Here's a thought for you, why do Fire Fighters have physical tests they have to pass to become Fire Fighters?

Think about it for a moment before you answer. Why do they have to PROVE that they have certain PHYSICAL ATTIBUTES to do the job? Could it be that they are necessary attributes to have to perform the job both safely and effectively? Does this really sound all that bad?

Imagine a Doctor, he or she has to take tests, work in a clinical setting as an intern for years before they get their licence and can start a practice. A Lawyer has to do the same. So many tests, graduate, take the Bar and then, and only then, can they practice law.

Now throw Diversity into the mix. Well thankfully, we don't for Doctors and Lawyers, all must pass the same tests with the same scores set as passing for any of them to do their job (unless you are talking about getting into the college in the first place and that's another story). But for Fire Fighters, Police Officers and EMT the requirements are lowered for a woman. In many cases they have to perform at 75% or even as low as 50% of their male counterparts to fill the same jobs.

Now this is just on the Physical side of things so far as I have been able to find, but does this really make sence to you?  I am 6'3" tall and weigh in at 275lbs. Can a woman really carry me out of a burning building, down three flights of stairs and into the parking lot where I am safe? Well if she is China from the WWE, probably. But China could probably qualify by the same standards as a man my size. But a woman the size of my wife, 5' and a hair, 100lbs and change could never do it, I don't care how good of shape she was in.

But they are on the squad too. How, they didn't have to qualify like the men did. Many of them can not even lift the hoses, which can weigh in at 25#'s per foot when full of water. If I was a Fire Fighter I would want to make sure the person behind me could carry me out if something bad should happen, or, get me the hose full of water so I could continue to help save a building full of people or my fellow Fire Fighters who might be trapped inside the building on the verge of colapse.

This isn't intended to degrade women in the least, but there are certain physical attributes that many women don't have. If a man can not pass the tests there is not a "weak man's" version that he can pass and still be on the Squad. hes' ou tof the program, PERIOD. Why make an exception for a woman.

The answer, Diversity. That wonderful sounding little catch phrase that the DLP loves to banter about.

"We want little girls to know thay can be anything in life they want to be", "It's wrong for women to be excluded from any job based on sex", and my personal favorite, "Men have been in control of everything since day one and look at the mess we are in".

Well, a little girl can grow up to be almost anything she wants to be, just a little boy can grow up to be almost anything he wants to be. But a woman can not be a man. If they want a man's job, pass the same physical that a man has to pass. This goes for women in the military also.

If a boy wants a traditionally female job, (and no I am not going to name one so you can all climb up my back side about it) they have to perform just like the girls going for it. Seems fair to me. Completely fair.

This is just like all the diversity training we have had in our places of employment over the years. A woman moves into the office and suddenly the workplace has to operate differently, no more jokes, the same jokes we all thought were funny and now considered offensive.

You place a woman into a traditionally male job, where men build a strong relationship with each other through jokes and levity and you are asking for a harassment law siut to be filed. When the city, county or state does these things they should not be surprised when they get served.

Men do stupid stuff, no doubt about it, we snap each other with towels, we beat the crap out of each other to secure our place in the pecking order, we are not the brightest creatures on the planet. I give you that one, but when we are placed in a situation where lives are in jeopardy, we are masters of working as a unit. Add a woman to that mix and our motives get all screwed up. Most of us learned women and children first, don't hit a lady, and we grew up being programmed by our DNA and our fathers to protect women at all costs.

We don't need that when we are in a firey building or a war. We need cohesion.

What we do not need is Diversity.

But what would I know, I'm just a diverse Average American.