Why troops rape
[Hat tip to Charles M, Seattle]
An alarming number of women soldiers are being sexually abused by their comrades-in-arms, both at war and at home. This fact has received a fair amount of attention lately from researchers and the press — and deservedly so.
But the attention always focuses on the women: where they were when assaulted, their relations with the assailant, the effects on their mental health and careers, whether they are being adequately helped, and so on. That discussion, as valuable as it is, misses a fundamental point. To understand military sexual assault, let alone know how to stop it, we must focus on the perpetrators. We need to ask: Why do soldiers rape?…
Kim Sky:
Quote: Do the reasons soldiers rape have anything to do with the nature of the wars we are waging today, particularly in Iraq?
NO.
Always attempting to turn the conversation toward the present — the most horrendous war the US is waging at the moment.
OKINAWA
23 August 2008, 11:48 amTimothy R. Anderson:
Tell ya what, the interest in pursuing justice for victims of sexual assaults is …… exactly, ….. hardly headlines on the front page of the family newspaper type stuff. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed again but I am
gonna put part of the blame on ( some ) American civilians’
view of those in uniform. The hero worship factor.
Could be just where I live , of course, but the idea
of bringing up the subject of MALE American military servicemembers
being people who are RAPISTS just doesn’t seem very healthy.
It could get you beat up or killed.
For you see, or at least I hope some of you do, the “experience”
of being a military servicemember is looked upon with
a certain reverential aspect that all other professions
lack.
Therefore, when the subject of sexual assaults committed
by a “hero ” is put forward………….. silence.
Or silence followed quickly by scorn.
It is a taboo to speak ill of the American military servicemembers.
Until our society can alter that, forget it.
How is it that Secretary of Defense Gates can continue
to lead a government partner where there are more than
two thousand reported sexual assaults per year ?
Well, because it is strictly taboo to point out that
American soldiers RAPE other American soldiers.
As a result, no strong pressure is applied to Gates’
performance .
How is it that a business, any business in any country, could have approx. 1.5 million employees and more than two thousand reported sexual assaults per year and the C.E.O. of the business is not
replaced ? It doesn’t take a sociology / psychology degree to
figure it out …………. Different rules, different
circumstances.
Really, now, do you think that the topic of SEX CRIMES will
be featured during the Democratic Party’s convention ?
Or the Republican Party’s convention ? SEX CRIMES ?
No way.
Timothy R. Anderson
23 August 2008, 2:16 pmGeorge Entenman:
Susan Brownmiller’s book “Against Our Wills” explains it brilliantly.
23 August 2008, 10:37 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Please post again soon, Kim Sky !
Here’s some numbers, everybody :
” 2, 688 sexual assaults were reported in the USA’s military
in 2007 . 2,947 sexual assaults during 2006. ”
source: Associated Press news article,
on Page A – Five of my local newspaper,
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Timothy R. Anderson
24 August 2008, 2:32 pmJanet W:
Colonel Ann Wright is working hard on this issue — please google her and check out her articles and activism.
25 August 2008, 11:02 amPublion:
I’d need to get some clarity on just what constitutes the ‘sexual assaults’ and ‘sexual abuse’ so as to be able to figure get a sense of proportion and context in this. There are 2 losing wars going on, and possibly 2 more (Iran and Russian) looming up.
Perhaps the quickest solution is to separate the units by gender. Why, in fact, wasn’t this done from the get-go? I can’t imagine how anybody could throw so many males and females together and not expect some amount of this sort of thing to go on. No, I don’t condone or approve of this sort of thing, but I don’t approve of rabid dogs either, yet I know that it’s better to keep away from them than to ask the government to totally eradicate them.
A fuller analysis is the Post entitled “The Rapes of the Jock” for August 14 on the Chez Odysseus site on blogspot.
27 August 2008, 10:46 amTimothy R. Anderson:
Some of the best reporting on the US Military’s ongoing
“challenges” as regards its soldier-on-soldier RAPES comes from
Great Britain, please google ” Guardian ” //// It is a sad truth that the mainstream American media is
unwilling to do the job which was once done by journalists.
