One More Thing
April 7, 2009, by Carine Fabius
President Barack Obama signs the Lilly Ledbetter Bill
I think Obama’s not busy enough.
Really, choosing which dog will make his kids and the entire nation happy; whether Michelle should plant arugula or potatoes on the south lawn of the White House; and while he’s at it, trying to convince Michelle that she really doesn’t need any more shoes (I actually read this in the New York Times. He’s really like any other husband, girls.)
There’s still one very serious issue he needs to add to his plate right now: the ongoing rape of female soldiers in the military. You thought I was going to suggest something silly, right? It’s just that it feels so idiotic to suggest the president take on one more issue when he’s already being accused, by some, of heaping too much on his plate. But, even though I feel like writing are you crazy? letters to any interest group that rears its head with a special issue that should not be forgotten, I figure I may as well throw this one at him, too. Kind of like throwing multiple strings of linguine ideas at a wall just to see what sticks!
I have no idea whether this change in military policy requires congressional action (because of course, they’d block it), but I don’t think it does. Didn’t Clinton institute that ridiculous “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law with the stroke of a pen? A Defense Department report states that last year 2,923 American women were raped by their fellow soldiers with barely a whisper of consequences!—and this is a 25 percent increase for women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan from the year before. This is an epidemic! Can we now look forward to a similar increase next year? Grrrr.
If with a swish of his left hand Obama were to sign “Do Ask, Do Tell” into law, I think it would garner him a shitload of goodwill from everyone. Except, of course, those “brave” soldiers, who would no longer be able to blow off steam by forcing themselves on the nearest available woman. Although the military has very strict rules about following orders, on this one—you shall not rape your fellow soldier just because you feel like it—they seem content to let it slide.
True story: most professional women soldiers reporting a sexual assault are told they should forget it because you wouldn’t want to ruin a young man’s military career, would you? Why, yes I would. It might strike a blow to morale inside the military, and even rile the top brass, but I think Obama is man enough to handle it.
April 7th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
It seems to me that the military is the perfect place for an exercise in truth and consequences. It’s all about honor, isn’t it? Where is the honor in exerting control over someone physically weaker than you, in enrolling others in your lies, in not coming forward? Speak up,men and women, let’s move to a new definition of courage. No more cover-ups of the rapes of our brave female soldiers. EVER.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:53 am
One of our president’s many goals he sought to accomplish on his European tour was to enlist more NATO allies in the effort to bring peace (the usual way–through the deployment of more troops) to Afghanistan. He was asking for bodies; live, kicking and carrying weapons. But, interestingly, a handful of our allies said they would NOT send their soldiers to defend a country (Afghanistan) whose Constitution allows for the rape of a wife in its federally sanctioned marriage contract. (Talk about putting the government in your bedroom!) So, Carine, to bring this home, I find it VERY ironic that female American soldiers defending Afghanistan (or whatever you call what they’re doing there) can be raped with impunity, and so can the women they are “defending.” Maybe it’s time for some “out-of-the-box” thinking on war, (punno intendo). Apparently, warfare and rape go hand-in-hand and, no matter how just the cause (routing the Taliban, for instance), these two violent acts are inseparable when men are trained to dehumanize each other to the point where they can justify killing, raping and torturing for the achievement of some loftier goal. If we “win,” where is our sense of authority if in the process we’ve lost our humanity?
April 8th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Thanks so much for shining a keig light on the despicable act of rape of American women soldiers by their male soldiers. Your article illuminates the shocking failure to protect women highlight the need for change. And change does not come about in the dark. Keep a light on the nasty subject of the rape of women and shout out to the men that it never Ok and it will not be tolerated. Good for you Carine to keep the women soldiers on everyone’s minds. Respect will not be given until the world understands that we all benefit by women being respected.
April 9th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Ruining the career of a male in the military, or permanently scarring the life of a rape victim? hmmm… tough decision, right… Those men who victimize and do violence against their fellow female soldiers deserve more than just the end of a career. However, an atmosphere of do no good to others, and power over ethics is pervasive in the military and paramilitary professions such as firefighting and policing.
With Don’t Ask Don’t Tell we’ve lost experts such as Arab linguists and those who are more than willing to fight for their country, and instead the Bush administration created a policy that, out of desperation, has had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and allow ex-cons and the like to enlist.
I hope our new president puts these issues high on his list. He’s doing all kinds of new and brave things, hopefully this too will get his attention.