What is wrong with the American army?

Ann,

You are so right. I am so wrong. my son just informed me the behaviour needs to change. Women can be anywhere!

The rapists and sexual harassers need to be OUT!

Out of the army, out of the workforce, maybe then they can rethink their unacceptable behaviour.

Alice said The women can have their own army. A special force of women.

I like that, for some reason, it is attractive to imagine an army of just women and no men. Although, there is nothing vulnerable about that, I don't know why it sounds good. . It ain't a bad idea.

If it is difficult to make clear in our little group, how difficult it must be in the general population.

I will try once more. Sexuality has nothing to do with rape. Rape may include same sex crimes when one party is weaker than the other. Rape is an act of power and violence. Sexual harassment is an act of power. These behaviors are aberrant and do not represent a person of character but rather a criminal.

Flirtation is an act of equals and has no place in a work environment. Urges or not, we are not animals. If we behave like animals with no intellectual control in respect of environment or circumstances, then we deserve the consequences. This is not simply a male/female issue since alternative sexual orientations include both sexes.

I do not believe that any person should need to provide their sexual orientation information. Sexual behavior of any type should be reserved for private occasions. Appropriate behavior in public is appropriate regardless of sex or orientation. Only in this country is a kiss or hand holding between the same sex regarded as proof of an alternative sexual orientation. Affectionate but appropriate gestures in public are not an issue. Flaunting one's sexual behavior is.

Where men and women are in close proximity, the Asians handle it very well. They simply do not see what they are not supposed to see. Their crowded conditions require such a cultural system.

Seems to be happening in the Canadian forces too, but worse.

Have you seen this?

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20101022/twl-queen-s-pilot-jailed-for-life-for-mu-3fd0ae9.html

There is a video on there, with him talking in a cell. He has no remorse at all.

DK,
I agree entirely with what you said. My issue was not about rape, which is a crime, but about equality between the sexes. Mentally, equality exists and often women are superior. Physically, equality does not exist.

An excellent soapbox.

Abuse of women is an international problem. The U.S. and other developed countries actually are the best places for women to be treated with dignity and respect.

I was under a 5-year contract to the 8th U.S. Army at Yongsan, S. Korea as a civilian providing educational services to young men without high school diplomas. I spent a lot of time on military bases across S. Korea. I was treated with respect at all times and so were the other female teachers.

The only times we were ever concerned about our safety was when we were dumb enough to walk alone where a group of men were drinking to excess.

Bad things did happen to women. They happened because the character of the man was bad and he likely would have behaved the same anywhere in the world toward a woman that became his "mark." It was not the circumstances; it was the character of the perpetrator.

I found the least respect for women among the ex patriot men who lived in Korea with families and wives (unlike many of the military men whose families were stateside). They had the money to buy the favors of young, Korean women and the wives had a choice of ignoring it or losing their lifestyle and disrupting their families.

Most of the military men with whom I spent a lot of time on base and at social events wanted to honor their marriages and painfully missed their girlfirends, spouses and children. They enjoyed the female company of my teachers and other nurses and women on base; but they did try to maintain friendships rather than crossing the lines. Single men did live with Korean girls outside the base.

Among the ex-patriot men who lived high on U.S. and foreign salaries, something on the side was worth bragging about. Among the military officers, a colleague with something on the side had failed his family and his oath as a gentleman.

Glad to see you, Don, Well said.

Don wrote:

Quote :

It would be a really sick individual that would think he could sexually abuse a female trooper one day and expect her to cover his a$$ in a firefight the next.

Like

A long reply Don. I agree with most of your comment and we can all have our opinion. But my topic was not to go against the u.s army. It is what is happening in the world. I have said before, I don't see other powerful countries at war. (not heard of rape among women soldiers from uk army) I never said that it is perfect where I live. Well, from your reply, you must be a proud and true American and have supporters here. This is normal. But some of your answers are not answers are they?

Such as,

They can't even protect the women in their own army.
Don said What do you suggest…maybe every woman in the service should be assigned a body guard?

I suggest, justice should be given to those women. The army and government must work on the rape problem, but they seem to want to cover things up.

Forget about the civilians and lives in Iraq. Are you concerned about women you know that have been or still in Iraq?
Don said I’m concerned for ALL of the troops in harm’s way, not just the women.

Are you concerned about the innocent lives, of men, women and children (including babies) in Iraq? Or is your own troops your main concern?

Sigh. The u.s is all messed up.
Don said In a lot of ways it may be messed up, but it’s still the best in the world!

The best in the world? What do you mean by that? Why do you think the u.s is superior to the rest of the world?

If I ever meet someone from the army over here. I am going to stare them in the eye with a straight face and ask. "You ever kill anybody?"
Don said If you looked me in the eye and asked, “You ever kill anybody?” My answer would be, “Unfortunately, yes, probably more men than you’ve had birthdays and the thought of it will haunt me until the day I die, but it was the oath I took.” I also shed my blood on four different occasions! Oh yeh...if you ever do look a trooper fresh out of combat in the eye and ask that question, be ready to duck!

You killed that many people did you Don? It's not a normal question to ask I know, but they were at war. I am very proud also. I have not raped a women. Killed a person or any babies. And I don't plan to, in my lifetime!

I am pro life. I do not believe in abortion as a method of birth control but I do believe it is an individual matter, case by case.

