Rape of IRAQ - Murdering US Marines

10 February, 2007

Abu Ghraib Revisited

by
Ernesto Cienfuegos
La Voz de Aztlan

Los Angeles, Alta California - January 31, 2007 - (ACN) During the trial of Pfc. Lynndie England, now doing three years in a military prison for her part in the Abu Ghraib prison war crimes, she was asked if there were other things that happened at Abu Ghraib, things that were not photographed, she said, "Yes." When asked if there were worse things that happened, she again said "Yes," but would not elaborate.

While testifying before a Senate panel on May 7, 2004, the now discredited Donald Rumsfeld confirmed that certain videotapes and photographs of the horrific sexual tortures at Abu Ghraib have yet to be released. "If these are released to the public, obviously it's going to make matters worse," Rumsfeld admitted.

What do these not yet released videotapes and photographs show? The answer is now slowly but surely surfacing as people who know are beginning to talk. The truth about these videotapes and photographs in the Pentagon's custody is more horrific than anything made public so far.

The videotapes and photographs that have not yet been made public depict, according to former Abu Ghraib prisoners, bestial US intelligence interrogators and military police personnel raping and sodomizing Iraqi children as young as 11 years old. Some of the new information became known this week when a former Abu Ghraib prison guard posted a video on YouTube.Com confessing to the repeated gang rape of a 15 year old Iraqi girl in custody. The video at http://youtube.com/v/HZuaiZr6YBU was promptly removed after it was making the rounds on the Internet but a transcript survived. The following is a transcript of the most relevant sections:

Voice of the guard at Abu Ghraib and another person is heard
------------------------------------

....girl, she was probably like 15 years old. Yeah, she was hot dude. The body on that girl, yeah, really tight. You know, hadn't been touched yet. She was fucking prime. So....

***

One of the guys started pimping her out for 50 bucks a shot. I think at the end of the day he'd made like 500 bucks before she hung herself.

Really?

Yeah. (laugh)

She hung herself? How's come she hung herself?

I don't know. She wasn't happy. (laugh)

***

In their culture, it's really shunned upon if you get raped. I guess she would have been stoned to death by her people. It's fucked up.

She was fucked anyway, I guess. In more ways than one.

(more laughing)

***

You didn't get shit from the CO, did you?

No, not until those fucking pictures came out. After then the biggest rule was no fucking cameras.

***
End of Transcript

The information on the above videotape is collaborated by Pulitzer Prize winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh. He has maintained that the Pentagon has videotapes of boys being sodomized at Abu Ghraib prison. "The worst is the soundtrack of the boys shrieking," Hersh said. Seymore Hersh first gained worldwide recognition in 1969 for exposing the My Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War.

More collaborative statements concerning the sexual torture of children at Abu Ghraib have been made by the surviving prisoners themselves. The following is an excerpt from a statement provided by Kasim Mehaddi Hilas, Detainee #151108, on January 18 2004:

"I saw [name deleted] fucking a kid, his age would be about 15 years. The kid was hurting very bad and they covered all the doors with sheets. Then when I heard the screaming I climbed the door because on top it wasn't covered and I saw [name deleted] who was wearing the military uniform putting his dick in the little kid's ass. I couldn't see the face of the kid because his face wasn't in front of the door. And a female soldier was taking pictures. The sodomizer [name deleted], I think he is [deleted] because of his accent, and he was not skinny or short, and he acted like a homosexual (gay). And that was in cell #23 as best as I remember."

The following is another testimony of sexual torture of Iraqi children from a statement provided by Thaar Salman Dawod, Detainee #150427, on January 17, 2004:

"I saw lots of people naked for a few days getting punished in the first days of Ramadan. They came with two boys naked and they were cuffed together face to face and Grainer was beating them and a group of guards were watching and taking pictures from top and bottom and there was three female soldiers laughing at the prisoners. The prisoners, two of them, were children. I don't know their names."

One of the most horrific incidents at Abu Ghraib is told by a 16 year old Iraqi girl in her own words. Nadia, in tears, narrated her story:

“I was visiting one of my relatives, and suddenly the American forces attacked the home and started to inspect it. They found some light weapons. So, they arrested all people in the home including me. I tried to explain to the interpreter, who was accompanying the American patrol, that I am just a visitor. However, my trials failed. I cried, begged them, and I lost consciousness from fear when they took me to Abu Ghraib prison.

