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Thursday 15 January 2009

In the Aussie news...


A NEWLY appointed Australian Navy submarine commander is in hot water for suggesting that women sailors wearing bikinis might help to boost recruitment.

Commander Tom Phillips, appointed to the helm of Collins class submarine HMAS Farncomb last year, also said the submarine equivalent of the "mile-high club" is the "going down club".

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24914958-5000540,00.html

Of course, this is bloody stupid and it begs the question - if female sailors dress to attract male recruits, what do the male sailors do to attract women to enlist in the Navy? Is being in the defence forces all about just tits and arse titillation? Of course not. I find it not only offensive to women in general but also to the members of the defence forces as it suggests they join under the influence of sex. Once again - as far as we have come as women, there is always some nitwit man trying to hold us back.

Eva Cox, chair of the Womens Lobby Australia, said the article reflected "the Navy's limited view of women as bodies rather than brains".

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,24914958-5000540,00.html

And although this officer was reported to have said it in jest, isn't there always some truth behind a joke?

Next…

Brisbane radio presenter Michael Smith angered listeners after calling for Muslim women who wear a hijab to be fined.
The 4BC drive presenter, a former Victorian policeman, said on Wednesday that wearing the
hijab or burka posed a security risk because it obscured the face, making it difficult to identify the wearer in the instance of a crime.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24913953-952,00.html

I am an atheist – no conversions please – but in saying that I believe everyone has the right to believe whatever they want when it comes to religion or tradition. While I understand the concerns of security, I cannot condemn anyone for the way they dress. To my mind, if a woman is happy and under no duress to wear the hijab or a burka, then who am I or anyone to say she can’t?

Smith called for Muslim women who wear an Islamic hijab in public to be fined for offensive behaviour.

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24913953-952,00.html

Are we going to fine Priests for wearing robes? Nuns for habitual habit wearing? We have no idea what they are concealing either. Yep – I am all for security but not the infringement of people’s rights to wear what they want.

www.amarindajones.com
Go Ahead : Live with abandon. Be outrageous at any age. What are you saving your best self for?

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