Today, I had someone in a veterans housing program tell me that integrating women in combat roles was "political correctness" and not "common sense". He, of course, had no idea what a Lioness was so we had a history lesson - taught by yours truly - on what the fuck it is and who started it: Marine Corps and Army infantry officers looking to un-f*ck Ramadi. And they couldn't do it without women.

The term "political correctness" is thrown around way too much these days without understanding what the hell one is talking about or what it really means. This douchebag's "political correctness" spiel was essentially him high-fiving all the VA personnel that deny me care, benefits, and dignity. It is nothing more than a nod to slanderous articles and comments that degrade women veterans all over various media outlets. His scoffing at women's strength not only speaks of positionality and privilege, but is also taking a giant shit on the VA claim that has taken 10 years to go anywhere because I happen to have ovaries and that makes misogynists 'haz a sad'.

It should go without saying that coming from a culture, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NHPI), where women are expected to be resilient, that this mansplaining and gaslighting garbage is the real "political correctness" we need to worry about. It is nothing more than a veiled movement to protect the weak, fragile egos of small men who need far more help than I can give outside a stiletto deeply embedded into their fourth point of contact.

This male veteran is someone who works directly for veterans to include women. So tell me, is it "political correctness" f*cking veterans over and not sociopathic patriarchs and their legionnaires continuing to take and manipulate their way into retirement while all else suffers? If you believe women are not strong, not intelligent, not capable, well, I'm sorry for your mother, because your piss-poor perception is also a reflection upon the women in your own family. That is all.