Nadia continues “they put me alone in a dark and dirty prison cell. I expected that I will be released soon, especially when the investigation proved that I hadn’t committed a crime”

Nadia elaborated while tears poured down her cheek, a telling sign of just how much she has suffered.

“The first day was so burdensome. The cell was malodorous, humid and dark, and this condition increased the fear inside me more and more. The laughs of the soldier outside the cell made me even more scared. I was afraid of what would happen to me. For the first time I felt that I was in a difficult gridlock and that I had entered an unknown world that I would not get out of.

In the middle of these different feelings, I heard a voice for an American soldier woman who was speaking in an Arabic language. She said to me: “I didn’t imagine that the weapons’ traders in Iraq are women.” When I started to explain to her the circumstances of the situation, she beat me cruelly. I cried and shouted “By Allah! I am oppressed, By Allah! I am oppressed”

The soldier showered me with insults in a way that I have never thought possible or that I would ever be subjected to under any circumstances. Then, she started to deride me saying that she was monitoring me all the day via the satellite, and that they can track their enemies even inside their own bedrooms by American technology.

Then she laughed and said: “I was watching you when you were making love with your husband.” I replied in a confused voice “But I am not married”.

She beat me for more than one an hour and she forced me to drink a glass of water, and I knew later that they put a drug in it. I regained my consciousness after two days to find myself naked. I knew immediately that I have lost something that all the laws in the earth will not be able to return it to me once again. I had been raped. A hysterical fit attacked me and I started to hit my head violently against the walls till more than five American soldiers head by that soldier women entered the cell and started to beat me, and they raped me alternately while they laughing and listening to a loud music.

Day by day the scenario of raping me was repeated. And every day they invent new ways that are crueler than the prior ways.”

She went on describing the horrible acts of the American criminals:

“After about one month, a Negro soldier entered my cell and threw me two pieces of American military clothes. He said in weak Arabic language to wear them. After he put a black bag on my head, he led me to a public toilet where there are pipes for cold and hot water and he asked me to bathe. He then closed the door and left.

I was so exhausted and feeling pain, and despite the tremendous number of the bruises in my body, I poured out some water on my body. Before I finish my bath, the Negro soldier came in. I frightened, and I hit him in the face with the water bowl. His reaction was so tough. He raped me cruelly and spit on my face, then he left and returned with two soldiers who returned me to the cell.

The treatment continued that way, to the extent that sometimes I was raped ten times in a day, the matter which affected my health negatively.”

Nadia continued in revealing the American horrible actions made against the Iraqi women, saying:

“After more than 4 months, a woman soldier woman came, and I concluded from her conversation with other soldiers that her name is Mary. She said to me “now you have a golden opportunity, since an officer who has a high position will visit us today, if you deal with him positively, you would be released, especially because we are sure you are innocent.”

I replied, “If you are sure of I am innocent, why you don’t release me?”

She screamed in nervousness, “The only way that guarantees your releasing is to be positive with them.”

She took me to the public toilets, and she supervised my bath while she was holding a thick stick, hitting me by it if I didn’t perform her orders. Then, she gave me makeup, and warned me not to cry and ruin my makeup. Then she took me to an empty small room where there was nothing but a cover on the floor, and after one an hour she came accompanied with four soldiers who was holding cameras. She took off her clothes and she harassed me as if she was a man. The soldiers were laughing and listening to a noisy music, and taking photographs to me in all poses, and they were emphasizing on my face. The woman asked me to smile otherwise she is going to kill me, and she took a gun from one of her colleagues and fired four bullets near my head, and swore that the fifth bullet will be fired in my head.

After that, the four soldiers raped me alternately the matter which made me lose my consciousness. When I regained the consciousness I found myself in the cell and the traces of their teeth, nails and cigarettes are in everywhere in my body.”

Nadia stopped narrating her tragedy to wipe her tears, then she continued: “After one day Mary came and told me that I was cooperative, and I will be released but after I watch the film that they have shot. I was in pain when I saw the film, and she (Mary) said: “you have been created for the sole purpose for us to enjoy”. At the moment I became very anger and I attacked her although I was afraid of her reaction, and I would kill her except for the interfering of the soldiers. When the soldiers released me she showered me with hitting, then they left me.

