For the more than 200,000 women serving on active duty in the U.S. military, sexual assault and harassment are issues not to be ignored – and now that the armed forces are taking steps to correct the problem, some wonder if it is doing enough.

In the fiscal year ‘07, ending Oct. 1, military members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan reported 131 cases of rape and assault. The Department of Defense recorded 2,688 cases of sexual assault last year; 60 percent were allegations of rape.

Some women claim the military does not respond adequately to allegations of sexual harassment and assault. Carolyn Schapper, 35, told the Associated Press an Army National Guard soldier repeatedly stormed into her room while she was dressing in Iraq. She began changing in her shower stall to ensure she had privacy. Schapper said she wouldn’t think of reporting the incident, because she believed administrative action would be taken against her instead of the other soldier.

Missing pregnant Marine Maria Lauterbach’s body was found burned in a shallow fire pit located in Cpl.Cesar Armando Lauren’s backyard earlier this year. She had accused Lauren of sexually assaulting her and planned to testify against him before she vanished.

Lauterbach’s mother, Mary, blamed the military for being slow to act, denying her daughter’s request for transfer and not properly dealing with the sexual assault complaint – even after her daughter was punched in the face.

“I believe Maria would be alive today if the Marine system had been different,” she told a panel of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee July 31.

A woman named Ingrid Torres worked with American Red Cross at a U.S. base in Korea. Torres took Ambien before bed, and an Air Force flight director raped her while she slept.

Testifying before the committee, Torres said, “He still comes after me in my dreams.”

After the hearing was dismissed, Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., said there is an “epidemic of assault and rape against women in our military.”

“Women serving in the military today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than be killed by enemy fire in Iraq,” she said.

According to a Government Accountability Office report released July 31, incidents of rape and sexual assault in the military are under-reported by nearly half. Many soldiers fail to report assaults because they worry “that nothing will be done; fear of ostracism, harassment, or ridicule; and concern that peers would gossip.”

Some victims argue that the military chain of command would punish or move them if they complained, rather than discipline the person responsible for the assault.

A Department of Defense 2006 Gender Relations Survey of Active Duty Members shows 34 percent of all female service member respondents were sexually harassed, and 6.8 percent indicated experiencing unwanted sexual contact including rape, nonconsensual sodomy or indecent assault.

While evidence that war worsens the problem of sexual assault is lacking, women serving in the Army were most likely to be sexually harassed and/or assaulted than any other branch. Low-ranking, enlisted females were more likely than their commissioned or higher-ranking counterparts to be raped. Seventy-five percent of victims reported assaults occurring at a military installation.

A full 50 percent of female respondents experienced incidents of rape or attempted rape, 38 percent reported unwanted sexual touching and 12 percent did not specify. Most women did not report the incidents because they felt uncomfortable, thought they would be labeled a troublemaker, didn’t want anyone to know, did not think anything would be done or feared retaliation.

Under fire for its method of handling sexual harassment and assault cases, the military introduced a Care for Victims of Sexual Assault Task Force. Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld charged the task force with investigating sexual assault in the military in 2004. The U.S. Department of Defense Sexual Assault Prevention and Response confidential reporting system was established in 2005 – though reports still show half of female victims do not report the crimes. The military also conducts required classes on sexual assault and harassment.

The Pentagon has teamed up with Men Can Stop Rape, a non-profit organization that seeks “to mobilize men to use their strength for creating cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women,” to teach soldiers how to recognize signs of sexual assault.

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs added a 16th inpatient ward for military victims of sexual trauma, the Associated Press reported. VA hospitals are also providing keyless locks on its doors so female patients can feel more secure.

Source: WorldNetDaily, August 21, 2008

I’ve been plagued by the thought of marriage lately. It seems at every possibility someone in my family brings up the prospect of me entering into nuptial confines and then reproducing and wondering out loud when such a time will come. I’ve said it for years and I say it now: I am not getting married nor having children.