Timothy R. Anderson
27 August 2008, 2:15 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Specifically, a reporter named Suzanne Goldenberg has written numerous articles about sexual assaults within the US military. In 2004, a long piece written by Suzanne Goldenberg was published by Great Britain’s ” Guardian . ” In it, she makes clear that the Pentagon has a
fairly ” see no evil, hear no evil, focus nothing on evil , particularly as it involves servicemembers attacking other servicemembers ” live-and-let-rape attitude towards the victims
of sexual crimes within its ranks.
Civilian Tim
28 August 2008, 1:30 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
” And Attempts To Commit Any Of Those. ”
Hi there. I searched through my heaps o’ paper to possibly to put a little bit of an answer to Publion’s request for proportion + context.
The following words were in my local newspaper and please believe me when I say they were NOT on the front-page !
” Reports of sexual assaults in the USA ‘s military increased
by about 24 % last year, and more than twice as many offenders
were punished. There were nearly 3, 000 sexual assault reports
filed in 2006, compared with almost 2, 400 the previous year, a Pent-
agon report said Wednesday. Action was taken against 780 persons,
from courts-martial and discharges to other administrative remedies.
The cases involved members of the USA’ s military who were victims
of or accused of the assaults. The USA ‘s military counts
rape, nonconsensual sodomy, indecent assault, and attempts
to commit any of those as sexual assault. ”
Now, I am not a lawyer. I think, from what I’ve read, I think
the USA’ s Dept. Of Defense could do a much better job enforcing
its stated policy. Because let’s face it, to have such an esteemed
institution as the USA ‘s military getting overrun by unpunished
rapists might cause some morale/recruitment difficulties.
Anyhow, I think those who have been victims and dare to
speak up about it ARE DOING THE FUTURE SERVICEMEMBERS
A FAVOR. And I also know that those who have been victims
and dare to speak up about it are likely to suffer terrible,
terrible, TERRIBLE consequences. Suzanne Goldenberg reported
it. On a day in October 2004, ” The Guardian” published
a loooong news-article in which the REAL-LIFE American military
servicemembers’ experiences were highlighted by the journalist
named Suzanne Goldenberg.
Not Katie Couric, not Brian Williams, not O’Reilly, not Gibson,
not Sawyer, not ” 60 Minutes. ” Suzanne Goldenberg , working
on behalf of Great Britain’s ” Guardian. ”
Civilian Tim
28 August 2008, 9:05 pmIndiana John:
A nation is not defeated until it sells it’s women. I don’t who first said that, but there is a truth in it. What the hell kind of a country wants to put their women in combat. If that’s not selling our women, I don’t know what is.
STAN: It’s not; and moreover, nation’s don’t OWN women… as in “our” women, “their” women, “your” woman, “my” woman.
Bye.
31 August 2008, 4:23 pmMark:
I’m posting here as this is the most recent thread on the ‘othering’ of women. It’s been commented about on here before, but I’ve been stunned by the viciousness and blatantness of the anti-woman attacks being made on Sarah Palin since McCain picked her as his VP candidate. Perhaps most disturbing is the willingness with which liberal women seem willing to pile on when the liberal men start vilifying her in this way.
3 September 2008, 10:25 amStan:
Worthy of a thread when we have time (I’m at work, with a rare interlude indoors). McCain’s not-so-sly pick has set this election up to now be a national-cultural Rorschach test on race and gender.
I encourage all readers who spot the sexualized vilification of Palin to forward the links… here until I can get organized and build a separate thread.
3 September 2008, 11:16 amskol:
As much as I love Pepe Escobar (and, truth be told, my misogydar isn’t that great):
The ‘lipstick pitbull’ and Palin comes out punching
Otherwise, I greatly admire (for the most part) what the real news network (wp) does. But I can’t tell with these ones; they’re maybe the only successful and professional left-wingish (or at any rate ”realistic”) news outlet that doesn’t the serve the whims of anyone but themselves.
