When I minored in Women’s
Studies in college, I thought I was in the right place and that my intellectual
appetite would be satisfied after taking numerous courses that proved to be
liberating. However, after reading hundreds of books on how women are considered
the “weaker sex” and how our sociological history hasn’t benefited us the way
we wanted, it seems like we’ve come a long way… but we STILL face too many
challenges in society.
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| LIFT HEAVY MEN – THAT'S WHAT! |
I’m all for equal rights and
being treated with the same professional respect as men. However, I’m not going
to ignore the facts that there are some jobs suited for a man that a woman – no
matter what her physical or mental shape may be – is qualified to handle.
I’ve covered lots of fires
over the past decade while reporting for the Canarsie Courier. One of the worst
fires I witnessed was last February – when FDNY officials had to violently bust
windows out of a two-family home on Conklin Avenue to ventilate the building
and access all the rooms. Every firefighter carried what look like over a ton
of gear and the ferociousness they demonstrated while walking into the blazing
building seemed effortless.
I honestly can’t say I’ve
ever seen a female fighter respond to the scene of a fire. When I think about
what it takes to barrel through possibly heavy, water-logged debris in the
midst of a fire and lift a 160 pound person to safety, I DON’T think about a
woman carrying out the rescue efforts.
Sometimes, admitting you’re
weak is your biggest strength. Therefore, when the FDNY began discussions on
testing methods which reportedly keep women from joining the department, my
first thought was: Are women physically strong enough to carry out the demands
that come with being a firefighter?
Let’s get real! You want to
fight for equal rights and have the same opportunities as men but when the Fire
Department calls for you to undergo rigorous drills that include raising a ladder
up a wall while wearing an oxygen tank, you might rethink your career path.
How many women in the
community really want to be
firefighters? Some might say the FDNY is using discriminatory means of
recruiting employees. When I read in the NY
Daily News that Queens Democrat Elizabeth Crowley, chairwoman of the
Committee on Fire and Criminal Justice Services said, “It is time we break down
any barriers that still exist for women to become New York City firefighters.”
I don’t think they should
change the test to accommodate women! Even a woman who fulfills the basic
physical requirements of being a firefighter will have to accept their
challenges. Could most women – even they’re six feet tall and work out – lift
someone twice their weight while carrying apparatus on their backs?
Don’t take this the wrong way
ladies, but if you expect to start a family and take maternity leave from the
FDNY – you’re NOT proving you’re equal to man, who can remain on the job and
report to duty every day as long as he’s physically capable. The Fire
Department shouldn’t lower its standards or tests just to give more women a
chance, thus increasing overall enrollment.
Furthermore, I think it’s a
sign of weakness that women only want to have the doors open to them because a
certain career or field or lacks an outstanding female population. Big deal! If
men are the ones primarily applying for any
job – it’s our responsibility to show just as much interest in that field –
whether it’s in construction, electrical work or even home improvement. Any of
you ladies out there own your own contracting business where YOU crawl
underneath homes and line up ladders along roofs to string wires? I don’t see
too many women taking jobs where their physical endurance is put to the test.
Sometimes, women are their
own worst enemies when it comes to complaining about their rights – and then
when it comes to which jobs they truly wouldn’t apply for because
they’re…women! We can’t deny that our physical differences (the fact that we’re
more likely to suffer from osteoporosis and the fact that menopause ruins our
post-menstrual years in life) often keep us from carrying out everyday tasks.
I wouldn’t want to be put to
the test, physically knowing that I can’t meet the challenges put forth by the
FDNY – even well into my early 50s when my body starts going through Mother
Nature’s next round of changes!
I DO think women should join
their local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) programs. Knowing CPR,
disaster preparedness and basic life-saving skills as a first responder are
beneficial to all genders – whether
you have the physical abilities or not.
There are some physically
demanding jobs that women just don’t
want and I don’t think they’re cut
out for. Feminists, activists and protesters can make all the noise they want
about “inequality”…or they can fill out an FDNY application, grab a 70 pound
ladder and climb the walls with tons of weights and an oxygen tank on their
back. That’ll show them to fire back!
Unpublished as of 12-23-15
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