The world is becoming a huge mess. Melanie Trump and her writing staff were accused of plagiarizing Michelle Obama's 2008 DNC speech. Ted Cruz got booed for not endorsing Donald Trump. Trump accepted the Republican nomination for presidency. Earlier this week I distracted myself from political news by rewatching a marathon of "Living Single." I opened my iPad to Buzzfeed's app and found an unlikely article: Mike Pence and Mulan. If you don't know who Mike Pence is, he is Trump's running mate for vice president.
The article reported Pence's op-ed argument on Mulan and why women shouldn't be in the military on his 1999 radio program. He called the Disney movie a "liberal propaganda."
If you all don't know, this is the Mulan that Pence was arguing about.
"Mulan" is about the titular character in Ancient China who disguised herself as a man to fight in a war against the Huns in her father's place. The Disney movie is loosely based on sixth century "Ballad of Mulan" and has been a role model for a confident, strong Asian woman for me. Mulan holds a special place in my childhood and now. For Pence to argue Mulan being "mischievous liberal," I would have to disagree. I'm going to break down his argument with my input.
1. "Despite her delicate features and voice, Disney expects us to believe that Mulan’s ingenuity and courage were enough to carry her to military success on an equal basis with her cloddish cohorts."
Mulan's ingenuity and courage were not the only things to carry the Chinese army to victory, Mr. Pence. Mulan's role in the military provides leadership and strategy to stop the Huns from attacking the Chinese emperor.
2. "The hard truth of our experiment with gender integration is that is has been an almost complete disaster for the military and for many of the individual women involved."
What experiment? Women served in the military as nurses since American Revolution. They were granted "Permanent status in the Regular and Reserve forces of the Army, Navy and Marine Corps as well as in the newly created Air Force" through The Women's Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 (womensmemorial.org). The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) didn't open to women in the Army and Navy until 1972. Women have been in the military for a long time, sir.
3. "Men and women were actually being housed together during basic training."
Isn't it the whole point of housing them together?
4. "Housing, in close quarters, young men and women (in some cases married to non-military personnel) at the height of their physical and sexual potential is the height of stupidity."
It is not height of their sexual potential. Unless you're referring to rape in the base. I don't think men and women would have any sexual tension with each other since they are busy trying to live and protect this country.
5. On Mulan's romance: "You see, now stay with me on this, many young men find many young women to be attractive sexually. Many young women find many young men to be attractive sexually. Put them together, in close quarters, for long periods of time, and things will get interesting."
Yes, there are women and men in the military get together and married. Some soldiers had to be called and fight to protect this country. They tried their best to come back to their families. Some couples didn't get married until after they were off duty or not called into base. Mulan and Shang got married in the sequel after the war. They didn't get together in the first film. If you, Pence, meant to criticize Mulan because she was a woman in combat, I hate to break it to you but there are many women who are put in combat. Who are ready to fight and protect. Pence, you need to stop spending time on memes like this.
In conclusion: Mulan is good. Mike Pence is not good.
Read Mike Pence's full argument here.
