"We're So Strong" As the US military prepares to lift the ban preventing women from serving on the front lines of military combat, we're inspired by the words of Ms. Violet Palmer, the first female NBA referee who had these words to say about being a female in her own male-dominated profession. "I didn't know if they'd talk differently, look at me differently, or if they'd touch me", said Palmer who has been an NBA ref since 1997 of her fellow male referees. While the NBA and military operations are quite different animals, both surely were met with oppositionary reactions initially, but said Palmer, "I knew if I did my job well, they cynics would be quiet." Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta (who is slated to resign from his post this year) said in a statement yesterday, "The department's goal in rescinding the rule is to ensure that the mission is met with the best-qualified and most capable people, regardless of gen...
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