Didactic Memorialization and Telling a "True" Story of War

The military is a very controversial topic. Upon reviewing the topic during HumCore I've realized what a sexist environment it holds.

The Invisible War was an incredibly emotional eye-opener for me. The stories these women told settled in me and it emotionally drained me. Some of them being army families, sexual assault being the furthest from their mind because it was just a tradition to be part of the military for them.

"A female U.S. soldier in a combat zone is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire. In fact, The Department of Defense estimates that in 2010 alone, there were more than 19,000 violent sex crimes in the U.S. military."

Before seeing this, I had known of the minimal attempts of sexism in the military. The military ads, for example, have definitely improved through the years and through the notion of permitting women to join the military.

Women are not nearly as credited for as much as they should be. Women in the military should be the definition of "Army Strong".

Women day-to-day are given the short end of any stick, but the fact that there are women willing to join the military, some knowing their odds/statistics are revolutionary. They hold pride in themselves and belief in what they do.

                               FEMME AIN'T FRAIL

Sources: Femme Ain't Frail, US Navy AD, I Hit Like A Girl, The Invisible War

The Run of This Course

I didn't know what to expect going into my first year of Humanities Core. All I had ever heard was how difficult it was and how time consuming it was - which was very true.

The theme was war and all I could think of was how horrible I was at history and how much more difficult this course would be for me. When I went to lectures I realized how much I didn't know/hadn't learned in high school.

It challenged me in a lot of ways and it made me uncomfortable, which is what college is supposed to be and supposed to do.

I think the hardest quarter for me was this quarter. We talked about sexual assault and sexual violence, and this topic was very uncomfortable, but, like the rest of Humanities Core, was very eye-opening.

Throughout history I had already known that women have been given the shorter end of everything and were always looked down on by men, I even knew about the disadvantages they faced when going into the military, but after watching The Invisible War it changed my perspective on the military and who is in it.

As this course continues and comes close to its end, I have reflected time and time again on the experience and what I have learned, and though it was trying and tiring, I would like to relive it. Just for the challenge.

Research Project

The topic, or artifact, that I've chosen is war folktales. Since the theme of Gender and Sexuality interests me, I think I want to focus on the different roles gender plays in war folktales, mostly within the Civil War if I am able to gather that.

However, if I fail to find these roles, I will most likely just focus on the impact these folktales had on the war.

Stories, I feel, shape the way we view certain things. When we hear a story from one perspective it can alter our opinion or view on that subject. In regards to a subject as sensitive as war, where there are more than enough opinions on it, I think it's important to know every thought on war. Not to shape our own views, but to understand someone else's. I feel accepting opinions allows us to understand the history we both have and haven't lived through more.

This research will definitely be a struggle. It'll be hard to find enough to talk about the specific wars I've chosen rather than just talk about folktales' effect as a whole.

But, it's something I feel passionate about, so I'm hopeful that my drive will make it less dreadful.

Military Culture or Folklore

Tattoos are symbolic to a lot of people. You can get a name on your wrist, a quote from your favorite movie or book on your forearm, or even just a symbol that means something to you. Tattoos are a form of art and expression, valuable to each person in a different way.

“They’re asserting an individualistic identity,” (Anna Felicity Friedman, NY Times).

Military men hold no exception to this rule. In fact, receiving them might mean more to them than to other people. With them being forced to leave everything they have and love behind to devote themselves to the military, the ink on their arms grows more symbolically than people, even themselves, may realize.

Since tattoos can hold such an importance, it's sad to see a ban on getting inked. Of course, if the tattoo is deemed offensive it should not be tolerated, especially with men of such a high position, no matter what military branch or ranking you're apart of. However, the idea that tattoos label you with a certain stereotype should not be encouraged.

By stating that the tattoo ban is to maintain a uniform look only encourages the idea that having tattoos automatically makes you a person with a [negative] agenda. Because people in the military already represent a sacrifice, there shouldn't be a debate on whether or not a tattoo determines who they are as a person.