I do not believe in capital punishment - ever.

I do not believe in war. However, I do believe in self-defense; and I know that is interpreted in many ways.

I believe in gun control. I do not believe citizens should be allowed to have weapons in their possession and that all hunting weapons should be part of hunting clubs or organizations - where the weapons remain. People who wish to become marksman can store their weapons at shooting clubs, but not have them in their homes. When the invasion comes, then these clubs can issue weapons to their owners.

I believe that when a country accepts people into military service that includes the possibility of war, those people are not accountable for their legal acts under the articles of war and the direction of their government. When servicemen are sent to hostile places, they have the right to defend their lives.

When a person returns from war, their training and the activities they engaged in to benefit their country are behind them. No one asks me how many people received grants from my program; I should not need to know whether a service person killed a human being. The training to do that and the experience in war is bad enough; no questions are necessary.

I know that my sister, a trained marksman, had her weapon in her nightstand and pointed it at her assailant who shot off her doorknob to reach her and do her harm, and she could not fire at a human being even to save her life. He took the gun from her and shot her with it, about which he bragged when he called 911 to report what he had done.

I believe that as a species, we have evolved to the point where taking another life is abhorrent to most of us and damages our psyche when it occurs.

Well, we should realise, who has done the invasion? Who is killing and raping? Dkchristi, your sister was a trained marksmen? There will be no gun control in the u.s. It is used to control population numbers. lol. Just because your sister couldn't kill, doesn't mean others can't. We all have the ability and the power to kill.

builder wrote:

There are some things I like about the U.S. But the government and the war is so wrong. I feel bad for the women that join the u.s army. Just a sexual object to the male and senior male officers.

You offer a video, which could be a complete mock-up, as evidence about things going on in the US army, and yet you have no experience of having been in the army. Don is a war hero, who received four purple hearts, and you talk to him as though you know as much as he does.

In the UK, bullying has been highlighted in recent months. The army say that lessons will be learned and discipline tightened. Bullying is as old as the army. It is never condoned but it is equally difficult to stamp out.

I don't need to join the army to know that there is rape among women soldiers in the Iraq war. Unless you believe that all the u.s own women soldiers had made it up. I don't need to be in the army, be a war hero or a college professor to know what is going on in the world. Also, the Iraq war is a recent and current event, not a war from the last century. There could have been changes.

Could you take a look at these videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6bKFNGGxg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPzGfHGgUk




It's all made up

What should be done about it?

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing!

Sit safely in your ivory tower and pass judgment on those that would sacrifice their lives to protect you.

Two things in this world I refuse to argue with:

1. The Bible

2. Stupidity

Life's too short!

Don,
Thank you for your perspective. I have always admired you and your service to our country.

Good posts, Don.

builder wrote:

I don't need to be in the army, be a war hero or a college professor to know what is going on in the world.

You do, however, need to be knowledgeable. I viewed your videos, will you read this article?

Sexual violence: prevalence dynamics and consequences

All that is necessary for Evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing, Don? lol. The U.S is the biggest mob! Look around, who is invading who? Even Donald Trump (A successful American has been on tv saying that the u.s is wrong) The Iraq and Afghan situation will become much worse. There is more to come.

I am against war. I was distressed when we went into Iraq - but we did not go there alone. U.S. citizens are like those in every county: we want peace. We want to enjoy our homes, our families, our work and our community.

International, industrial complexes favor war as a mode for profit-making. Corporations are international. One country alone is not to blame.

The U.S. has many free elections to determine who makes our decisions. Sometimes, the choices we make are not right for the country or the world; others they are just right. At least we have a country that changes governments peacefully.

There are many things about my large country I find distressing; however, I have lived everywhere - lived, not visited - and I am always grateful that I may choose to return to the country of my birth. For its warts, I still believe this is the country of the world that has the possibilities - we just have to keep moving in that direction. In comparision to the rest of the developed countries of the world, much is expected from this very young country. We are bound to make mistakes for risks incur the possibility of error; yet, no risks lead to stagnation and decay.

builder wrote:

All that is necessary for Evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing, Don? lol. The U.S is the biggest mob! Look around, who is invading who? Even Donald Trump (A successful American has been on tv saying that the u.s is wrong) The Iraq and Afghan situation will become much worse. There is more to come.

Did you read the article?

Great post, DK. There is no perfect place. Even with the best of governments, misjudgements are going to occur. Maybe someday we will live in a world where peace is a given, but I doubt it.

All of us, wherever we live, whatever our gender, have the warrior archetype as a necessary part of each one of us. The answer is not to get rid of it, but to accept its reality so that we can bring it under our conscious control. We need it in order to protect our boundaries and assert our positions.

I'd like to make a couple of references to the original Star Trek series. In one episode, Captain Kirk was split into two people: one who was totally good; the other, totally evil. The totally good Kirk was an ineffectual leader, because he could never make a decision. In another episode, Kirk confronted a society where war had become so accepted, it had taken over the society. He told them that it was true, that killing cannot be done away with, but that we could each get up in the morning as say to ourselves, "I shall not kill - today."

When we accept the warrior as an integral part of who we are, we empower ourselves to choose how and when to assert it.

Ann

yeah, Shelagh.

What did you learn from the article?