After this incident, nobody harassed me for more then one month; I spent that period in the praying and invocation to Allah, the All-Mighty who has all power, to help me.

Mary came with some soldiers who gave me the clothes that I was wearing when they arrested me and took me to an American car. Then they threw me on the highway road after giving me 10,000 Iraqi Dinars.

I went to a home that was near the place where I have been thrown out and since I know the reaction of my family, I preferred to visit one of my relatives to let them know what happened after my absence. I knew that my brother had held a consolation board for me for more than 4 months, and they considered me as a dead person.

I understand the knife of shame is waiting for me. So, I went to Baghdad where I found a good family who lodged me, and I worked with this family as a maid and governess for their children.

Nadia wonders in pain, regret and bitterness:

“Who will quench my thirst? Who will return my virginity? What is the offense of my family and kin? I have inside me a baby, and I don’t know who his father is.”
---------------
End of Nadia's story

There is no doubt that the US has committed war crimes in Iraq of unspeakable horror. The fact is that what occurred at the Abu Ghraib prison have not been isolated incidents. Similar cases have occurred throughout Iraq. One of many cases occurred in Mahmudiya in March of 2006 when a 14 year old girl was gang raped after her parents and her 5 year old sister were massacred by drunk US occupation soldiers. The soldiers entered the young girl's home and forced her father Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, her mother Qassim Hamza and her sister Hadeel Qassim Hamza to an adjoining room. One soldier shot her parents and sister in the head and then all proceeded to repeatedly rape her. After raping her, the US soldiers poured kerosene on her and burned her to death. These rape and killings are among the most heinous in a series of cases by the US occupiers that have tarnished the American military.

Who should pay for these war crimes? Has there been justice in the Abu Ghraib torture crimes? Two of the worse Abu Ghraib torturers received mere 10 and 3 year sentences but one was only a sergeant and the other a private first class. How about the higher ups? Have they been responsible for these war crimes as well? How about Colin Powell, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Dick Cheney and yes even George Bush?

 

---

UPDATE

One of our subscribers has located the above referenced disturbing new video that was deleted from YouTube.com. We are informed that the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division is presently investigating the allegations made in the video. Please be warned, the video below is extremely disturbing:

 (More)

Posted by geminimay_no 15:38 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(2) | Permalink

Shockibg But True Storires - Adulterated

31 January, 2007

Muslim fanatics issue another bikini ban in Malaysia Powered by CDNN - Cyber Diver News Network by Jonathan Kent TERENGGANU, Malaysia (16 Dec 2002) -- Malaysia has seen a sharp fall in the number of tourists visiting its resorts. Arrivals of tourists and scuba diving travelers has fallen by almost a third to between 100,000 and 300,000 visitors a month. The whole of South East Asia has seen a similar pattern since the terrorist attacks on Bali in neighbouring Indonesia two months ago. And now Malaysia's tourism industry - the country's second largest foreign exchange earner - is facing new challenges as the government asks sunbathers on its golden beaches to cover themselves up. Unimpressed It may be the off-season in Terengganu, but the beaches are even more deserted than normal. Two months ago the hardline Islamic state government announced that sunbathers would be asked to dress modestly. Sunbathers were not impressed. "For a man to come up to me on a beach and tell me to cover up I would be very embarrassed," one visitor said. Another agreed. "I wouldn't feel very good to be told that you should cover up on a beach. It would be a different matter if you were outside a mosque or a religious place." Sensitivity By the time I caught up with the state's chief minister, Abdul Hadi Awang, who also leads Malaysia's Islamist party PAS, he had toned down his message. "In isolated places, as in the beach where women and husbands want to enjoy themselves, it is OK to us," he said. "But in public areas I think that tourists should understand that they must take care also about the sensitivity of the people."   Thanks to the ban on bikinis in Malaysia, Muslim terrorists can concentrate on bombing tourist resorts without being distracted. The owner of a local resort said he wished the local politicians would think before they speak. "It is not very helpful when they make certain statements knowing that the regional and the world tourism industry is in such a sensitive situation. Anything that is misconstrued will actually add to the already grim picture of the worldwide tourism scenario," he said. "Terengganu does not need more statements like that." Key industry The order for tourists to cover up came just two days before the Bali bombings. A spokesman for the state's tourism industry confirmed the attacks have had a profound effect. According to the country's tourism minister, Abdul Kadir, visitor numbers have dipped by as much as 30% in the past two months and that is serious, he said, because tourism is one of Malaysia's key industries. CDNN Related News Bikini ban or Taliban?

