Women, Children, and the Infantry

In the past, I’ve heard numerous feminist scholars decry sentences that lump together women, children, and the elderly. They argue it’s infantilizing. But I’ve grown to see it differently. For those who solely champion war, perhaps they must create stories to weaken the symbols of peace. I’m not saying women cannot fight. I’m asking, why should we, and why can’t you also be a symbol of peace? If our nurturing is used against us, why can’t it be used against you and why cannot you be more nurturing, too? If our feelings are considered a disgrace, why can’t you feel? If we cherish the elderly and the power of wisdom, then when has wisdom ever led to war? So, who is the infant here? Really. Who is the infant here? Not the children, or the women, or the elderly. To me that’s clear. Afterall, war and occupation need an infantry that believes in war and its subsequent ideologies.