sign of the times

I don't get where all the hand wringing is coming from about “sexual harassment.” We all know what her ass meant. The most cherished American icon, melting hearts and inspiring enlistment for over half a century, is the photo of that sailor from WWII who saw an American woman publicly displaying in her sexy nurse outfit. It was V.J. Day so of course he couldn't resist bending her over backwards to plant a big one on her very public lips. Ever since then we've understood that's the way it is and how it should be. Men are men and women are, well, they're irresistible. You know darn well that if a big old sex-crazed Wave got photographed bending some small doctor over, it just wouldn't have caught fire because we can't relate to that.

Times being what they are, when everybody's opinion is a big deal, some people are saying she may not have enjoyed that kiss. Sure. There's a reason why the series of statues honoring this moment is titled “Unconditional Surrender.”

Without doubt the uniforms are what immortalized the picture, made it bigger than two people caught in a moment of national ecstasy. This was the entire U.S. Navy nailing all those nurses that have been sauntering by them without so much as a howdy-do. Nowadays it would just as likely be some big homosexual Marine grabbing an unsuspecting male nurse. And where would be the outrage then? People would say it was gay rights, that's all.

A 25 foot tall statue of this famous photo dominates the Sarasota bayfront. If our current president had been born 20 years earlier and managed to get himself a sailor suit, that photo would have been more to the point and made an even better statue. Those same people probably would call it a monument to sexual assault. If that's what it is, then so be it. Art imitates life and that sculpture sets the tone for the fundamental aspect of life continuing. This is the United States of America and here it stands. Parents in Sarasota don't have to worry about teaching their kids the birds and the bees. They can just take them to the park. We're lucky it wasn't a Confederate soldier. They'd probably have to pull it down.