Mostly I’ve been dwelling on the subject because a young woman very close to me has decided that she would like to marry a man that she has met while visiting another country. They have known each other but a scant half a year and are supposedly in love with one another. She has only dated a couple of guys over the past few years and neither were serious. Now she plans to marry a man almost a decade her senior, live with him in a foreign country, leave everyone she knows behind, bear children and become a housewife as soon as possible. I know that it is blatantly obvious that I am a devoted feminist but I wholeheartedly commend women who decide to let their primary concerns rest within their own households and children. It is a very difficult decision to make and I applaud women that make it. I’ve met women who have told me that having and raising children has been a lifelong desire and they could not be happier having the ability to do so. They’ve obtained their dream jobs, so who am I to judge their work?

I am, however, at odds with such a young woman leaving all she knows behind for someone she barely knows. Going through numerous bad relationships, I have learned that when its good, its good and when its bad, its fucking horrible. I would never claim to be worldlier in love than another, but I do know that statistically the younger women and men marry the more likely they are to divorce. I’m concerned for her well-being and it would break my heart to see her unhappy and in some kind of situation that she would not easily be able to get out of. I understand that she has always wanted to get married and have children and that her dream job is indeed mother and home keeper. I just wonder if she could possibly slow down the process!

I don’t understand why people want to rush into things at top speed. If you are in love with someone and honestly want to spend the rest of your life with that person, then why make such slapdash decisions? What is so appealing about marriage, honestly? Why can’t a couple live together under an understood bond that should not be broken? Why do people feel that the only way to express their utmost love for someone is a state-sanctioned relationship? I have a few ideas.

Why people get married:
1. Pressures from family and friends.
2. Societal expectations and the fear of being ostracized.
3. Proving their love for one another.
4. Tax benefits.

1. I think I’m affected by this one the most. My family has a history of ugly, torn marriages and ruptured living situations, but somehow the issue of getting married has still been pushed upon me. After 20 years of such subjugation, I have finally found that the only minuscule desire I ever had to get married was because I was imbibed and socialized to believe that marriage is the only way to have a legitimate adult relationship with a partner. If you’re raised to believe something to such a degree, it can be very difficult to shy away from such a thing. Especially if it is endorsed by society at large, which bleeds into the next reason. Also, one may feel more pressured to couple up with another if all of their close friends are doing so. I have not had the joy of feeling like all of my friends are getting married off so that I should as well, but I know many people have felt very uncomfortable by being surrounded with (seemingly) perfect, content couples.

2. Many people believe (because of morals, values, religious beliefs, etc.) that living and/or procreating with someone out of wedlock is fundamentally unacceptable, and by entering into marriage, their action is somehow justified and their consciences are cleared of any wrongdoings. They may be concerned that others may see them in a bad light because of the ‘unofficial’ status of their partnership. Let’s not forget the massive wedding industry, which rakes in $70 billion annually from happy couples wishing to get hitched in an elaborate, flashy array of table linens, fresh flowers and horrendously colored bridesmaid dresses. There is no doubt about it; the idea of a wedding is almost exclusively catered to women. A wedding day represents one in which a woman can feel pampered, like the star of the show, and have everything her way. Wedding planners are hired to ease this process as well as serve as confirmatory opinion that the service will indeed be spectacular. All the magazines, movies, and television shows are targeted towards making a personal statement of love into a commercial process to be made money off of. As a related story, it has been noted that recognizing gay marriages would also add an additional $16.8 billion to the industry.

3. We all know the stereotype of women fawning over the idea of being swept off of her feet by a prince charming and being married to him. We are also aware of the stereotype of the eternal male bachelor, dreading the idea of marriage and hating it even more after continuing to do so. Does this mean that women pressure men into getting married? Do men feel obligated to marry their female counterparts? Maybe. At a point, a couple may feel like they have no where else to go but take it to the next level and enter into the binds of marriage. Shit or get off the pot, you know? I am still iffy about this reason and see it as being a front for one of the other 3 stated reasons.

