THE UNTOLD STORY OF MILITARY SEXUAL ASSAULT — from the New York Times

I read this story by Michael F. Matthews today and feel it’s important and that’s why I’m posting it here as a blog. It follows the topic of PTSD following sexual assault, the importance of telling and the fact that we need to do everything we can for ourselves and for others to put an end to this. I will quote the first two paragraphs and hope you will want to click onto the NYT site and read it all.

“It was 1974, and I was 19 years old, serving in the United States Air Force, and I thought I was the only one.

It was early spring and I had finished working in the Minuteman missile complex at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. Tired and dirty, I’d just made it to the chow hall before It closed for the evening. On the way back to my dormitory, as dusk fell, I took a shortcut through a construction site.

. . . read the rest of article here http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/opinion/the-untold-story-of-military-sexual-assault.html?ref=opinion&_r=0

Share This Post
6 Comments
  1. Excellent article. It angered me. Such a senseless act that robs so much away from a person. You certainly have me fired up. Where do we begin to stop such acts, both in the military and outside, against women, men and children? Where should I begin to help? What needs to be done?

  2. I have contacted some friends who are going to hook me up with some local organizations to help. Plus I will see what bills are out there that should be encouraged. Thanks for highlighting this issue. And Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

  3. FOR CHARITABLE PATRONS AND ACTIVISTS EVERYHERE:

    More years ago than many of you readers have been alive, then Russian Premier Nikita Krushchev bragged that he would conquer America and not have to fire a shot. He would do it by invading the ‘minds of the children.’

    Can there be any doubt that if one wants to influence a monumental, long-lasting, effective human behavioral change, it must begin with the ‘minds of the children'(adolescents).

    From Jane’s Blog post 10/6/12 – G-CAPP BIG ANNUAL FUNDRAISER IN ATLANTA
    “I announced the news that beginning in January, G-CAPP is expanding our work from a singular focus on teen pregnancy prevention to a broader, more holistic approach. This is an approach urged by UNICEF, Office of Adolescent Health and other public health experts and advocates here & around the world. Adolescence is the gateway to adulthood and a critical stage of development in which more attention and resources need to be invested. There are 1.2 billion adolescents in the world and, while there has been significant progress for children—lower infant mortality, vaccinations, etc, not enough is known about adolescents–their situations, their habits, their dreams. How they come through this stage of life has a huge bearing on how they do as adults.”

    From Jane’s blog post FOR MY MOTHER 11/28/13 – referencing G-CAPP) ‘that addressed issues of sexuality among disadvantaged teenagers and discovered that many, if not most, of the girls we worked with had been sexually violated.’

    (If you have $$$ and want to help: Jane’s Blog post DELAY A BIRTHDAY 12/20/12)

    If becoming involved politically is your ‘bag,’ three sources to support MSA judicial process changes are listed in the NYT’s article referenced in Jane’s post of 11/25/13.

    Volunteering at a local Domestic Violence or Battered Women’s shelter will put you in touch with some of the most heart-wrenchingly damaged children on the Planet, and offers everyone a chance to ‘make a difference’ for someone.

    And the next time you’re around a fireworks display, ah-h-h-h-ing over every whoosh, telepath a prayer out into the dark vastness of the Universe: ‘for every spark, save a child’….then it’s there for a wounded, unwanted child somewhere on the Planet to reach up and grab one when they most need it.

    Grateful always—most especially this Thanksgiving Day—for those who work to ‘make a difference’…..

    cj

  4. Dear Jane, I count you amongst my many, many Blessings!! I hope you enjoyed a lovely feast with family and friends & a very happy Thanksgiving. 14 months and 4 days of sober LIVING = the best Thanksgiving I have ever had in my life. (Two “Gratitude Circles” — very moving, a room full of people, sitting in a circle in a darkened room, lit only by candles, each taking turns reciting aloud the list of gratitude we hold in our hearts. A MIRACLE of recovery that is just so, so profound. A meal with my sister — and her charming kids…future Fonda fans if Uncle Peter has any influence. A combination Chanukah / Thanksgiving / 45th birthday celebration with my 45 year-old husband’s Jewish family.)

    I thought of your movie “Julia” as I made deviled eggs — the first time I have ever made anything for a family feast….starting to realize just how selfish I have been. I used French’s mustard and Lillian’s mayonnaise …. er, um, I meant to say Hellman’s mayonnaise. (I have a penchant for strained puns & obscure pop-culture references.)

    I applaud you for highlighting such important issues about sexual violence in our culture. I’ve also always admired your stance on Native American culture getting the respect it deserves. I think it’s funny how there are always inappropriate jokes about “the others” told — I think — at every family gathering. Insensitivity is just a part of humanity, I guess.

    Anyway, I am glad that I have rejoined my happy — and surprisingly functional — extending family. xo Peter

Leave a Reply