Posted by geminimay_no 09:52 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(0) | Permalink

Shockibg But True Storires - US Soldiers Defenders Of Freedom or HardCore Pimps with the whole world as there Harem? Mr. U.S. Navy 1989-1993

31 January, 2007

revolutionary socialists in the United States

News & Views

Rape in the U.S. Military
By Amy Maki

This past month Amnesty International launched a major campaign against violence against women with a series of press conferences and other events. Violence against women is an international epidemic of horrifying proportions, but what was particularly eyebrow raising about Amnesty’s campaign was their announcement that a major component of their campaign would be against rape and sexual assault against women in the U.S. military.

According to Amnesty International, and other women’s rights groups working with it on this campaign, there has been an alarming rise in the number of rapes and sexual assaults against women in uniform, especially in Iraq. Who is raping American women soldiers in Iraq? Not Baath party loyalists, or the Al Queada terrorists allegedly pouring into the country – but their fellow American soldiers!

Dozens of women in uniform serving in the Middle East have reported being raped or sexually assaulted by their fellow soldiers. Advocacy groups, based on the number of women who have contacted them reporting rape but who haven’t reported it to the military, suggest that actual number of women in uniform being raped is in fact much, much higher.

Following an expose of this alarming situation by Amnesty International and newspapers like the Denver Post, a series of investigations and reports have been issued. The picture that is being painted is that while rape and sexual assault are by no means an unheard of thing in the U.S. military, it definitely seems to be on the rise, particularly in war zones. This is most likely the result of all of the stress and low morale that is affecting U.S. troops having to militarily occupy Iraq and Afghanistan in the face of daily opposition by the Iraqi and Afghan people. The general climate of violence that war creates of course doesn’t help.

Another part of the picture that is being painted is the woefully inadequate way in which the military handles violence against women, be they women in uniform or female dependents on U.S. military bases.

Numerous women have come forwarded reporting that their reports of rape were ignored or were only half-heartedly followed up on. One woman, recently raped while serving in Kuwait, reported that when she reported being raped to her superiors they threatened to charge her with adultery and fraternization!

According to Amnesty International, the Miles Foundation and others, in most instances when rape or assault is reported, the military does not transfer the accused from the unit of the accuser, creating traumatic situation for the victim. Victims of rape receive inadequate testing for sexually transmitted diseases. Trauma counseling is generally very limited, if available at all. And the military often makes public info about the victim, such as their name and location – making it possible for their abusers and attackers to find them again!

But perhaps worst of all is the way the military handles the rapist. According to the Department of Defenses own statistics 74-85% of soldiers convicted of rape or sexual assault leave the military with honorable discharges (meaning the rape conviction does not appear on their record!). Only 2-3% of soldiers accused of rape are ever court marshaled. And only 5-6% of soldiers accused of domestic abused are ever court marshaled. In fact several multiple homicides have recently taken place on military bases that have not even been criminally prosecuted!

The women who suffer from this treatment, and the groups working with them, describe a culture in the military where officers often cover up such crimes, or pooh-pooh it as “boys will be boys.” Victims are often treated coldly, and made to jump through numerous hoops to try and get their charges acted upon.

At a recent Amnesty International press conference aired on CSPAN, one woman came forward to give an example of the type of treatment women get from the military. Susanne Matucci was married to a sailor in the U.S. navy, and lived with their son on a naval base. Her husband, Frederick, had a long history of abuser her, and despite numerous complaints by Susanne to the Navy, little was done. Then one day her husband came home, tied her and their son up and tried to strangle them to death. Susanne resisted, and as a result survived. But her husband then kidnapped and murdered their son. Even after this horrific event, the Navy failed to adequately provide assistance to Susanne. She was unable to get legal assistance from on base lawyers, and had to fight tooth and nail to get help in moving.

The military’s response to all of these recent exposes has been to deny that there is a serious problem – which is exactly one of the accusations women are making. It claims it wants to prevent rape and abuse against women from taking place, but it fails to provide adequate resources, time, energy or anything else to the matter. The stories of these women alone, not to mention the stories of the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, are a powerful condemnation against the attitudes and policies of the U.S. military. Lets not let these women suffer have been in vain!

