"Giant Leap for womankind" coming soon

[shesulsa]

By Marcia Dunn

Updated: 2:28 p.m. PT Oct 20, 2007
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CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - A giant leap is about to be made for womankind.
When space shuttle Discovery blasts off Tuesday, a woman will be sitting in the commander’s seat. And up at the international space station, a female skipper will be waiting to greet her.
It will be the first time in the 50-year history of spaceflight that two women are in charge of two spacecraft at the same time.

FULL ARTICLE

What's neat about this is it happened by accident, it wasn't planned out, didn't need to be. I don't know how much of a milestone this really is, but I'm sure our kids will have to know this date in history if they take Women's Studies.

Yet, there's a certain elation about it, isn't there? Thoughts?

 

[Sukerkin]

Whilst I've never been a paid-up-member of the men-and-women-are-the-same club, my reaction to this bit of news was "About time!".

If the ladies are qualified for the job (rather than shoe-horned in for PR (unlikely to say the least in this case)) then best of luck to them :tup:.

 

[theletch1]

Not really a sense of elation for me but not because there are opposing feelings. It's just one of those feelings that this is just the way things should be in the first place and that nothing out of the ordinary is going on. I have three daughters and have always taught them that there is nothing that I can do that they can't. It's one of those things that was ingrained in me by my father (not my mother, ironically) and seeing this was more of one of those moments that really didn't click as a "big" moment for me. Am I making sense or coming across as a male chauvinist? To me it never occurred that there should be any reason why two women shouldn't control the shuttle so when it finally happened and the news was all over it was more of a "Well, duh." moment.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

I think that instead of "elation" at every first, it would be better to get to a place where we look at events like this as "normal". That is what real equality is about. Normality, not celebration at every event.

Not that its not an accomplishment, but I think that its important to get to the point where all we want is the right "person" for the job. Not the right minority. Should we be less proud of all the male skippers that went before them?

I do know where you are coming from though. But I hope that my daughters grow up into an age where their skills/accomplishments are ALL that matters and that their sex never entered into the equation.

 

[shesulsa]

Not really a sense of elation for me but not because there are opposing feelings. It's just one of those feelings that this is just the way things should be in the first place and that nothing out of the ordinary is going on. I have three daughters and have always taught them that there is nothing that I can do that they can't. It's one of those things that was ingrained in me by my father (not my mother, ironically) and seeing this was more of one of those moments that really didn't click as a "big" moment for me. Am I making sense or coming across as a male chauvinist? To me it never occurred that there should be any reason why two women shouldn't control the shuttle so when it finally happened and the news was all over it was more of a "Well, duh." moment.

I completely understand this and this was my initial reaction. I'm not overwhemingly overjoyed, however .... Well, I still see some definite gender-role-specific suppositions in my neck of the *heh* woods. And as far as we supposedly have gone, we still have so very, very far to go in many ways - even with our very own gender.

It *IS* about time and who cares their gender so long as they are qualified and do the job well? It certainly *SEEMS* we should be to that point in our sociality, yes?

:asian:

 

[shesulsa]

I do know where you are coming from though. But I hope that my daughters grow up into an age where their skills/accomplishments are ALL that matters and that their sex never entered into the equation.

Just remember - our country is over 200 years old and women have only had the legal right to vote for less than 90. I think much of the history of women and our plight for our own place in the world and fair consideration is lost on young women today. Perhaps that's a good thing.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

Just remember - our country is over 200 years old and women have only had the legal right to vote for less than 90. I think much of the history of women and our plight for our own place in the world and fair consideration is lost on young women today. Perhaps that's a good thing.

I think we need to "know" our history and not "dwell" on it. I hope that my daughters feel that they are not discriminated against now, rather than be "angry" about womens historical treatment. 90 years ago my ancestors (from the Italian side of the house) were discriminated against terribly. Today I am a "white male" and part of the "establishment" and those past wrongs are forgotten in the political sense. I hope that becomes true for all races and minority groups down the line. Part of that is letting go of the political clout of being part of a "minority" in the political sense and concentrating on righting ANY inequality vs. focusing on your particular group.

Just a ramble there. Made sense to me.

 

[newGuy12]

Its hardly noteworthy to me. I don't see what all of the fuss is about, really. Female astronauts are old news. To have a female captain a mission -- is that really all that big a deal? Then again, my perspective can be off.

I will add this -- as an aside -- I once read that astronauts would go up drunk. Evidently, that is not so big a deal. Come to find out, they mostly just "sit there for the ride" going up. Its COMING DOWN that is the deal-breaker, typically. You have to be switched on and focused, for sure!

Here's to the crew! May they ALL have a good mission!




