Who agrees this is a ridiculous analogy?

Question

A woman once said to me "I do not understand why society respects soldiers more than mothers, both take risks and make sacrifices for society."

There are so many things wrong with believing a mother should deserve the amount of respect a soldier should, for obvious and not so obvious reasons. However, all it takes is a little bit of common sense to figure out why.

So who agrees that analogy was ridiculous?

Answer 1

I think it's silly for anyone to think they deserve more respect than anyone else.  I can respect many people equally but for different reasons.  It's like little kids who are trying to say who their best friend is, and then their second best friend, and then their third best friend.  

Her comment was ridiculous.  Her analogy was ridiculous.  But so is the idea that a mother deserves any less respect because she doesn't risk her life.  Can't we just respect people, period?  And can't we be grateful for different reasons?  

Answer 2

Soldiers kill people.  Is killing people who have never done you any harm a noble thing to do?  If there were no cannon fodder willing to fight these wars (motivated by greed and profit at the top) there would be no wars.

Women often DO end up sacrificing their own lives -  to their family.  For the benefit for the other family members.

*Just say "h**l no, we won't go"

http://www.warresisters.org/

Answer 3

It's an odd analogy, but I can see her point.  And I am neither a mother nor a soldier.

There will always be wars as long as people like you consider them a viable option.

Answer 4

Actually; despite, the fact I do have 5 kids, I find the analogy foolish at best.  I never sacrificed all that much; all I did was to birth them, guide them and give them the love that I'm able to give them, that's not sacrificing anything.  I haven't lost anything.  Sure somethings were set on hold, but they were not sacrificed. I'm not even going to go there and what lay guilt trips, no way in h**l.  

Answer 5

Rights should be equal.

But h**l, soldiers are right now in a dessert with hughe spiders, getting shot, dying, watching friends die in not so good looking ways, away from families, risking their lives anyway, expectng to get bombed everyday, hard physical and mental training, forced to do what ordered, taking weird stuff to stay awake, ETC.

This people do suffer more than a mother doing chores, some jobs, or taking care of kids..

Answer 6

sorry but I have known too many women in the military who got knocked up to get out of being deployed. Soldiers act with Honor and selfless commitment to something bigger then themselves. many Women fight tooth and nail for the right to have abortions. Ill give equal respect to women who believe their babies are real on the day its conceived and love and protect it from that day forward.

Answer 7

Actually I think that is an excellent analogy. Motherhood is not easy. In fact, it is extremely difficult. Mothers do deserve such respect.

Answer 8

I think it's a bit much.  Mothers are wonderful people and I am sure they feel like they are in a war zone and are going to be tied up, tortured and murdered by the little rug rats....but they are not.

Something that is challenging, is not the same as something that is deadly.

Answer 9

Both should be respected, if they are worthy of respect.

Most soldiers don't get blown up.

More women died in childbirth this century than soldiers in both WWI and WWII. Of course not so many women die in childbirth these days (only half a million annually, or one every minute), but a few decades ago it was just as risky as going to war. And many women are left permanently injured by pregnancy and childbirth.

It's a strange analogy but I can see what she's saying.

Edit

"Sam, you're suggesting to me that 72 million mothers died? Thats how many soldiers are CONFIRMED KIA in world war one and two.

You're suggesting 72 million mothers have died in 8 years?"

Can you read? I said this century. Where do you get your stats from? Wikipedia, which uses the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and other sources, has the figure at almost 10 million soldiers for World War I. Around 25 million soldiers died in World War II. So your numbers don't add up.

Far more CIVILIANS died.

10 million women have died in pregnancy in the last 20 years alone and over 300 million live with complications.

Sigh!

Edit

Yes, you're right - my error :-) I meant the 20th century. Only about 4 million have died in childbirth THIS century.

Sigh ...........

Answer 10

its not ridiculous at all  both fight for others to live happily but in different ways

Answer 11

I don't think you can compare soldiers with mothers.  Both should be respected and both have made sacrifices, but in different ways that cannot be compared.  By choosing to be a mother, you are giving up 18+ years of your life to ensure your child is a well-rounded healthy individual that will hopefully make this world a better place.  Soldiers, on the other hand, give up a minimum of three years of their life to the service of the country.  Yes, it is risky and there is always the chance you could die in the line of duty if sent to a post where there is conflict.  It is the soldier's belief that they are doing what is right for their country.  Neither job is easy and each job has it's own set of risks.  But to compare the two is like comparing apples to oranges.

