Staff Editorial

As international news stories surrounded America’s disputes with Iran in mid-January, American teenagers were presented with the possibility of war for the very first time. However, from the lens of social media, teens held an extreme insensitivity towards the situation. 

Jokes about women getting drafted went viral on Twitter. The odd part was that the culprits behind these tweets were mostly women. In a country where women have persevered in the face of oppression and fought for equal rights for years, it was hard to digest such a disappointing notion. 

Women have risked their lives for us to receive equal treatment under the law, but as soon as we are expected to fight for our country alongside men, we love staying at home, caring for our children and making dinner for our husbands. 

This is also largely disrespectful towards the women who currently serve our country and represent femininity in the military. 

In the persistent fight for equal rights, women should expect to also be drafted, just as men are. Women cannot fight for equality in only the aspects they please to.

Many teens excuse these callous responses to the possibility of a nuclear war as a “coping mechanism,” while countries all around the world feel like war is their day-to-day reality. 

These tweets were largely inconsiderate of the U.S. embassies and Iranian civilians. A third world war would put the very people who protect American citizens of Tehran in great danger. And as for Iranians, they are already fighting a battle we so blatantly disregard: an extremely corrupt regime. Let’s not forget the opportunities and freedom we are so privileged to have within our country, as many foreign countries continue to have no voice in the face of their government or republic. 

Perhaps the possibilities of a war with Iran were not taken seriously by many young individuals, because it seems like such a distant reality. It’s easy to joke about the severity of a third world war, until it actually happens someday. 

So, before you are so quick to favorite that meme about getting drafted, consider the reality of the idea, and the many lives it could negatively affect.