The Truth of It All Revised

Honesty, is such a lonely word, 

Everyone is so untrue,

Honesty, is hardly ever heard,

And mostly what I need from you,

I can always find someone,

To say they sympathize,

If I wear my heart out on my sleeve,

But I don't want some pretty face,

To tell me pretty lies.

All I want is someone to believe,

Billy Joel laments the sadness of this song that it's heart breaking when you can't find honesty in a person, or an institute. Our military promises to be the best; to train a man or a woman to serve; to give a band of brothers and sisters who will fight along them.  Truly Honesty has become such a lonely word because brothers are raping other brothers or sisters; and the very organization that made promises to you, rejects you when you're a victim.

If You Look For Truthfulness 

As we continue the waiting game on the fate of the Military Justice Improvement Act, I wonder about the hearts of those opposing such a straight-forward piece of legislation, that would curb the rising tide of sexual assaults of men and women in our Armed Forces.  For two decades, Congress has heard the stories, seen the numbers, and even listened to the testimony of sexual assault victims. The stories are so familiar you could almost predict each nightmarish scenario in your sleep. A man or woman is sexually assaulted by a fellow serviceman or a superior.  If he or she chooses to report the crime, their commander does little to nothing in prosecuting the assailant. Many times the victim is labeled a troublemaker, given harsh duty, ostracized, and in some cases the assaults continue.  Eventually the victim is given less than an honorable discharge, turned back into society crippled with PTSD or MST. And Congress continues to allow that very institution to remain empowered, and  to deal with the problem as they see fit.

Lost Boys playing their game of "Pretend Dinner"

The Military Institution isn't defending an actual reality of authority that is needed to maintain good order and discipline. They're defending a perception wrapped up in rhetoric. For over 25 years now, the folks on Capitol Hill have been feasting on a pretend meal of "Zero Tolerance in the military for rape," with a side of "Good Order And Discipline" And sadly that has left sexual assault victims, survivors, and advocates wondering if we will ever be served an honest to goodness real meal of justice. 

For quite a while now, Representative Jackie Speier (D-CA) has come to the Senate floor and spoken about sexual assault and rape in the military. Last count was 29 times. She has shared honest stories of survivors, and their brutal treatment at the hands of rapists and the system. These are stories that should make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Jesus of Nazareth told a parable  of a woman who went before an unjust judge to get justice. She would appear before this judge almost everyday until finally, the woman got her justice. Like the parable of the woman and the unjust judge; Congressman Speier has cried out for justice on behalf of men and women who, as she puts it, "are being attacked even as we speak now."  Yet the needle to implement real change in military justice has barely moved.

The words from the Senator should touch a place in all of us. That just like Emperor Nero; Congress fiddles away while our military burns with this crime.

"Seventy men and women serving in the military every single day are sexually assaulted and raped.--- While we sit here and we talk, that's going on.  And for over 25 years--- for over 25 years we have known about this problem and we have done very little. Aberdeen Tailhook, The military academies, Lackland,--- all these are happening under our collective watch and we have found it acceptable to hold hearings--- to bring the brass up here--- have them say the right words, 'zero-tolerance' and then we would go about our business--- that is not good enough." -26th Military Speech by Congresswoman Jackie Speier

You Might Just As Well Be Blind

 Even with the promise to straighten up and fly right, more reports continue to pour in from our military institution on their unwillingness to meet and fix this problem. The case of rape at the Navy Academy; A female cadet accused 3 US Navy football players of sexually assaulting her, and true to military form, the lawyers for all 3 men grilled the accuser for 30 hours over things such as her sexual habits, how she performed oral sex.  First in September of 2013, the three men stood trial, then by October, there were only two facing an article 32 hearing, and now--- you guessed it! As of January of 2014, there is only one!
"The decision to drop charges against the midshipman, Eric Graham, means that only one of three former football players accused of sexually assaulting a female midshipman at an off-campus party in 2012 will face court-martial. Charges were never brought against the third midshipman. The remaining defendant, Joshua Tate, is charged with aggravated sexual assault and making false statements. Mr. Graham had been facing charges of abusive sexual contact and making false statements." -Sexual Assault Charges Dropped at Annapolis New York Times January 10, 2014

Any guess what sort of justice the victim can expect in this loop-hole military justice process? Sounds a little Agatha Christie to me. "And Then There Were None." She is again victimized as she watches another one of her assailants walk free.