Answer 12

I think we are respecting them for different things. Both are important to the continuation of a society i.e. mothers produce more citizens and soldiers protect them.

Of course there are bad mothers who kill their children and bad soldiers who abuse their powers, and neither of these deserve respect.

Answer 13

Mothers have watched when their children have been injured or died.  They have lost a child....their own flesh and blood.  That's more painful than a comrade in the war.  And that comrade is being mourned by his mother.  Mothers also make sacrifices that don't involve the violence of war.  They sacrifice their lives, their finances, their own well being just for the sake of their children.

Answer 14

Soldiers do deserve respect.

Mothers deserve respect.

Well the ones that dont abuse the situation.

Both deserve it for differing reason.

I wouldnt say anything so profundly dumb as one endures more than the other. The two subjects arent related enough for a comparison. It smacks me of a competition ignited within those that claim so as if they feel that somehow they will be loosing out if they arent the better.

Like watching some one die, an enemy or the friend who saved your life that right now feels more like family to you (possibly more than birth family for some) because thats just ... Im not sure if thats disrespectful or just plain dull.  As compared to the loss of a child.

Both things ar profound.

I wouldn't compare soldiers to murderers - they arent. They are doing a job and often incurr deep and devestating trauma whilst doing so. They are more comparable to a sword or gun - an armed force is used by others to acheive a task. They are servents - hence the royal regiment of wales has as its motto, when transalted to english 'I Serve'.

It is true that many battles and wars are weighed on economics. Sadly death has also become a modern multi-billion (pound/dollar/whatever) industry. However I would rather see them there for when the time comes that they are needed rather wanted. You simply can not expect to turn out a force of well trained fighters in a few weeks ready to repell an invasion.

Which group deserves more respect? Do I have to choose? I will respect them for what they deserve it for. It isnt a competition.

Answer 15

Don't get too riled up.  This is how feminism thinks:  that any and all positions, careers, ideologies etc etc etc are merge-able and at core the same.  This only counts for when feminists want to absorb and thus control another.  As for positions that they disagree with, then they will use every means to attack it.

Answer 16

lol wow i love how all the people who answered this question so far are women probably mothers too I TOTALLY agree with you an every point you have made, really what sacrifices for society do mothers make, when they choose to buy their kid the healthier cereal they are sacrificing their comfort because the kid will surly cry, or the soldiers sacrifice their LIFES so our great country can keep its beliefs and so other countries can be safe from terrorism who ever says that saying is obviously ignorant, and unpatriotic, i dont think that some people understand what soldiers go through

Answer 17

That is comparing apples to oranges. Both should get respect, of course, but in different ways and for different reasons. Military personnel during war times have to deal with almost daily life-and-death situations, agonizing decisions, personal stress, etc. Mothers don't usually have to deal with things like that. Mom's (and Dad's) have different stress situations to deal with.

BTW, if you are a veteran, may I say "Thank You" for your sacrifice. America appreciates you (and other veterans) very much for protecting our freedoms. ♥ ∞

Answer 18

I agree that this is silly comparison to even entertain.  The mother of a child plays a critical role to her family.  A soldier enters a combat theatre in the interest of protecting his family and national security.  I don't see what the direct relationship is, and I don't see why a combat soldier should be regarded as anything but the greatest asset that a country has with respect to protection from enemies.

It's simply like comparing a refrigerator's importance to that of a Dell computer... they simply serve entirely different functions and no logical comparison can nor should be made.

The mother of a child is critical.  To marginalise the importance of a soldier in combat is absurd.  The notion that the need for National Security or a strong military in the modern era is unecessary is bizarre.  To suggest that those who place themselves in harm's way for the well-being and protection of other is anything less than honorable is too offensive to even warrant discussion.  Diplomacy is wonderful, but one can't engage in diplomacy when the threatening party is irrations, e.g. Ahmadinijad.  In the modern era of Nuclear munitions, without a strong military a country is essentially taking a ridiculous risk.  When there is internationally-accepted intelligence which deems that a multilateral preeminent offensive be launched against what is deemed an imminent threat, failure to respect this is presumptuous.  No one likes war, certainly not anyone who's been in a theatre of combat.  Regrettably, war and soldiers are a necessary part of living in the modern era.  Failure to recognise this can only come with a lack of understanding of history and the need for a strong military.

