To think if I need a body guard, I want a man

[righttools]

Just from the footage of Trump's near assassination. Just made me think, if need a body guard, whose job it is to take a bullet for me, I want that bodyguard to be really, really big, so that his body is way bigger than mine, so it covers mine. Also seen other footage of bodyguards protecting people in a mob, and they only got their charge out because they were just so physically massive, they could force their way through.

Its a job where physical size and bulk matter. I'd just want a man, an unusually big and strong man, to do it.

Unless all the bodyguards had been substantially taller than him he would have had to crouch. Woman's height wasn't the reason he was crouching.

Oh come on , this is just nonsensical now. Trying to pretend that the difference in how you have to move to crouch behind a much smaller person, doesn't exist is just not reasonable.

I feel you are making my point for me!

Anyway, I really am off now!

@Laughingoverspiltmilk

The woman's height only became a potential issue when Trump stood up again, exposing himself. I have no idea whether the security team had decided it was safe and so ok'd it (seems unlikely given how quickly he stood up again) or if Trump ignored their instructions, but that's the issue here. Trump should not have stood up until he no longer needed the barrier protection. The woman's height should never have made the slightest bit of difference.

Agree with this. It's a shame that the one image has become so iconic, for many reasons, but it additionally depicts the female bodyguard at a lower angle than Trump. This is not her doing: he pushed up out of the huddle to yell at the crowd, against protocol. He would have been trained not to do this, but he did. Her size should not have been a factor at all, but Trump's actions that day made it so.

Bodyguards work in teams & I imagine each person is there for a slightly different skill set. Women for example generally have better peripheral vision than men which seems like an advantage for being a bodyguard. They're not there purely as flesh walls to absorb bullets - if they were then massively obese men might be the best choice...

Years ago I had a friend who worked as a bouncer (I appreciate this is a different job to bodyguard) & the management all LOVED her because she was amazing at diffusing aggression before it became physical (she was extremely physically capable too but they appreciated her because she kept the fighting away from their club if at all possible)

@righttools

come on , this is just nonsensical now. Trying to pretend that the difference in how you have to move to crouch behind a much smaller person, doesn't exist is just not reasonable.

This is a move they would have practiced as a group. Trump breaking the huddle and exposing himself was his own decision, and not down to the physical characteristics of the female bodyguard.

Women can make better close protection agents

https://www.phoenixgroupplc.com/females-in-the-close-protection-industry/

I think your MIL is right. Men are almost always physically stronger than women. I don't think that's hotly contested is it? I also believe women do think differently to men in many ways. Why is that tiresome?

Care to share any titles, my brain is mush at the moment but Im interested in the 6’3 behemoth from Texas 😂

I'd want a body guard / team of body guards with actual brains. There should have been several people with drones checking for snipers and Someone guarding that entrance to the roof top of that building.

Ofgs. Get over the ridiculous gender essentialism and shoehorned in trans bashing. Bodyguards are armed. Women can shoot.

⬆️ Tell me you’re an over invested “gender critical feminist” who leans hyperbolic without saying it

You believe in sexed brains? What are the traits that consistently belong to men and women separately? What is the role of social conditioning? How do you separate the two? I’m not disputing the physical differences between men and women but as I said, there are greater intrasex differences than intersex differences. The book “The Gendered Brain” is a good read.

Your MiL is right though. We are physically different, in general men are bigger and stronger. Even a skinnier/smaller man will be stronger than most women. So even with the variations it would be safe to assume that a man is stronger.

I also don't see what's wrong with saying men and women think differently either. Even on this thread full of people indignant that a man would be suggested as preferable for this role. Even the women claiming that they'd prefer a woman, they're saying things like "men are too emotional and irrational" (although it's obvious why they're saying that) and women are "so much more capable of multi-tasking, assessing risk, observing detail, listening to input from others".

Tbh the person coming across as tiresome in that (hypothetical?) conversation is you. Imagine grilling a person repeatedly with the sole purpose of disapproving of them. It's so sanctimonious. And there isn't even anything wrong with the person you're trying to preach to!

Shitty sexist post

OP this thread is crazy 😆 I thought the same as you.
If I needed to be bustled through a mob of people (not something I usually need to worry about but you never know 😉) I would want large man. And in all honesty if the choice was between a big man and a big woman i would pick the man...unless Brienne from game of thrones was offering to do the job as op said.

*I meant as a pp said.

What book is that? Asking for a friend...

“I also don’t see what’s wrong with saying men and women think differently either.” Nah you can say what you like. And I’ll say it’s bullshit. As I’ve said above, The Gendered Brain is a good book to read if you too want to learn more about this nonsense pseudo-science (that basically originated from phrenology - women = small brains = stupid, men = big brains = smart). Spoiler - it’s not true. I don’t dispute physical body differences but you can see that in my other posts. The lack of consideration for social conditioning does make these discussions tiresome.

Also, I don’t grill my MIL to “disapproving” her. I am interested in understanding her logic. But because I know her, I know it comes from a place of sexism/internalised misogyny. And perhaps it would be nice for her to acknowledge that, but that ship has likely sailed.

Well @ISpyNoPlumPie that is pure projection. I didn't say any of that did I? Thinking differently/reacting differently to certain situations doesn't mean man = clever, woman = dumb. You pulled that out of your arse. I even gave examples of how people on this thread supposed women think differently and none of it implied what you said. Different doesn't mean better or worse. I mean, even according to you your MiL says we're "equal but different" and nothing you've said about her opinion sounds unreasonable.

Yes our social conditioning will have an impact. It's one factor. But acknowledging that is acknowledging that the difference exists.

You say that you don't grill MiL with the intention of disapproval but also that you know it comes from internalised misogyny. So you do know how shes going to answer and you do feel that your opinion is the superior.
Maybe she would say that it would be nice if you could acknowledge that your different opinion isn't necessarily the "right" one and that everyone doesn't have to agree with you.

Yes, I always thought that men's and women's brains were wired somewhat differently. Neither right nor wrong or better or worse, just certain differences. Of course social conditioning comes into play but I have read many science based articles to the affect that there are some physiological differences. I shall look up the book you suggest.

Hormones play a large role in difference between the sexes, not brain structure. Our brains are elastic and capable of change. Gender roles are largely socially constructed.

My husband often travels to places where they need bodyguards. The actual bodyguards are men, but usually thin wiry men. However, the team leader is often a woman as women are often better strategists.