December

“WASHINGTON (Reuters) Jan 24, 2013 - The U.S. military will formally end its ban on women serving in front-line combat roles, officials said on Wednesday. Women have represented around 2 percent of the U.S. casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan and [are] 12 percent - or 300,000 - of those [who were] deployed in the war efforts in the past 11 years.” David Alexander and Phil Stewart

Although this was lauded as a landmark decision for the United States, it is not unique or groundbreaking. In some of the major conflicts of the 20^th and 21^st Centuries alone there are examples of women who served in various positions that brought them, if not on the front lines of combat, nonetheless in the line of fire: ambulance drivers, nurses, intelligence personnel and partisans. But women as warriors have existed since the beginning of history in such places as Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. And the mythology of women as warriors, such as the women the Greeks called Amazons, is too compelling not to be grounded in some elements of reality. Consider Genghis Khan who in the 13^th Century saga The Secret History of the Mongols is quoted as saying: “Let us reward our female offspring.” The implications are intriguing and worth exploring.

The Silverton H.S. Drumline and Percussion ensemble will present. The Director of the group is Tim Duffy (photo).

This is a continuation of our very well received sessions from the last several terms. ICL is made up of a very interesting group of folks with fascinating backgrounds. In this session we will get to know a few of them a little better as we ask them to share an interesting story from their family, their work experience, or world experience.

Musical entertainment by FESTIVAL CAROLERS (unaccompanied mixed ensemble in Victorian costumes)–Solveig Holmquist, singer/director