Keep your eye on this story from the Air Force Times as it develops about an Air Force Reserves Major, who is being charged with the distribution of child pornography. 

"Maj. David Riley had several online conversations with an undercover detective from Washington's Metropolitan Police Department after responding to a Craigslist advertisement posted by a joint police-FBI task force, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia."-Air Force major charged with distributing child pornography Jeff Schogol AF Times Thursday Feb 6, 2014

If that's not enough to convince you that leaving the crime of sexual

assault and rape in the hands of commanders is wrong, then read the article from the Associated Press on the Military's Chaotic Sexual Abuse Record.  These are crimes perpetrated on soldiers overseas by other fellow soldiers and even superiors. Also the report reflects a growing outrage from civilians in places like Okinawa Japan, and Korea, because women have been attacked by Military personnel.

The AP analysis found the handling of allegations verged on the chaotic, with seemingly strong cases often reduced to lesser charges. In two rape cases, commanders overruled recommendations to court-martial and dropped the charges instead.  Even when military authorities agreed a crime had been committed, the suspect was unlikely to serve time.- By YURI KAGEYAMA and RICHARD LARDNER — Feb. 9, 2014 AP

Where Else Can I Turn

Going back to what Congresswoman Jackie Speier said, this problem needs to be attacked at both ends, regardless of rank or military record.  My guess would be that men and women who have been attacked by their own still do not trust this system in place, with its few congressional patch fixes. It is still a leaky, rickety ship; still trying to sail and bail. 

Last week Kirsten Gillibrand had an interview with Chris Hayes to get an update on her fight to bring the MJIA to the floor for a vote. I learned some interesting things about the Senator in that interview. Mainly, she didn't just take this on because she didn't have anything better to do. Also she is willing to meet the oppositions filibuster. That is how important this issue has become to her.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) Continues To Fight on

 "We have 54 Senators who are with us. ---It's Bipartisan.-- if our opponents want to filibuster a bill-- if they want to filibuster justice for these men and women who will give their lives for this country--- that is their right and we will meet that 60 vote threshold."

 And so now the date has been moved forward to March sometime. I keep asking myself why all of the opposition and road blocks in getting this bill passed? Some of the answers are obvious. Perhaps from the Pentagon's point of view, to cave into the idea that they need a separate civilian entity to process sexual assault crimes would mean that they are weak in handling the problems within the walls of their own institution. Perhaps their message to Congress has been: give us a bill that doesn't take away our authority and we will sign off on it.  If that is the case, then the Pentagon and Congress has missed the most important point in this whole issue; it's not about the authority of the chain of command, its about the troops that they lead. The MJIA bill will not undermined their ability to command their troops, and they know that. It's all about perception with them.

And so what keeps two people like these Congresswomen charging ahead and never forgetting what this is all about? Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering said to Katie Couric in an interview: 

Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering

"You know I think the military's finally just starting to take this issue seriously, but they're looking at it from the top, down.--- Education's great but you can't force education down the chain of command-- but if you look at it from the bottom up from a victim--- there is an entirely different perspective and the problem is they're not sitting down with enough victims and talking; if once you start talking to victims you realize you can't report it in the chain of command. They will not do it--- they will not trust it. Most people assaulted by someone has a higher rank in their larger chain of command-- they just don't trust it." -Kirby Dick, The Invisible War: A Film and Discussion

"We're going to get this done!" Jackie Speier
to survivor Trina McDonald

If you compare the reality of survivors who have lobbied Washington and spoken to some of our Senators; Senator's who listen to the stories of victims, and who tell their story 29 times on the Senate floor, is the big difference of understanding that sexual assault, harassment, and rape in the military is about getting justice for the victim, and not about a failed chain of command's need for good order and discipline.