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Posted by geminimay_no 08:27 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(0) | Permalink

Shockibg But True Storires - Rape in the Military

31 January, 2007

1 of 11 --> Being accepted into the United States Air Force Academy means you are the best of the best. Now the academy is being rocked by one of the biggest scandals in military history. This year, 61 courageous women broke the code of silence to allege that they were raped. Six of these women are shown here. In the last 10 years, 142 Air Force Academy cadets made formal charges of sexual assault. Not a single one of the accused has ever been prosecuted. It is estimated that 80% of these rapes go unreported, and the actual numbers could be in the thousands.

 

 

2 of 11 --> Sharon says that the culture of the Air Force Academy promotes a laissez-faire attitude toward sexual assault. Rape is treated as a part of a female cadet's life, she says. "From the day you get to the academy, you're told as a female that you are going to be raped. [Clinicians] push birth control on you. They tell you that you need to be on birth control in case this happens to you."   4 of 11 --> Beth says she was repeatedly harassed by an upperclassman, and eventually brutally raped and attacked by him. She says the Air Force knew that he had serious problems. "He was an alcoholic; the Air Force diagnosed him as a sociopath, and they didn't do anything about it." Instead, when Beth reported the rape, she received demerits. "She got a demerit for having sex in the dorms because she was raped," explains fellow cadet Sharon. "She got a demerit for fraternizing because the upperclassman who raped her was an upperclassman."   5 of 11 --> Kira believes that justice will be served only when the culture of the Air Force Academy changes. "This is a cover-up from top to bottom. They're still blaming the cadets. At first they blamed the female cadets. Once they realized they couldn't get away with that anymore, they just switched to blaming the male cadets. It's not a problem of a few bad cadets. It's a problem of a few bad generals, colonels, and majors. "We don't trust the Air Force to regulate [itself]. The Senate-mandated independent panel said as much: the Air Force cannot be trusted to bring justice to us. We need a chance to be able to work outside of the Air Force; we need a chance to be able to tell the senate all of what happened to us. Because so far it's not really being heard."   6 of 11 --> Hannah believes the Air Force Academy needs to take a different approach to changing its rape culture. "The changes they are making are doing absolutely nothing to fix the problem. The problem is about the culture, not about the training that we go through—and that's what they've taken out. "The rapes did not occur necessarily because of the training or because of the way that we lived. It occurred because the men knew they could get away with it. They knew they could get away with it—and not only that, they would be supported by their classmates." Mr. U.S. Navy 1989-1993 | 29/01/2007!This is the administrator of this site. Should you want to insult me on the basis of what I have proved here, I would be willing to give you a blow by blow count for that by I don't understand why you insult a man who has been deceased for the past thousand of centuries? You call yourself a soldier? You are nothing but a bigot! Hell you have not even accepted your own kind in your own country soldier? How can you accept any other race/creed/nationality or religion? You are telling me that the rapes mentioned here are very less than the per capita? That’s supposed to make it ok for them to be raped by animals who call them selves soldiers? You are nothing more than animals! You are worse than the people whom you claim are to be Tterrorists/Fundamentalists/Fascist. You rape your own kind just to get your kicks. How the hell are you going to save anyone else? You come into other peoples country on the basis of lies. Riding on your HumV’s and your Tanks and your Stealth Technology as well as your precision guided missiles and than murder everyone because everyone to you is a threat. Than you rape there wives, mothers, sisters and not to forget there brothers, as a lot of you are gays also who are working in the army/navy/airforce & the “Marine Core”. Who swing the other way and what better way to get there hardons than to screw some foreign ass who wont be able to complain to anyone and than you kill them after you and your comrades in arms have fucked the life out of them and make a story out of it of how you just destroyed the biggest terrorist plot with the head of Al-Qaeda who just five minutes ago was had your dicks inside him/her. Bravo Commander! I compliment you on how strong you are and how well informed you are about Mohammed (P.B.U.H.). if I was to be a pedaphiles, I would be fucking your kids in your towns and cities not you coming into my towns and cities and fucking my kids, my mothers, my sisters, my daughters, my SONS! So I guess you are the pedaphile here… Huh mate! Lastly I never have and I never will ever want to even spit in that stinking place called the U.S. Of A as its already full of assholes like you who have no idea what you have just done in IRAQ. You have no Idea how big of a mistake you have made. You guys used to remember your War Vets of Vietnam? Well pal, these Arabs they are like the camels. You fuck with them once and they never foget! Vietnamese are nothing compared to theses assholes. Your dead are already coming back in the black bags… just ask your DOD how many men have died? How many more are on the list? How many more will it take to clean this shit which people like yourself created? Body bags after body bags are coming and maybe down the lane your commanders might need you again for service to be rendered in IRAQ. Than I will see you down a barrel of an AK47 or maybe a sniper rifle or maybe I wont kill you. May be I will just fuck you as I would love to do that and tell the whole world that I fucked America in the ass.  I just want you to ponder on this last thought… You are going to be getting off of your high and mighty horse soon. You and people like you are going to be left in a minority and than where will you be? How will you protect yourself? Your families? As nearly everyone would like to do the same that you are doing to them right now. Just remember What Goes around… Comes Around.

