March 28, 2012
March 28, 2012 is the last day to vote for Protect Our Defenders in the @DoGooder Video Awards. Winning will mean more resources to do the work that they do for our veterans.
Click here VOTE for Protect Our Defenders.
To visit the Protect Our Defenders web site, click here.
March 27, 2012
Illustration: Julie Hill
John Lasker
Cincinnati CityBeat
March 27, 2012
“Is this how we treat our female soldiers?” Painfully, this is a question Dayton-area resident Mary Lauterbach has been asking since her daughter, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach, was brutally murdered in December 2007 by a fellow Marine she had accused of raping her.
Maria’s story became well known in the Southwestern Ohio area after the Inspector General, in a report released last October, blasted the military for mishandling Maria’s rape case. Besides the Lauterbachs, however, there are several other Ohio families whose military daughters died from “non-combat” circumstances and, like what happened to Maria, their tragedy was amplified when the military tried to tarnish the victim’s reputation and even blame the victim for her own death.
“It’s like a broken record, the same thing keeps happening over and over again,” says Mary Lauterbach about the growing number of female soldiers who suffer what the military calls a “non-combat” related death, which is usually followed by a “completely mishandled investigation,” she adds.
Lauterbach remembers how she told her daughter, “You owe it to your sister Marines to report what happened [the rape].” Now she is dedicated to keeping Maria’s legacy alive, and also the legacies of other female soldiers from Ohio, such as U.S. Marine Stacy Dryden of Canton and U.S. Marine Carrie Leigh Goodwin of Alliance.
To read the full story on the CityBeat site, click here.
March 20, 2012
Col. Ann Wright (ret) at the March 6, 2012 press conference for the Military Sexual Assault lawsuit at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. Photo: Powers MediaWorks LLC
(opens in a new window)
To learn more about the lawsuit filed on behalf of eight current and former members of the Navy and the Marine Corps, click here.
March 13, 2012
Filipino Women March Against US Military Expansion in the Philippines and the Pacific
Unity Statement
Alliance of Progressive Labor
March 8, 2012
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day 2012, we, Filipino women declare in strongest terms possible, our opposition not only to increased presence but to U.S. military presence per se on Philippine soil.
The United States is increasing its military presence in Asia-Pacific, in particular in the Philippines, and the Philippine government is showing no qualms in allowing this to happen.
A news account recently reported of the United States’ plan to increase its military aid to “boost” Philippine defense; the promised aid will amount to US$144 million, reflecting an increase of more than US$20 million on the previous amount. In another earlier news article, U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas was quoted as saying his government had spent US$50 million for the upgrading of Philippine military facilities.
To continue reading the Unity Statement, click here.
For additional reporting on the issue:
US Military Expansion, and Attitudes Towards Fiji 95bFM March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012
Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur
The Young Turks Network
March 11, 2012
March 10, 2012
Kyra Phillips
CNN
March 9, 2012
For additional information:
Rep. Jackie Speier | Rape and Sexual Assault in the Military
Speier Critical Over Military’s Handling of Rape, KGO-TV, March 7, 2012
“H.R. 3435, the Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act – or STOP Act which would take the reporting, oversight, investigation and victim care of sexual assaults out of the hands of the military’s normal chain of command and place jurisdiction in the newly created, autonomous Sexual Assault Oversight and Response Office comprised of civilian and military experts.” (Rep. Jackie Speier)
To see the current status of “The STOP Act” click the link below:
The Stop Act: The Sexual Assault Training Oversight and Prevention Act (H.R. 3435)
March 8, 2012
Military Sexual Assault Litigation Press Update
The following is a collection of the reporting concerning the Military Sexual Assault Litigation filed on March 6, 2012 in U.S. District Court by Susan Burke on behalf of eight sailors and Marines who reported being sexually assaulted, harassed and/or abused at the Marine Barracks in Washington D. C.
Defense Faces Lawsuit from Sexual Assault Victims, Government Executive, March 7, 2012
Speier Critical over Military’s Handling of Rape, KGO-TV, March 7, 2012
Alleged Rapes Lead to Suit, Columbia Daily Tribune, March 7, 2012
8 Women File Lawsuit, Accuse Military Of Having ‘High Tolerance For Sexual Predators In Their Ranks’, Huffington Post, March 6, 2012
8 Women Allege Rape, Harassment in Military Lawsuit, USA Today, March 6, 2012
Plaintiff in Rape Lawsuit Speaks Out, WAVY.com, March 6, 2012
Women Sue Military For Being Incredibly Rapey, Jezebel, March 6, 2012
Eight Women Allege Rape, Retaliation in U.S. Military, Reuters, March 6, 2012
March 8, 2012
Michael Muskal
Los Angeles Times
March 7, 2012
U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier on Wednesday castigated the U.S. military for its policies in dealing with rape and sexual assault and repeated her call for legislation to fix a system she said was broken.
In a floor speech, Speier (D-Hillsborough) called for passage of her legislation that would move rape and assault investigations out of the normal chain of command and put them in the hands of an impartial office. Her speech came in the same week that eight current and former members of the U.S. military filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging they had been raped, assaulted or harassed while serving, and that were targeted by superiors after reporting the attacks.
The Pentagon has repeatedly deplored sexual assaults and has insisted that it has no tolerance for such attacks. In December, it announced a new policy that gives those charging a sexual assault the option of a quick transfer to another unit or installation. The Defense Department has also stepped up training in handling such cases and in preventing assaults.
To read the full article in the Los Angeles Times, click here.
March 5, 2012
VoteVets.org
Press Release
March 05, 2012
The largest progressive group of veterans in America, VoteVets.org, is today releasing a statement from three female Iraq war veterans calling on Rush Limbaugh’s show to stop being broadcast by the American Forces Network (AFN). The veterans pointed to recent controversial statements made by Limbaugh about Sandra Fluke, and women who use birth control, calling them “sluts” and “prostitutes.” AFN is owned and operated by the Department of Defense, funded with taxpayer dollars, and accessible to troops serving overseas.
Miranda Norman (who is a VoteVets.org Senior Advisor), Kayla Williams, and Robin Eckstein, all Iraq War Veterans, and Katherine Scheirman, former chief of medical operations for the U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany said the following:
“Rush Limbaugh has a freedom of speech and can say what he wants, but in light of his horribly misogynistic comments, American Forces Radio should no longer give him a platform. Our entire military depends on troops respecting each other – women and men. There simply can be no place on military airwaves for sentiments that would undermine that respect. When many of our female troops use birth control, for Limbaugh to say they are “sluts” and “prostitutes” is beyond the pale. It isn’t just disrespectful to our women serving our country, but it’s language that goes against everything that makes our military work. Again, we swore to uphold our Constitution, including the freedom of speech, and would not take that away from anyone – even Limbaugh. But that does not mean AFN should broadcast him. In fact, it shouldn’t.”
Founded in 2006, and backed by over 100,000 members, the mission of VoteVets.org is to use public issue campaigns and direct outreach to lawmakers to ensure that troops abroad have what they need to complete their missions, and receive the care they deserve when they get home. VoteVets.org also recognizes veterans as a vital part of the fabric of our country and will work to protect veterans’ interests in their day-to-day lives. VoteVets.org is committed to the destruction of terror networks around the world – with force when necessary – to protect America. While non-partisan, the group is the largest progressive organization of veterans in America.
News Reporting:
Women Vets want Limbaugh off of AFN
Female Veterans Call For Military Radio Channel To Drop Rush Limbaugh After ‘Slut’ Remark
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