4 September 2008, 2:18 pmStan:
The pitbull-lipstick reference came from her, describing herself as a “hockey mom”… it was one of her lines in the speech. Q: What’s the difference between a pitbull and a hockey mom? A: Lipstick.
5 September 2008, 6:15 amMichael Anderson:
here’s an interactive link from the Sydney Morning Herald—check some of these pics—not sexualized vilification (at least not that I can see), but more like approval (?), with McCain’s former communications adviser providing the vilification (low-key). Combo of images an words. SMH is not liberal, by any stretch!
http://www.smh.com.au/interactive/2008/world/sarah-palin/index.html
Then of course there is the “Drill, Baby, Drill” poster…
5 September 2008, 1:22 pmcharles:
Yea, at first I thought there might be something to your analysis
of her being able to appeal to “regular” folks. But as it sunk in I’m
thinking she’s a fake regular folk, and that will come out.
She’s also
like the Queen of the creatures in the movie “The Alien”, the biggest
monster of them all, or Queen Elizabeth I or Queen Victoria, Queen
Ants/WASP’S of the Bloody Empire.
Yea, that’s it. Palin is a Queen WASP of the Bloody US Empire (with lipstick; do wasps have
lips ? smile). Now that’s at the top of the Elite (E-light).
Anyway, I bet there are dozens of videos of her talking passionately
about real nutsy ,right-wing ,bizarro-fundamentalist stuff,
specifically anti-women stuff. It should be possible to graphically
illustrate that she’s an anti-woman woman, a Clarence Thomas of women,
not to mention an anti-people person in general.
Obama already started in on them that not knowing what a community
5 September 2008, 4:25 pmorganizer is shows the Reps are out of touch with everyday people, with
real problems, like unemployment, underemployment, ends not meeting,
lack of health care, etc. , real life in America. The Reps are ignorant
of everyday economics, dismal science.
charles:
Yes, and perhaps another way to say this is that Palin is pretty
5 September 2008, 4:27 pmcertainly a national chauvinist and racist, probably jingoist, in other
words, a continuation of Bush. We don’t want another parochial ignoramus like him at number two of the biggest war machine in the history of the
world. It’s dangerous for humanity. Her gun happiness suggests she is
likely to more readily shoot off the US’s really big guns, i.e that
she’s a militarist. What is her position on the war in Iraq ? Probably
really dangerous. American recreational gun culture is a continuation
of the racist tradition of armed attack on the Indigenous Peoples of
America, enforcing the racist creed of “the only good Indian is a dead
Indian”. This American history of mass murder segues too easily into
shooting and bombing other peoples , especially of color, around the
world, which was what John McCain was doing when he was justly
imprisoned by his victims in Vietnam.
Timothy R. Anderson:
” Shine A Light” because IT IS a serious problem.
For Immediate Release, September 29, 2005
” Washington D.C. – Congressperson Lane Evans ( Democratic Party, Illinois ), today decried the Bush Administration for attempting
to hide a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study and report on
military sexual trauma among National Guard and Reserve forces.”
“Despite the Bush Administration’s refusal to release it, Congressperson Evans obtained the long overdue report that was originally due by March 2001. Congressperson Evans has
repeatedly requested the report and had been told it is under
review at the Office of Management and Budget. ”
“The VA report indicates that across National Guard and Reserve
components the estimated prevalence of any military sexual trauma
( MST ) among females is 60 % and among males is 27 % . MST
includes sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape. ”
” The report also states that the estimated prevalence for rape
involving females is 11 % and rapes among males is 1.2 % .”
” ‘ The women and men who have suffered military sexual trauma
deserve our respect, compassion, and commitment to provide
them with ready access to counseling and treatment, ” said
Congressperson Evans.
///// A Civilian Writes : One reason why troops rape is because
American politicians DO NOTHING about Military Sexual Trauma ( MST ) ………… Do you think Senator McCain will mention
military sexual trauma’s ? Not likely ! Do you think Senator Obama will mention them ? Not likely ! Biden ? Not likely ! Palin ?