3 of 11 --> For Laura, being raped was a traumatic experience. But when she reported the crime, she was ostracized within the academy. "From the moment I reported it, I was persecuted in my squadron. I was treated as a horrible cadet. They thought I was the worst person ever. I was accused of getting [my rapist] kicked out, but that never happened."

7 of 11 --> After the Air Force academy failed to seek justice for the rape victims, Jessica became a whistleblower. She sent 150 e-mails to reporters, congress members, senators, and news stations trying to get somebody to listen to the rape charges. Her e-mails led to the problem's exposure. "I pretty much said that I knew too many girls who had been sexually assaulted, including myself—and the Air Force Academy was so bent on keeping its image that we were being neglected and ostracized."

 

8 of 11 --> John Ferrugia, a reporter in Denver, received one of Jessica's e-mails and began investigating. He says once reporters dug deeper, they realized the issue wasn't simply the act of the rapes. "The issue was that the victims were being investigated and the system turned this whole thing around on the victims and made the victims feel as though, not only were they at fault, but they went after and prosecuted the victims, for lesser charges—for fraternization, for drinking, et cetera."

9 of 11 --> The Air Force declined an invitation to the show, but the new superintendent of the academy, Lt. Gen. John Rosa, did speak out on the allegations of sexual assault. "We've got a climate and culture here that is conducive to sexual harassment, which leads to sexual assault and in some cases rape. Our administration took over in April. Since April, 19 folks have come forward and said they had been sexually assaulted or raped. One of the frightening things for me is that in our surveys, young people told us that 80 percent of them did not report. Eighty percent. "There are cadets here, in fact one in five of our last survey, that think women should not be at the academy. And it absolutely floors me. I'd like the American people to know that we understand that we have a problem. We take this very seriously. We're working day and night to fix this problem. But I will tell you that the Air Force is intent on prosecuting criminals. They don't belong in our air force. And we'll do everything in our power to make sure these criminals are brought to justice."   10 of 11 --> Clara Bingham, who wrote about these six women in an in-depth article in Vanity Fair, says the Air Force is reeling from the scandal that was exposed. "So the question is, what is the Air Force going to do about it? I mean, that's really the question that has not been answered or really addressed by anyone yet. [The alleged rape victims'] educations haven't been finished and a lot of them need counseling and they need to be compensated. And the Air Force needs to pony up, or at least address what they think they can do to try to help them."   11 of 11 Joe Madonia is one of the attorneys for all six women. Oprah: Will any of the men who allegedly raped these women be prosecuted, ever? Joe: We hope so…but again, so far, out of thousands of rapes, there's never been one punishment rendered on a cadet for raping a fellow cadet. Oprah: In the history of the Air Force Academy? Joe: In the history of the Air Force Academy. Instead the lives of these ladies have been destroyed—no medical treatment, no continued education…The Air Force has not once apologized to these women. It has not once said anything about what are we going to do to make their lives better. Not once.

Posted by geminimay_no 07:44 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(0) | Permalink

Rape - A Myth or Fact?

