Militarization

I thought that the Byrne reading made a really good point about militarization. Studies have shown that there is definitely more violence against women in times of conflict but why? Why are women raped during war? Why is it swept under the rug and ignored? Byrne answers this last question by pointing out that most women in these situations simply do not have the power to enact change. They are subordinate to men and are expected to respect the fact that men go off to war for their country. However, it can be argued that women suffer more in their passive, subordinate roles of war than men do on the front lines of battle. I have a couple of good friends who are going to Afghanistan this coming year to serve and this article really made me think hard about them. I know that people think it doesn't happen with American soldiers but who really knows? Did anyone expect the violence at Abu Ghraib? No. The military does something to its soldiers that dehumanizes them. I mean I guess you would have to be insensitive to an extent in order to be ready to kill people but where does it stop? Where do one's morals come back into play? When they get back? So doesn't it follow that rape would be "OK" if killing is? Someone needs to address these issues because there surely is no shortage of war in the world.