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A Mighty Girl

 

2 days ago ·

For years, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that women couldn't keep up. Women "cannot physically meet the same standards as men," he wrote in his book -- and last fall he made the military's fitness test for combat troops tougher, scrapping the scoring scale for women so they'd have to clear the men's bar. Now the results are in -- and to Hegseth's likely chagrin, more than 9 in 10 female Marines have met or exceeded the new physical fitness standard. Kris Fuhr, co-founder of the Women in the Service Coalition, wasn't surprised: "The women prepare and they train and they're ready."

Hegseth manufactured a problem that didn't exist. Women in combat roles had been meeting the same standards as men all along -- he simply refused to believe it. For a decade, every woman in the infantry, artillery, or armor has had to meet the identical job requirements as the men beside her -- more than 5,000 have, and 174 have earned the Army's brutal Ranger tab under the same rules as their male peers. What Hegseth changed wasn't the combat standard. It was the annual fitness test, long graded on separate curves for men and women, which he ordered scored against the men's alone. The women are clearing that, too, at 91% -- nearly matching the men's 97%.

He has never been coy about what he thinks. "I'm straight up just saying we should not have women in combat roles," he said on a podcast weeks before his confirmation. His own military's numbers now undercut the very claim he built his case on: that women can't meet the men's standard. Undeterred in his quest to prove women inadequate, he has commissioned a formal review of women in combat that is currently ongoing -- one critics say was designed to reach its conclusion before it began, on a timeline too short to do the work honestly.

The Marine data reaffirms what women have already been proving in these roles for years: leading infantry platoons, flying combat missions, earning Ranger tabs and Green Beret qualifications that wash out most of the men who attempt them. The fitness numbers are simply the latest confirmation of what those women already knew.

"If you tell a woman what the standard is," Fuhr said, "she will do the work to not only meet it, but often exceed it."

For an inspiring children's book that gives groundbreaking women in the military, past and present, the respect they deserve, we highly recommend "Heroism Begins With Her: Inspiring Stories of Bold, Brave, and Gutsy Women in the U.S. Military" for ages 9 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/heroism-begins-with-her

For more books for young readers that honor the service of women in the military, visit our blog post "The Price of Peace: A Mighty Girl Recognizes Veterans" at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=12356

For books for children and teens about the importance of standing up for truth, decency, and justice, even in dark times, visit our blog post, "Dissent Is Patriotic: 50 Books About Women Who Fought for Change," at https://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=14364

To stay connected with A Mighty Girl, you can sign-up for our free email newsletter at https://www.amightygirl.com/forms/newsletter

To read more about female Marines and the fitness test results on the War Horse, visit https://thewarhorse.org/hegseth-marine-women-combat.../

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The Truth Chamber by Duncan Ritchie

This is a terrifying book.  I’d prefer to be terrified by vampires or hobgoblins than probabilities.  The author, currently living in Tasmania, has captured the political cesspool that is American politics. The book could have been a playbook for many recent political campaigns.

 The current political climate leads to unbridled cynicism on all sides of the aisle.  Accusations of “fake news” are bandied about with little or no effort to discover the veracity of the source. Social media abounds with misinformation, outright lies, and misconceptions.  Ai has brought a new level of sophistication to propaganda.  Our enemies abroad and our enemies within are campaigning against data centers in our communities, despite the boost to the local economies.

 The author has got to be precognitive, as his book was conceived in 2022.  He incorporates Ai to provide the ultimate lie detector in the Truth Chamber. 

 There is a definitive bias in the book as Republicans are the unscrupulous villains, and the Democrats are guilty of circumventing the law for the greater good.

 
This is a book well worth reading but don’t anticipate getting comfortable reading it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Die Famous by Michael Koryta

The book is set in the American Depression, with banks failing, people losing their jobs,and a lot of resentment of the well-to-do. A band of robbers, a fatherless boy, a roving femme fatale, and a stoic patriarch are the cast of this tale.

Savannah Cody shares narration with Alford, her son, and Eddie, nicknamed Nickel, her lover, father of Alford, and one of the robbers. A classic wrong side of the track, star-crossed lovers leading to sadness, loneliness, and death.

Eddie is on the run with the Brady bunch, not the one you are thinking about. Al Brady, a robber, who lusts for notoriety. Al’s hero is John Dillinger, despite the violent demise of his hero, Al wants to be famous.

Eddie, a consummate mechanic, finds himself shunned by Savannah’s family, and in despair falls into a life of crime.

I enjoyed the book, and recommend it.  

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

The Hanged Man by Jane Brookwood

 This is part of a series that appears to be able to be read as a stand-alone.   The owner of a metaphysical gift shop reads Tarot cards.  They figure prominently in the plot as does a cat who may be psychic named Rosie.

 A man commits suicide or is murdered.  The controversy begins to divide a community, with many who have been impacted by the victim or deceased. Fiona is deeply involved as the deceased and his brother/suspect are the sons of her deceased best friend.

 There is a police chief, chef, contractor, and younger, computer-literate employee also involved as well as Vinny, a fixer of sorts.

 
It isn’t as complex as it might appear. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan

Annie Gore is a private eye.  A former Air Force special investigator, she now finds herself wondering where the money to fix the AC is going to come from.  A distraught daughter comes to her for answers on her estranged father.

Annie discovers that it isn’t quite that simple.  The town of Mount Zion seems to harbor a wealth of dysfunctional citizens.  The estranged father is a snake-handling tent preacher who seems to have alienated half the community while endearing himself to the other half. 

There is a Hell Hole, the smell of brimstone, missing bodies, drug traffic, ex-cons, vision-seeing waitresses, and much more to provide this book with a plethora of entertaining characters. 

I enjoyed the book and recommend it. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned