Politi-think: Rape in the miltary
40% of female service members are raped by fellow soldiers. A whole bunch of 'em don't even report it. Why? Because the military doesn't have an effective plan of action:
"In 2007, Harman said, only 181 out of 2,212 reports of military sexual assaults, or 8 percent, were referred to courts martial."
Because the code of honor that can make someone a good soldier can be turned into a code of silence that makes victims hide, & apparently Karl Rove started a trend & now everyone can say "no" to a Congressional subpoena:
"..But when it came time for the military to defend itself, the panel was told that the Pentagon's top official on sexual abuse, Dr. Kaye Whitley, was ordered not to show up despite a subpoena.
"I don't know what you're trying to cover up here, but we're not going to allow it," Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, said to the Defense official who relayed the news of Whitley's no-show. "This is unacceptable."
Rep. John Tierney, the panel's chairman and a Democrat from Massachusetts, angrily responded, "these actions by the Defense Department are inexplicable."
"The Defense Department appears to be willfully and blatantly advising Dr. Whitley not to comply with a duly authorized congressional subpoena," Tierney said."
I bet a bunch of the time, these don't get reported because even worse happens. Within the past 3 months, the cases of Maria Lauterbach and Megan Touma AND Holley Wimunc have horrified the nation. These poor women died so close, one after the other, than I got them confused while researching their deaths.
A female soldier assigned to combat in Iraq has a greater chance of getting raped by a fellow service member than of dying in combat.
This is fucking appalling. Domestic violence is still a pervasive problem, but to see its risk increase for brave women who are already putting their lives on the line for their country is heinous. Write your representative TODAY & let them know how you feel about it: demand justice.
Don't know how to contact your rep in Congress? CLICK HERE for a handy-dandy form.
"In 2007, Harman said, only 181 out of 2,212 reports of military sexual assaults, or 8 percent, were referred to courts martial."
Because the code of honor that can make someone a good soldier can be turned into a code of silence that makes victims hide, & apparently Karl Rove started a trend & now everyone can say "no" to a Congressional subpoena:
"..But when it came time for the military to defend itself, the panel was told that the Pentagon's top official on sexual abuse, Dr. Kaye Whitley, was ordered not to show up despite a subpoena.
"I don't know what you're trying to cover up here, but we're not going to allow it," Rep. Henry Waxman, D-California, said to the Defense official who relayed the news of Whitley's no-show. "This is unacceptable."
Rep. John Tierney, the panel's chairman and a Democrat from Massachusetts, angrily responded, "these actions by the Defense Department are inexplicable."
"The Defense Department appears to be willfully and blatantly advising Dr. Whitley not to comply with a duly authorized congressional subpoena," Tierney said."
I bet a bunch of the time, these don't get reported because even worse happens. Within the past 3 months, the cases of Maria Lauterbach and Megan Touma AND Holley Wimunc have horrified the nation. These poor women died so close, one after the other, than I got them confused while researching their deaths.
A female soldier assigned to combat in Iraq has a greater chance of getting raped by a fellow service member than of dying in combat.
This is fucking appalling. Domestic violence is still a pervasive problem, but to see its risk increase for brave women who are already putting their lives on the line for their country is heinous. Write your representative TODAY & let them know how you feel about it: demand justice.
Don't know how to contact your rep in Congress? CLICK HERE for a handy-dandy form.