible for all positions in military, they should register for the draft.

While I believe that women should register for the draft it all combat positions are open to them, I adamantly oppose women fighting on the front lines. I hope the spectacle of women registering for the draft might bring us to our senses.

I am continually amazed that those who (rightly) decry violence against women want to, as Senator Cruz so eloquently put it, put women in a fox hole with a 220 pound psychopath trying to kill them.  

Not only would this be barbaric (in my opinion), it would reduce military preparedness. It is almost certain that physical standards for women will be lowered to accommodate this feminist dream. But that is not the only drawback.

American soldiers by and large would take risks they ordinarily wouldn't to rescue a woman in distress in battle field because they would be more protective of women. I am glad that this is still at least somewhat the case in Western societies. Unfortunately, it is not the case in the Middle East and the fate of a female soldier who, God forbid, fell into the hands of enemies in this region is too terrible to contemplate.

Women have always been able to have great careers in the U.S. military. This is a good and worthy thing. Women in uniform have performed many services for our country. But they have never reached the absolute top positions and this is admittedly because of the previous restrictions on women in combat. The push for women in combat in part originated because feminists want women to be able to fill these very top positions.

If positions fighting on the front lines are open to women and women are to be treated exactly like men, women should be treated–well–exactly like men.

I can imagine, if this is the case, that many women who would have made careers in the military will think twice about signing up (ditto guys).

By the way, a Republican president and his defense secretary could reverse the order that opened front-line combat positions to women.