4. I mean, really. It sounds like a humorous joke but I’m sure some people go for it. I know a couple who has actually refrained from marriage because they receive a higher amount of welfare for their 3 children. They have other reasons but this is a major benefit for them. I think it could go the other way, then. In the film ‘I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry’ the back story is that Kevin James and Adam Sandler pretend to be in a domestic partnership in order for James’ pension to be switched over to his children since his wife has passed a few years prior. This may be an uncommon situation but in a time of a ravaged economic status in the US, people may go to great lengths to stay afloat.

Personally, I feel no pressure from any of the aforementioned reasons to get married. If I find someone that I would like to spend the rest of my life with, I will do so without having to pay the state for a piece of paper noting our status. I dislike marriage because it is withheld from same-sex couples and even if I did want to marry, I would not do so unless this supposed civil right applies to all persons regardless of orientation. I dislike marriage because it goes along with the belief that humans are naturally monogamous and all persons have soul mates. I dislike marriage because I have had difficult enough breakups and never want to know what a crushing divorce would be like. I dislike marriage because it brings with it the ideal that people will be less likely to cheat on their spouses. I dislike marriage because I would henceforth be expected to have kids after becoming wed and I refuse to voluntarily enter into a whole nother slew of societal and familial pressures.

Marriage isn’t for me. I want to have my own career and travel the entire globe. If someone would love me to the point that they would want to spend copious amounts of time with me, then they will come with me. Don’t even get me started on kids, either. If I would have them, I’d pull an Angelina Jolie and adopt. 4,000 children die per hour just from starvation. Why would I choose to bring a separate life into this world instead of saving one already existing?

“Marriage is a wonderful institution… but who wants to live in an institution?”
- Groucho Marx

Throughout history, people have created a set of slang words and terminology to be used as aspersions. When we were younger, we used insults such as butthole and dork. As we matured, so did our put-downs: they increased in vulgarity as well as severity. We now throw around general ignominies like jackass, bastard, shithead or asshole. They’re all relatively the same insults as when we were younger but with a little bit more zing to them. But another layer of demeaning language has been added in our maturation that is more focused on the specifics of people, such as race, sexual orientation and gender. Most of us could compile a pretty damn long list of inappropriate nicknames to call anyone that is non-white or queer. As for gender, we all know which sex gets the short end of the fucking stick. There are at least a dozen terms set aside solely for the purpose of putting down a female. Insults for men are few and far between: dick and prick are probably the most male-specific put-downs, which aren’t exactly the most hard-hitting things I can think to call someone. You’re pretty much calling them their genitalia; which leads me to question why the word cunt is used to insult women.

Once upon a time, some jerk off had anonymously called my phone to say that he was discussing with his friend how much of a cunt I was. My first reaction? I was pissed beyond belief, of course! My instinct of rage kicked in as I called the fucker back to question his identity, which he did not reveal, being a scared little shit and all. As I calmed down and thought about the situation, I realized that I was overreacting. The true reason for my anger was that he didn’t voice his opinion to my face, not the exact term he referred to me as. Getting called a cunt? No big deal! Pfft, what a great fuckin insult, pretty much calling me a vulva. Haha. Real demeaning.

If you would have thrown that word at me a few years ago, I would have stopped at nothing to smash your face in. But I’ve rationalized its use since then. After doing some quick research, I found out the word cunt came into circulation in the Middle English period around 1325. Its use as an abusive term towards women didn’t really start until the late 1920’s. I also discovered that cunt is the last genuinely unprintable and unsayable expletive in the mainstream media of America, less acceptable than fuck! Well, what’s the big goddamn deal people? Even in the UK the people most offended by this word are men. They use it for one another to express that they are being obnoxious or malicious. This just goes to show that the worst thing you can call a guy is a girl and the worst thing you can call a girl is a girl. In this case, women are being called their own body part… and taking it as an insult. How ridiculous is that?