28 January, 2007

Myths about Rape Myth 1: Rape is provoked by the victim. Women invite rape with their appearance or behavior. Women who are drunk are asking for it. Fact: A study conducted in Philadelphia by Dr. Menachem Amir indicated that 60 to 70 percent of rapes are at least partially planned beforehand by the rapist; the victim is often threatened with bodily harm if she resists. The problem with this myth is the way it takes the criminal blame from the rapist and shifts the responsibility for the crime to the victim. Walking and dressing in a way that is socially defined as attractive does not give someone else the right to commit a crime. Buying someone dinner and drinks does not imply sexual consent. No person’s behavior, state of intoxication, dress, or agreement to date gives another individual any level of sexual “rights,” let alone the right to commit rape. Myth 2: It won’t happen to me; only other types of women get raped. Only “bad” girls get raped. Only young, beautiful women are raped. Fact: A victim of sexual assault is a crime victim, a victim of violence. Victims are of every age, shape, race and social class; for example, 1 out of 10 adult men are sexually assaulted, 1 out of 7 boys are sexually abused (see http://www.raap.org/stats.htm). Read the newspaper: You will see stories of elderly, of handicapped, of male, of child victims. Women do not “ask” to be raped, regardless of what they are wearing or doing. Myth 3: Women are raped when they are out alone at night, primarily in dark alleys, so if women stay at home they’ll be safe. Fact: The majority of rapes are committed by acquaintances of the victim, in situations where the victim feels secure. Some rapes occur during home invasions. Any woman, regardless of place of residence, social or economic class, age, appearance, or other factors, can be a victim of rape. Among college women, most rapes occur in victim or rapist’s home. Most rapes occur in or around the woman’s house by someone she knows. Women are raped while engaging in everyday activities, such as sleeping, studying, working, shopping, or driving their cars. Regardless of activity, age, class, race, marital status, or occupation, all women are vulnerable to rape. Myth 4: Sexual assault occurs only among strangers. If I avoid strangers, I will not be raped. Fact: 1996 stats show: 67.5% of victims know their perpetrator. 1994: 28% of victims are raped by husbands or boyfriends, 35% by acquaintances, 5% by other relatives (see http://www.raap.org/stats.htm). When considering these statistics, it is important to remember that a woman is more apt to report being raped by a stranger than to press charges against a friend or relative. Myth 5: Any woman could prevent the rape if she really wanted to. No woman can be raped against her will. Fact: About 1 out of every 16 rape/sexual-assault victims reported that a firearm was present during the commission of the offense. Most victims (84%) reported that the offender used no weapon. However, the primary reaction of almost all women to the rape was fear for their lives. In view of a rape victim’s fear of injury or death, the loss of control over her life and body, and the humiliation that she undergoes-- it is amazing that so many people still believe the preposterous myth that victims really enjoy rape or are responsible for being raped. The newest form of rape occurs with the use of drugs (GHB, ecstasy, Roofies etc.) which, alone or combined with alcohol, take away a person’s ability to function and greatly impairs ability to remember. Rape drugs are also very dangerous as an overdose can kill. Myth 6: Rape occurs only in large cities. Fact: Although the reported number of assaults is higher in urban areas, sexual assault does happen in every area of the city, the suburbs and rural areas. 1993 National Victimization Survey statistics showed that: 66% of rapes occur between 6 pm and 6 am, 60% happen in own home or non-stranger home, and 50% happen within 1 mile of victim’s home. On college campuses in the U.S. which are about the size of K-State—about 10,000 women—350 rapes typically take place in a year (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij/pubs-sum/182369.htm.). Myth 7: Most rapes involve black men and white women. Fact: 1996 statistics (http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abtract/soo.htm) suggest that most rapes involve a rapist and victim of the same race and socioeconomic class. Among victims 18 to 29 years old, two thirds had a prior relationship with the rapist. Four datasets (the FBI’s UCR arrests, State felony court convictions, prison admissions, and the National Crime Victimization Survey) show a remarkable similarity in the characteristics of those categorized as rapists: 99 in 100 are male, 6 in 10 are white, and the average age is the early thirties. Myth 8: Rape is an impulsive, uncontrollable act of sexual gratification. Most rapes are spontaneous (that is, a sexually frustrated man sees an attractive women and just can’t control himself). Fact: Amir found that 71 percent of all rapes were planned; the rapist had it in his mind to rape a woman (any woman) or he had a specific woman in mind. Eleven percent of rapes were partially planned; a rapist took advantage of a woman when she was alone, drunk etc. Only 16 percent were spontaneously or “explosive: rapes where the rapist had no prior intent to commit rape. Most rapists have access to consensual sex; rape is an act of power and control. Myth 9: Rapists are abnormal perverts or men with an unsatisfied sex drive. Only “sick” or “insane” men rape women. The primary motive for rape is sexual. Fact: Rapists have a normal sex drive, are generally sexually active and exhibit “normal” types of behavior, with the exception of a greater-than-average tendency toward expression of violence. Studies show the major motive for rape is aggression, not sex. Rapists can be married or have available sexual partners. Myth 10: Rape is a minor crime, affecting few women. Its significance is over-exaggerated. Fact: The FBI has reported that in 1994 rapes and sexual assaults in the US totaled 433,000. Some criminologists have estimated that only 10 percent of all rapes are reported. Therefore, one can assume that more than a half-million women are raped every year. Rape also affects all men—by lowering the level of trust women feel around men in general, and by injuring friends, family, and partners of men. Myth 11: Women say “no” when they mean “yes.” Fact: In order to have legal, valid consent to have sexual activity, an unintoxicated, clear, mindful “yes” must be communicated. Either party engaged in sexual activity has the legal right to stop at any point. There is no “point of no return.” Myth 12: Women frequently cry, “rape” that is, there is a high rate of false reporting. Fact: Studies show that only two percent of rape calls are determined false reports, which is no more than in the reporting of other felonies. Myth 13: Date rape is not that serious; women get over rape quickly, with no lasting trauma. Fact: Women and men are deeply affected by the invasion of intimacy and theft that is involved in sexual assault. Healthy, competent individuals are traumatized by assault and must deal with issues involving depression, anxiety, fear, relationship difficulties, physical illness, and other problems, both short- and long-term. Myth 14: Rape is a natural, inherent part of the human condition. Fact: Rape is not a natural act for men. A study by anthropologist Peggy Reeves Sanday found that in cultures with a high incidence of rapes, the economic, religious, and political structures are controlled by men. In Sandays study of 44 societies that were not patriarchal, there was virtually no rape. Adapted by the K-State Women’s Center from: Myths and Facts About Assault by the Department of Social Services, Missouri Division of Health, Section of Maternal and Child Health, Jefferson City, M) 65101. Around 1985, material has been updated using US Dept of Justice Statistics 1996 from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abtract/soo.htm and using statistics from http://www.raap.org/ststas.htm. Kansas State University Women’s Center • 206 Holton Hall •(785) 532-6444 www.k-state.edu/womenscenter/

