Feminist Left Largely Silent as Female Naval Officer Becomes 1st to Command an Aircraft Carrier
A woman with a history of breaking barriers in the Navy has set another milestone in the branch’s history — but few leftist feminists celebrated her achievement.
This week, the USS Abraham Lincoln became the first aircraft carrier to deploy under the command of a female captain when it set sail from San Diego on Monday.
Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt assumed command of the carrier in August.
Capt. Amy N. Bauernschmidt takes command of #USSAbrahamLincoln (CVN 72) Aug. 19, in San Diego, Ca.
Congratulations Capt. Slaughter, & welcome aboard Capt. Bauernschmidt – Thank you both for your leadership ⚓ ??
Read More: https://t.co/SFqAlrW2y8
?️ by: MC3 Jeffrey F. Yale pic.twitter.com/BDE6DuD8yd
— U.S. Navy (@USNavy) August 20, 2021
A news release on Monday from the U.S. 3rd Fleet explained it was departing on a scheduled deployment to support global maritime security operations.
“These Sailors are incredible professionals who have trained exceptionally hard to ensure they are ready for any operational obligations required of us on deployment,” Bauernschmidt said in a statement. “They are absolutely prepared for today’s deployment, and I have no doubt they will represent our nation proudly as we defend our national interests.”
Stars and Stripes reported that Bauernschmidt is an alum of the first graduating class at the Naval Academy in which women were allowed to serve aboard combatant ships and aircraft.
When she became the Abraham Lincoln’s executive officer in 2016, she became the first woman to serve in that role aboard an aircraft carrier.
Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt, who assumed command of the Abraham Lincoln in August, is the first woman to skipper a U.S. aircraft carrier.https://t.co/szStacMevy
— Stars and Stripes (@starsandstripes) January 4, 2022
She has a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering from the Naval Academy and a master’s from the Naval War College, was designated a naval aviator in 1996 and has logged 3,000 flight hours in addition to several commendations.
As far as a naval career goes, it’s an impressive one. For a female aviator and officer in the Navy, all the more so.
Yet there seems to be little fanfare for this impressive woman from the kinds of people who profess themselves to be the most important champions of “women’s rights.”
Weird, isn’t it?
Here is a woman who is breaking what has to have been a well-fortified glass ceiling in the Navy, to borrow an expression. We all know what a fuss was made over Kamala Harris upon her inauguration as the first female vice president as well as the first vice president of color and first female vice president of color.
It seems in today’s identity-politics-driven world, a white woman achieving the rank of captain over a U.S. aircraft carrier is simply not as worthy of admiration as figures who have more intersectionality points than she does.
Although, come to think of it, the left also didn’t seem to think much of immigrant, veteran and woman of color Winsome Sears when she was elected to the lieutenant governorship of Virginia, either, and she also made some important firsts for women in the Old Dominion state.
What gives?
Could it be that Sears, a retired Marine, a Christian and a strong proponent of the Second Amendment, simply didn’t quite suit the narrative that has monopolized leftist feminism? Or that Bauernschmidt’s accomplishments were achieved in the U.S. military, an entity we are routinely told is a hotbed of white supremacy?
It’s almost as though feminism isn’t about women’s equality but a broader ideological movement that simply uses “women’s rights” as a shroud for radical ideas about womanhood, sexuality, gender and the value of human life.
Let’s be real — left-wing feminists don’t celebrate any and all women who work hard and break barriers in their respective areas of influence. They celebrate women who perpetuate and parrot progressive ideology.
[firefly_poll]
The modern left has become so enamored with hardline anti-Americanism that women are far more likely to be celebrated when they’re deriding our nation’s values as wicked, sinful imperialism than they are when they dedicate their lives to serving and defending their country.
I am not a feminist, but I do know that, objectively, if you claim to be “for women” yet ignore women who choose a more traditional lifestyle or achieve success in areas of influence that are of no use to the progressive narrative, you are not a feminist.
We are so often told that feminism isn’t about man-hating and that it’s simply about the choice to pursue career paths that are outside of the traditionally accepted norm for women.
Yet as soon as a woman comes along who chooses a career path typically dominated by men but isn’t calling for abortion on demand, doesn’t hate America and believes in conservative or traditional values, suddenly it’s not about choice.
Every conservative woman knows this all too well.
The seeds of feminism were first planted in the hearts of women who wanted an equal place in public and civic life, and, well, millions of women have defied social expectations to rise to the ranks of stateswomen, important military commanders and powerful corporate leaders.
Yet while there have been many impressive conservative women who have had remarkable professional careers in just the sorts of areas that feminists thought they ought to have more of a presence, these women don’t ever seem to be regarded as champions of women’s rights.
While women such as activist Phyllis Schlafly, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett are well worthy of admiration for their civic achievements and career success, because they’re not hardline leftists, they are seen as enablers of the “patriarchy” rather than great examples of strong, smart, dedicated advocates or public servants.
And they still wonder why so many women reject feminism?
Plenty of successful, empowered women happen to love their country, hold to traditional values about sex and gender and staunchly defend the sanctity of unborn life.
If feminism is really about choice, why don’t we respect these women’s choices? If it’s really about equality, then why are some women’s accomplishments less equal than others?
I think we know the answer. Because it isn’t really about choice. It isn’t really about equality.
It’s about the agenda to redefine the family unit, destroy sound sexual ethics and undermine the traditional values on which our nation was founded.
It’s about openly snubbing God’s design for humanity and the objective moral values with which He tells us to live.
It’s about anti-Christian secularism and radical, anti-human social engineering.
It’s about progressivism.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
