In your article “Girls just wanna have guns: Military standards should not stoop to meet gender differences” [published Oct. 1] the writer ends the article with, “At the end of the day, both men and women should have equal opportunities to pursue all job positions in the military as long as certain standards can be met.”
I will admit I was bothered by this article, specifically in regards to the authorship. In place of an author name it reads: By Baylor Lariat. As a military veteran and current Baylor student, I found it somewhat perplexing that the publication would address an issue on the military without any reference toward what Baylor veterans had to say regarding the subject. I go even further to wonder how many people attending Baylor even know that, among its population, are 100+ veteran students and facility members.
Now, I have my own views regarding females in combat roles but I will not juxtapose that into my response. My point is this, Baylor has many veterans who would have been glad to add to the article by giving a “real” perspective on the topic. There is even an organization, veterans of Baylor led by current students, which would have been more than eager to assist.
I firmly believe that any opinion piece should give expert testimony to further enlighten the reader. I only hope in the future that any piece published regarding the military involves a veteran’s standpoint. My intention isn’t to insult but to make aware and educate.
Editor’s note: Editorials are the opinions expressed by the Lariat Editorial Board and not the opinion of a single person.
Alec Carvalho, Junior accounting major, New Braunfels