Posted by geminimay_no 09:00 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(1) | Permalink

Rape - Attrociously Insane

27 January, 2007

Posted by geminimay_no 08:26 | Rape - Why it Happens? Who It Serves? What Happens to the Victims? | Comment(0) | Permalink

Rape - Men's pleasure, women's pain: A dangerous sexual ethic is woven into cultural fabric

21 January, 2007

7 Responses to “Elementary School Principal Sexually Assaults Women, Seeks to Keep Job”

1. Mary Sunshine Says:
   January 18th, 2007 at 12:00 am

   Hi Heart,

   You asked:

   “I wonder whether those defending the principal would feel the same way if he’d sexually assaulted them, their daughters, their mothers? ”

   They probably would, if they were like my mother, and 90% of the mothers of women who have been sexually assaulted by our fathers.

   Daughter? Hell, no. Males? Hell, yeah!

   That’s what we’re up against, on *all* fronts, not just sexual assault.

   And of course, all of these folks claim to just *love* women.

   Mary S.

2. lafeminista Says:
   January 18th, 2007 at 7:47 pm

   The people defending this man are claiming that his actions have nothing to do with his work. At what age does a “girl” become a “woman” who he would assault? 12? 10? Would he assault a teacher, or other female employee at the school? I say fire him.

3. Sheelzebub Says:
   January 18th, 2007 at 8:32 pm

   You know, if he’s convicted, he may not be able to keep his job anyway. In my state, it’s quite common for HHS and public ed organizations to run a CORI check on applicants. A drug bust could keep you out, for Hades’ sake, but then, the rules are different when it’s a guy “only” having some fun.

   Sheesh. What that columnist said was right–most sexual offenders start off with “minor” offenses–peeping, flashing, or stealing underwear. Some eventually graduate to far more serious (in the legal definition, at least) offenses.

4. theobromophile Says:
   January 19th, 2007 at 6:46 pm

   Given that there were kids in the car with