I think it’s time females take back the word for themselves. It could be just like guys calling one another dude or man. They have their reserved nicknames and why should women be left out of all the fun? It should no longer be treated as a hugely offensive and abrasive derogatory term towards females. But don’t take it personally if it comes from someone with a Y chromosome. Man calls you a cunt? Say thanks! Tell them you’re proud to be as well as have such a lovely little package of wonder and mystery. Make sure to spread the love to other cunts! See a woman on the street and greet her by saying “Good afternoon, cunt!” Female friend make a big accomplishment? Applaud her by stating “Congratulations, my fellow cunt!” Sure, this might not catch on for a couple of decades or so, but it’s a start. I wholeheartedly believe that becoming desensitized to the word will make people more aware of what it emulates and will take the bite out of it. Women need to embrace such a strong word and use it as a mode of empowerment instead of letting it be turned against us.

Remember grrls, if we can bleed for 6 days and not die, we can withstand anything. Including a menial four letter word.

PS. KK, no hard feelings. You’re a dick.

BEIJING, Aug. 20 — Two elderly women could face a year of “reeducation through labor” because they applied for permits to demonstrate during the Olympics, according to one of the would-be protesters.

Wu Dianyuan, 79, and Wang Xiuying, 77, went to Chinese police five times between Aug. 5 and 18 to seek approval to protest against officials who evicted them from their homes in 2001.

The Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau did not approve or deny their applications during the first three visits. On the fourth visit, the women were told that they had been ordered to serve time for “disturbing the public order” until July 29, 2009.

According to a written order they received, they would not have to immediately go to a reeducation labor camp, but their movements would be restricted. If they violated various provisions or regulations, however, they could be sent to a labor camp.

Wu and Wang tried to return a fifth time to inquire again about their protest application, but they were told that their right to apply had been stripped.

“When I first heard about the possibility of being allowed to protest, I was very happy. My issue could be resolved. But it turned out all to be cheating. . . . I feel stuck in my heart,” Wu said in a telephone interview.

Wu’s son, Li Xuehui, 48, said his mother and her friend are outraged.

Usually labor reeducation is reserved for “prostitutes and thieves,” Li said. “What the two old ladies did is nowhere near that.” He pointed out that Wang is blind in one eye and can barely see out of the other.

“We are a communist society, with the people the leaders and owners, but basic citizens’ rights cannot even be realized today. How sad it is. The way things are is the opposite of the ‘people-oriented’ ideology of the country when it was founded,” Li said.

In response to international pressure, China said it would allow protests in three parks during the Olympic Games Aug. 8-24. Earlier this week, the official New China News Agency reported that police had received 77 applications, but none has been approved.

“Punishing Wu and Wang after they applied for protest permits and actively petitioned the government demonstrates that the official statements touting the new Olympics ‘protest zones,’ as well as the permit application process, were no more than a show,” the executive director of Human Rights in China, Sharon Hom, said in a statement.

Wang Wei, executive vice president of the Beijing Olympic organizing committee, cast the empty protest zones in a positive light, telling reporters Wednesday that the disputes brought by would-be protesters had been resolved.

The International Olympic Committee, which has been criticized for not taking a harder line against China for failing to fulfill promises it made related to human rights, has referred questions about the protest zones to the Beijing government.

IOC spokeswoman Giselle Davies recently said, however, that “to date, what had been announced publicly doesn’t appear in reality to be happening, and a number of questions are being asked.

“The IOC is keen to see those questions answered by the relevant authorities,” she added.

Source: Washington Post Foreign Service, Thursday, August 21, 2008; Page A10

According to an article in the Parenting section of The Wall Street Journal, a personal finance journalist commented that

“At the end of the day, I say parents should pay for their kids’ education — but only after saving for their own future. After all, when you stop working one day, there’s no one waiting to hand you a scholarship or grant to retire.”

To me, this comment is in line with Ron Paul’s belief that parents should educate their own children instead of leaving it up to the dastarly public school system. Does he forget the millions of single-parent homes? What about all of the families trying to scrape by that are right on the poverty line? I love how its so easy for a guy with a cushy job to make recommendations with the typical familial structure in mind. I think if this guy was a single mom with 2 kids he’d be singing another tune.