Robert

 

[theletch1]

Its hardly noteworthy to me. I don't see what all of the fuss is about, really. Female astronauts are old news. To have a female captain a mission -- is that really all that big a deal? Then again, my perspective can be off.

I will add this -- as an aside -- I once read that astronauts would go up drunk. Evidently, that is not so big a deal. Come to find out, they mostly just "sit there for the ride" going up. Its COMING DOWN that is the deal-breaker, typically. You have to be switched on and focused, for sure!

Here's to the crew! May they ALL have a good mission!




Robert

It wasn't having a female captain the mission that made it a newsworthy item. It was that TWO women held both of the top seats in the spacecraft. Is it a big deal, yes and no. It just depends on whether you've spent your entire life thinking that equality was the way it was supposed to be in the first place or not. I've always been a staunch supporter of everyone being on a level playing field and dealing with folks on a one by one basis. So much so that my eldest daughter got herself into trouble in highschool for arguing for women in direct combat roles with her government teacher. They realize that there is still inequality out there but it's been driven into their heads for so long that they are just as good and capable as any man that it just confuses them when folks make a big deal out of things like this.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

I think women (American women at least) will eventually be in combat. They are only a few steps away from Infantry right now. I dont think its as much an issue of capability as it is "capacity" of the branches to handle it. Winning wars is the military's goal, not social experimentation. When they see that women in combat will help them win, it will happen. Its going to be a gradual change IMO.

 

[Kembudo-Kai Kempoka]

I dunno, folks. Two female drivers in space, same place & same time? I'm thinking we're gonna see a wreck.

D.

:angel:

 

[Makalakumu]

I'm looking at the world that my daughter is growing up into and I see her interest in math and science and all I can say is that I can only hope that she is judged by her merits when she grows older. I don't want people to say, "wow, she's so good at science." I want people to think that anyone with interest can excell if they want to...even a girl for christs sakes!

With that being said, I think we need to be aware of a double edged sword. Pointing out every little thing this or that group does may bring to bare an attitude that this is the exception and not the rule.

Look, I'm not a woman, so I don't know how qualified I am to speak on this matter, but I do have a daughter, so I care about that.

I hope that people treat her fairly.

 

[Blotan Hunka]

I'm looking at the world that my daughter is growing up into and I see her interest in math and science and all I can say is that I can only hope that she is judged by her merits when she grows older. I don't want people to say, "wow, she's so good at science." I want people to think that anyone with interest can excell if they want to...even a girl for christs sakes!

With that being said, I think we need to be aware of a double edged sword. Pointing out every little thing this or that group does may bring to bare an attitude that this is the exception and not the rule.

Look, I'm not a woman, so I don't know how qualified I am to speak on this matter, but I do have a daughter, so I care about that.

I hope that people treat her fairly.

Hey Upnorth..ive found something we have in common! 3 girls here. One in HS already (where did the time go?). I share the same hope and concerns.

 

[Rich Parsons]

FULL ARTICLE

What's neat about this is it happened by accident, it wasn't planned out, didn't need to be. I don't know how much of a milestone this really is, but I'm sure our kids will have to know this date in history if they take Women's Studies.

Yet, there's a certain elation about it, isn't there? Thoughts?

The first woman to command the Space Station.

The last woman to command a Space Shuttle.

TLC or History channel or news comment about this stated that the Shuttle fleet would be retired before another QUALIFIED woman could go through the system to be the commander of a shuttle craft.

Is this news? Yes.

Is this good for the USA? I hope it is a sign that equality is available to those qualified for a position or the norm.

 

[shesulsa]

I'm looking at the world that my daughter is growing up into and I see her interest in math and science and all I can say is that I can only hope that she is judged by her merits when she grows older. I don't want people to say, "wow, she's so good at science." I want people to think that anyone with interest can excell if they want to...even a girl for christs sakes!

With that being said, I think we need to be aware of a double edged sword. Pointing out every little thing this or that group does may bring to bare an attitude that this is the exception and not the rule.

Look, I'm not a woman, so I don't know how qualified I am to speak on this matter, but I do have a daughter, so I care about that.

I hope that people treat her fairly.

The research done by GS and other girl-youth service organizations say that females (on the average) have often lost most interest in math and science by 13 and keeping them interested from early on is key. The best way to keep them interested in these fields is to provide them with an extracurricular program to channel those interests. I don't know how old your daughter is, but many colleges and local machanical engineering corporations, science museums and universities run the LEGO Robotics program - REALLY fun and it kept some girls in our area interested and involved all the way through the 12th grade, got the ones who applied scholarships and their Gold Awards.

Start lookin'.

 

[CoryKS]

My congratulations to ANYONE who makes it into space in whatever capacity. To them I say, in my best Napoleon Dynamite voice, "Lucky!"