Not likely ! Please show me one example, just one, of where
any elected American politician said anything about military sexual
trauma within the past 90 days……. The above news release
is dated September 29, 2005 ……… According the USA’s Department Of Defense’s own statistics, there were more than 2, 000 reported
cases of sexual assaults in the military during 2006.
That’s one disaster ; the other disaster is the SILENCE
about the first one ! The Miles Foundation is attempting to
work with those whose lives have been impacted in this manner.
Please research The Miles Foundation.
Timothy R. Anderson
14 October 2008, 1:05 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
The Toxic Topic. Well, I am checkin’ in at this here blog’s comments section and by gollllly, no one’s got anything
to add about AMERICAN M. SERVICEMEMBERS BEING SEXUALLY ASSAULTED.
When it was Rumsfeld that was the Secretary of Defense, the USA’s military had an unsolved big problem in having so many reported cases of sexual assaults. When it is now Gates who is the Secretary of Defense, the USA’s military STILL has an unsolved big problem
in having so many reported cases of sexual assaults.
I think it is time to encourage ( the next ) President ( ? )
to rid the USA’s Defense Dept. of both Gates himself and his
“sit-on-my-hands-do-nothing-say-nothing ” policy ! If that means
writing a letter, or making a phone call, or typing up an e-mail,
then okay.
Timothy R. Anderson
3 November 2008, 2:26 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Another One .
According to http://www.nbcsandiego.com , four Marines killed a fellow
Marine and sexually assaulted then killed that Marines’s wife
in Winchester, California on Oct. 15, 2008.
The victim’s last name is Pietrzak. He was born in Poland, grew up in
New York City, and served the USA’s military in the current Iraq War.
Then, while he was here in the USA, him and his wife were
killed. IN THEIR HOME.
Timothy R. Anderson
10 November 2008, 1:44 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
In central Missouri. The news of the Myria Silva case continues.
Just a very brief reminder, via this very brief update, that
a 23-year-old woman, Myria Silva, a spouse of an American military servicemember is now DEAD.
Charged in the killing case is Spc. Jermaine Johnson, a US military
servicemember, who is 26 years old.
Uhhhhhhhhhhhh, these are no longer “isolated incidents”, everyone,
as the previous entries can attest ! There’s not been another person who typed in anything on this subject for more than TWENTY DAYS !
Do more persons need to die before more of something is done ? WAKE UP, please please please please.
Timothy R. Anderson.
30 November 2008, 3:21 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
” 60 Minutes” the t.v. program, continues to ignore the massive
news-story of SEXUAL ASSAULTS in the USA ‘s MILITARY.
The numbers of reported cases of sexual assaults in the USA’s military are going along at a pace of more than two thousand per year.
I encourage all who read this to also read this
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oew-marshall30jan30,0,510658.story
Timothy R. Anderson
6 February 2009, 1:55 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Barely in under the wire.
I wanna mention something about Senator McCain in the brief time I’ve set aside for typing on “Feral Scholar” before the clock hits midnight.
Senator McCain could, if he chose to, highlight SEXUAL ASSAULTS
that happen within the USA’s conventional military. He could make
quite an issue of it, frankly, and believe or don’t believe it there
are those out here in the ” civilian world ” who would be impressed
if he did. But day after day , week after week, month after month
nothing from Senator McCain about SEXUAL ASSAULTS within the USA’s
military. Evidently that part of what the USA’s conventional military
actually is doesn’t “sit well ” with Senator McCain.
Whatever. Here’s what he did talk about while he was doing
one of those famous / infamous ” travel over there / drop down to the ground there / do the photo op there / get outta there quick” -style visits to Afghanistan
Associated Press: 08/ 19/ 09
” Senator John McCain ( R.- Ariz. ) says the U.S. should send more
troops to Afganistan, although he won’t say exactly how many.”
” Senator McCain, who’s currently in Afghanistan as part of a U.S.
Senate delegation, says he thinks doubling the number of Marines
says he thinks doubling the number of Marines
says he thinks doubling the number of Marines
says he thinks doubling the number of Marines
in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province would bring
‘ significantly more success. ‘ ”
” Roughly 9,000 U.S. Marines are already there. ”
– - – - – - – - – - – - – —- – - – – -
That’s amazing, to me at the very least. Nine THOUSAND
U.S. Marines are there, there in Afghanistan.