To understand why and how soldiers are trained to carry out their respective functions in accordance with a proper chain of command, and clarity on understanding rules, one would really need formal military training, otherwise, it's futile to expect anything other than baseless speculation.

Answer 19

would their even be soldiers if there were no mothers? i dont think so. i agree with that lady.

Answer 20

Let me guess... you're a soldier, but not a mother?

It's a lousy analogy, but not for the reason you present. It's comparing apples to oranges. I respect soldiers, I respect mothers. How the two ever ended up in a side-by-side competition for respect is beyond me...

Answer 21

what are they talking about?

mothers have been respected as well as soldiers, ever been since centuries ago, xcept the part where pure civilization weren't there yet.

Answer 22

It's only been recent medical progress that has made pregnancy, birth and motherhood so much easier for women.

Throughout history women had to watch their children die, most of them before the age of five, and hope they themselves didnt die giving birth.  What a struggle and sacrifice it would have been to see your children die, not living to adulthood.  They sacrificed their bodies bearing child after child...there was no reliable birth control until the 1970's.

But it isnt like that anymore.  Thank God  

Answer 23

I don't think people are really understanding this question. I agree whole heartedly with you that it was a ridiculous statement.

Soldiers are people who will lay down their lives, risk being caught and tortured, watch their closest friends die in combat with the goal of protecting their nation and allies.

Mothers on the other hand are people who want children and give birth to them and then raise them.

Those 2 things are not even close to being the same league. I've never heard of someone risking torture or losing limbs or watching friends die as a possibility of becoming a mom. Women become mothers because its a joyous experience, whereas people become soldiers because of feeling of duty to help their nation.

NOT EVEN CLOSE.

Answer 24

It doesn't sound too ridiculous to me.

Answer 25

I do not agree. Both serve a very good purpose on this earth. Who is to say that one should be put higher than the other? Both get acknowledged for their duties. Yes, soldiers are at a higher risk of dieing  and see way more gruesome thins but they know that when they are going in.  

Answer 26

Creating life or killing? Wars and soldiers should be banned everywhere. Disputes should be resolved by debate

Answer 27

I'm a mother and a soldier, and frankly the soldier half is a good deal more difficult.

There is an inherent fear, though. I am paranoid about my children's safety while I'm deployed. I can't watch them so all I can do is panic and hope they make it through okay.

While it can be difficult to imagine losing a friend, it's scarier to imagine losing my child because I'm not there to watch them.

A friend of mine was nearly blown up in a DFAC and that threw me into panic mode for a few days...

I don't really know what to say, I guess.

Answer 28

i don't give soldiers any respect, murderers and thieves. the world is a big scary place with a bunch of ignorant people running scared. Soldiers are the problem. If not yours then on the other side of the fence and either way when the wars done they turn around and point the cannons at you. So yes women deserve more respect than soldiers. Everyone gets what they deserve, that's why soldiers die, you kill then you die, it's only natural.

Answer 29

Yes, that is a very ridiculous comparison. Although both parties choose to become what they are, soldiers are most defiantly in way more danger and stressful situations then a mother.  

Answer 30

it is not ridiculous

mothers should be treated like a soldier!

Answer 31

Not accurate, no.

But in terms of respect - depends on the type of respect. Yes soldiers have a more widely important job, and in the case of combat, more dangerous. However, in terms of, say - behavior and choice - I respect mothers more. (Soldiers *have* to be trained to hate the enemy and follow orders without question, but I find people willing to do that very dubious indeed. As borne out by various military misdeeds. Even our sides have, in the past, open fire on and killed children).

So, in any case, automatic respect to any one group of people is a bad idea. Whatever sacrifices or risks they have made. Individuals you can respect, choices you can respect, aspects of the job etc... but not the group as a whole. No-ones that perfect. So I find the whole idea ridiculous.