Democratic pollster Doug Schoen tells Newsmax that while some Americans will undoubtedly question Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s decision to allow women in combat, he for one believes the time is right.
“I applaud secretary Panetta’s decision,” Schoen said on Wednesday. “I believe women should play any role in the military that they are able and suited to perform — and it is high time that they be given not only the same rights, but the same responsibilities as everybody else.”
A Newsmax contributor and author of "Hopelessly Divided: The New Crisis in American Politics and What It Means for 2012 and Beyond," Schoen, said that Panetta’s decision has been a long time in the making.
Earlier on Wednesday senior defense officials said that Panetta’s decision to lift the military's ban on women serving in combat, would open up hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.
“It’s the right decision and it’s a long time coming,” added Schoen.
“Look, there will certainly be people who will say that it is inappropriate for women to play a role in combat,” he acknowledged. “I understand that, but I think given the larger concerns about equity and equality that the president spoke of . . . we can and should trust our military leaders to give women the roles and responsibilities and opportunities as well as challenges that everyone else has.”
© 2013 Newsmax. All rights reserved.