How many are in the USA ? Gaaaaaaaaaaadzooooooooks.
THAT’ S amazing. And no word from the man about sexual assaults -
thousands of reported sexual assaults. Military servicemembers
doing criminal deeds upon other military servicemembers
gets no reaction from the man.
Gaaaaaaaaaaaadzoooooooooks. Someone needed to say it; I did.
Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaadzoooooooooooks.
Timothy R. Anderson
19 August 2009, 7:23 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
A Question About Names. And Some Numbers.
Does anyone know of the name of one, just one, American military servicemember currently serving a sentence ( at a “brig” or prison)
for being found guilty of sexual assault ? Because a large number of Americans can easily tell a poll-taker who Brett Favre is, and who
Taylor Swift is, and who Michelle Obama is, and can easily explain the reason(s) why Paula Abdul is famous, and probably can name one or more of the women that Tom Cruise has been a husband to, but what about all this sexual assaults stuff that happens . . . . . . ? What about it indeed.
Associated Press news-article, Saturday, March 15, 2008
” A report on sexual assaults in the USA’s military showed
that fewer cases were reported among USA military personnel -
2,688 cases reported last year by USA military personnel compared
with 2,947 reported the year before. ”
Those are big numbers. I will not be congratulating the USA ‘s military leadership for makin’ the effort that brought the number down to 2,688 cases from 2,947 . . … perhaps the goal should be to
get that number down, a lot more down !
There are groups, including the Miles Foundation, that make it
their business to find out more about this massive dysfunctional
problem in what some persons call the organization which includes
” America’s Finest”. I am not impressed by folks who
stay silent while this stuff goes on and proudly proclaim that they
support the USA’s military servicemembers.
You wanna help the USA military servicemembers ? Call your Congressperson and insist that they devote some time to
curing the USA ‘s military of this problem. I suggest multiple
calls, actually, because as President Obama’s appearance on CBS’
” 60 Minutes ” indicates, this issue continues to be ignored
by the mainstream American media.
Timothy R. Anderson
14 September 2009, 4:40 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
I think Sunday night’s topics, to be broadcast on 10/4/09
are worthy, worthy of the coverage 60 Minutes provides. Odd, though,
that we ” honor” our troops by ignoring them.
Timothy R. Anderson
3 October 2009, 1:56 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Still no news coverage by ” 60 Minutes.”
” The Bay Pines VA Hospital, which offers a treatment program for sexual trauma disorder, has a months-long waiting list.”
——— source: Associated Press news-article,
by Roxana Hegeman, published during October 2004
Bush. Obama. Ignore Military Sexual Assaults.
I am just sayin’ . . Timothy R. Anderson
26 October 2009, 2:31 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
Obama. Bush. Ignore Sexual Assaults Within The US Military.
Here’s a link, y’all
http://www.banderasnews.com/1001/edat-thirdofwomen.htm
Timothy R. Anderson
28 March 2011, 3:13 pmTimothy R. Anderson:
” A former U.S.A. Marine is suspected of raping a 22-year-old woman
at Denver International Airport. 26-year-old former Marine Noel
Bertrand of Portland, Oregon has been advised of a sexual assault
charge filed against him. ”
” Bertrand appeared Thursday ( Thursday, April 21, 2011 ) in court
in Denver. He was assigned a public-defender, but the lawyer didn’t
return a call seeking comment. Bertrand is accused of assaulting
a woman just after midnight on April 12, 2011 after she missed a
flight. Authorities say the woman met him at an airport restaurant
and was attacked at an empty gate. Authorities say airline employe-
es on the tarmac saw the attack through a window and intervened.
Bertrand served in the Marines from 2003 to 2009. ”
—- source: page B -2, ” The Fresno ( California) Bee” newspaper,
Friday, April 22, 2011 / no reporter’s name given.
typed in by Timothy R. Anderson
28 April 2011, 10:00 pm