Tell Me Pretty Lies

This is an updated version of my original report. It puts a spotlight on the dishonesty of our Senate leadership. This morning I received news from Rosie Palfry Via Huffington Post that the MIJA Bill that was ready to come to the floor for debate and a vote, has received a stone wall by a Republican Senator Jerry Moran. (R-Kan)

"WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), the head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, blocked a bid Monday to vote on bills to combat sexual assault in the military, saying he wanted a vote on Iran sanctions in return. In the Senate, it takes just one lawmaker to shoot down such requests. Moran did just that, insisting another bill that didn't get a vote last year -- a measure to levy tougher sanctions on Iran -- should come to the floor along with the sexual assault bills. "I'm terribly disappointed that my Republican friends are trying to turn this vital national security concern into a partisan issue by trying to inject [it] into a setting where it's clearly not relevant," Reid said." -Michael McAuliff Huffington Post.Com

An outraged Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took to the Senate floor to express her dismay and outrage over a move that was clearly a dirty trick to block and stonewall a bill that could curb an epidemic of sexual assault in the military. An epidemic that affects the lives of military men and women, at rate of 70 per day. In order to watch this video you will need a device that uses a Adobe Flash Player App. Or watch it on your computer or laptop.

 "This is a sad day for the US senate. What does it say about a body that after having seen so many brave survivors of sexual assault in the military a walk through the halls at this congress for over a year now we can't even give them the decency have a debate on the reform they so deeply believe in. A reform that they so deeply that they have selflessly re-told their stories--- re-living some the worst moments of their lives. ---All so hopefully someone else doesn't have to suffer what they did. ---They may not wear the uniform anymore, but you can't tell me the aren't still serving their country through their sacrifice. ---And we can't even agree to vote  for moving forward to the debate on the issue.--- They deserve a vote! The men and women who serve in our armed forces deserved a vote! Anyone Who Has been listening, has heard over and over again from survivors of sexual assault in the military--- how the deck has been stacked against them. --- And for two full decades the Defense Department has been on able to uphold its continued failed promises up zero tolerance for sexual assault."

Sad to say but a bill that started out as Bipartisan may become a partisan issue. Honesty is hardly ever heard, and mostly what we need from the Senate!

So needless to say, we need an honest system, that will not put the mission first, and give the Best of The Best a get out of jail free card on this crime, or any heinous crime, but that the process will be impartial, honest, and fair.  I am convinced that it cannot be done with the chain of command.

Again consider honestly making your voice known for victims of sexual assault with in the military by contacting your Senator or State Representative today.

You might want to tweet Senator's Kirsten Gillibrand, and Jackie Speier or like their Facebook pages. Thank them for their tireless efforts to keep this fight alive on the Senate floor.  They are amazing Invisible Warriors. The War continues.

Thanks again friends on Twitter who keep me up to date on what's going on with these issues.
Rosie Palfry, Barbara Jackson, Hawkeye. Victoria Sanders. and VeraSantaClara

Sources: Associated Press: DOCUMENTS REVEAL CHAOTIC MILITARY SEX-ABUSE RECORD
              You Tube -Kirby Dick, The Invisible War: A Film and Discussion
               MSNBC -Sen. Gillibrand joins for exclusive interview
               AF Times - Major Charged With Distributing Child Pornography
               NY Times- -Sexual Assault Charges Dropped at Annapolis New York Times January 10, 2014
               HuffingtonPost.Com- GOP Senator Blocks Votes On Military Sexual Assault To Push Iran Sanctions