It is God who trains our hands for battle. It is God who made men with a greater aggressive drive, and a sense of combativeness that does not diminish as we grow weary. If you do not believe that, play cards with your father, or visit a bowls club.

And when we were made, God called it good: as he called women before the fall good, so he did man. To say that we are not designed well is blasphemous. And to act with discipline, with honour, and with courage is manly, and should be emulated. For we are not called to be puling cowards, but akin to the mighty men.

And three of the thirty chief men went down and came about harvest time to David at the cave of Adullam, when a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then at Bethlehem. And David said longingly, “Oh, that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem that is by the gate!” Then the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate and carried and brought it to David. But he would not drink of it. He poured it out to the LORD and said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went at the risk of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

(2 Samuel 23:13-17 ESV)

It is legitimate to praise the courage and honour of our soldiers, sailors and airmen: the police and fire services. It is legitimate to honour mothers, and praise them. For we are different. May that remain.

But what we should not do is require that men remove the warrior, and women the mother. We are not that interchangeable. And I say that as someone who raised children through teenage years alone. For there is a gentleness that I cannot provide: it is not innate; to go there is to surrender something.

Which the petunias may do for social justice, by myself, no. I would rather praise God.