Lurching toward women's equality in the US, in really odd ways

So, here we are, in 2013, in the United States of America and we're still, still trying to get remotely close to one of our founding bedrocks of this nation, that is "...all men..." (read all humans) "...are created equal."

Women have gotten closer in our quest for their rights as have black Americans and Hispanics and other minorities and people of same-sex attraction.

Lately, women have gotten closer and closer to full, equal rights, in spite of the Republicans and corporations and the wealthy who, last year, shot down an equal pay for equal works bill. Those who "have the gold" just absolutely don't want to pay women what they should already be getting and what is fair and just.

This past week, women's equality got two boosts in most unusual and remarkable, if not odd ways.

The first is that the military announced they will give women equal rights by allowing them in combat:

Pentagon Set to Lift Ban on Women in Combat Roles

For better or worse, this only makes sense.

Women deserve even this equality, however insane war is. Equality extends--or should--in all roles, in all cases, everywhere, even in war.

And the fact is, maybe, just maybe it will get us closer to seeing how horrible and stupid and pointless war is and maybe, just maybe we'll get further and further away from our huge, obscene, wasteful defense budgets and the "perpetual war" track we're on now.

The second way women got somewhat closer to equal rights just happened in the last few days when a woman in Texas came very close to being executed for murder:

Texas judge postpones Black woman's execution

Naturally, it's Texas.  Even more naturally, it's a black woman.  But those are different matters.

My point?

Maybe, just maybe, if our nation ever gives women true equal rights, in all aspects, even these, we can arrive at a terrific day we've always told ourselves we already had. That is, that we are a nation of true equal rights.

In the meantime, we have to go through crazy things, as these two are, to lurch toward that equality.

Then, maybe, one day, we can realize how crazy and ugly and stupid both war and capital punishment are, too.

Total wins, all round.