And it only gets worse...

NPR's story about Women in the Military continued today, focusing on Sexual Assault for the second day.  For the record, Sexual Assault is only a small part of a much larger look at the lives and roles of women in the Military, but considering the magnitude of the crimes, and the repeated systematic cover-ups that have been going on for decades now, over Tens of Thousands of cases, according the the Pentagon's own  research, this is NOT a issue that deserves to disappear after the overall story is finished.

This segment focused on Myla Haider, who had been raped and did not report it.  Well into a successful career and serving in the Military Police, a case was brought against the officer who raped her. There were dozens of women on this case, most of whom were raped AFTER she was. So she testified. And after that? Here career was over. The next time she testified - in an unrelated case - the defense tainted her testimony with what was essentially an ad hominen attack: "You were a rape victim yourself correct?"

Suddenly Commendation turned into Reprimands and she was forced out.  This is unfortunately the RULE, rather than the exception: NO ONE gets to report thier rape AND keep their career. It's utterly sickening.
And the officer that raped her and so many others? Was not convicted.

The most extreme example was in the Aviano Case, in which the presiding General single-handedly threw out a JURY CONVICTION, and lessened the offense.

The story quoted this "brilliant" response from Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.:

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is also a lawyer in the Air Force Reserve, says Aviano is an extremely rare case — and the system shouldn't change.


"We have generally held the view that the one person that has the power to determine good order and discipline is the military commander," Graham said.

Well, I have a proposal for The Right, Honorable Senator Graham...

I say we lock him in a room with a large, violent felon; a prisoner with a long history of sexual assaulting other inmates.  Then, when The Senator complains, we so thoroughly impugn his word, judgement and honor that he is no longer capable of functioning in the Senate, and is forced to leave his career behind. The, at trial, even after his rapist is convicted, we'll give some "Liberal," "Activist" Judge carte-blanche to throw out the Conviction, whole cloth. Which he will do.

And THEN, perhaps after offering the Good Senator some ointment, we can ask him how he feels about the Military's system of Justice when it comes to handling Rape cases.

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A quick side note... I should say that moments like this are why Lindsey Graham is like the lowest ranking person on my "List of Republicans that I still like."  Compared to so many others, I think Lindsey Graham is generally a decent and compentant Senator. There are SO MANY TIMES I've heard him say something and and have thought, "WOW! He's so right! I wish more Republicans thought like this guy!" And then like five seconds later he RUINS it by saying something completely fucking stupid.  So, yeah, I still like him. But it's like a 51% to 49% judgement. He's bascially the CUTOFF, the guy on the bubble (as opposed to IN IT) in terms of my being able to tolerate Republicans. 

(If any anonymous posters are curious, some of the others over the years would include Arlen Spectre, Chuck Hagel, Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins, John McCain (not since ~2000 though) Lincoln Chafee, George H.W. Bush, and Colin Powell (pre-U.N. Speech). And, more historically, Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight Eisenhower were very good Presdients as well.)

What a vile pool of subhuman scum!

First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare. If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let's assume that maybe that didn't work, or something. You know, I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be on the rapist and not attacking the child.


Todd Akin, -R (MO)

Republicans are scum.

Oh, not surprisingly every Right-Wing Politician in the country right now is scrambling to distance themselves from these remarks?  But WHY?!  OK, I know WHY, but doing so is a dishonest attempt to try and hide the fact that this kind of ignorance is fundamental to their Anti-Choice political platform!

What's more, this is just the latest in a long line of vile, venomous lies told about women, gays, transfolk, immigrants, Muslims, Jews, atheists, liberals, the poor, unions, teachers, scientists, etc... They are lying, ignorant scum and these comments are far from out of the norm.


And besides... Why back off of these comments, but not ones suggesting that...:
1) Gays are pedophiles?
2) Transgendrism is merely a sexual fetish?
3) Poor people without health care deserve their poverty
4) That there mustn't be any real poverty in this country, since we have poor people who are fat?
5) Autistic children are just faking it?
6) In a disaster Black "loot" while Whites "scavenge?"
7) Earthquake and Flood victims are being punished by God?
8) AIDS is punishment for being Gay?
9) Islam is not a Religion, and that it shouldn't be protected under the First Ammendment?

Obviously, I could on and on. And it's statements like these, and the fact that they are NOT anomalous, but in fact FUNDAMENTAL to Conservative thynking, that are the reason I'm Liberal! And any media stroy that suggests these comments come from merely the frings of the Right-Wing reveal only their own systematic Right-Wing bias and an allergy to acknowledging simple reality.

And what's the Liberal Equivalent of this? Boycotting Chik-Fil-E because they donate money to hate groups? Refusing to allow their Corporate Sponsorhip to use OUR MONEY to pay the salaries of teh likes of Mike Savage and Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh?! Give me a break! The Right whines about Christians being "persecuted" when the extent of their "persecution" is that THINKING PEOPLE are no longer willing to give them cart-blanche to LEGALLY PERSECUTE EVERYONE ELSE! And it's about damned time as well! Akin's comment should be hung around the necks of EVERY REPUBLICAN, seeing as how they all want to outlaw all abortions.
This comment SHOULD be the END of the pro-life movement as a political force. It WON'T be, because there is not shortage of COMPLETE FUCKING MORONS in this country who keep voting for these Right-Wing Shitstains.

But it still SHOULD be. Because it reveals the ignorance that permeates the entirety of the Right Wing in this country, on each and every issue.

The only thing "unusual" about these comments is the rarity in which we get a Republican to actually tell the truth about what their Party, Platform and Philosophy believe and stand for.

Scum like Todd Akin are unfit for Public Service. And it is not enough to redeem yourself [Republicans] by distancing yourselves from these COMMENTS. You must distance yourself from the PLATFORM these comments come from and support.

IOW: You have to stop being Republicans.

Every single one of these scumbags should be removed from office. Each and every last one of them. They have nothing to offer anyone on any issue.


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...And to THINK that I almost felt bad for killing this asshole off!