Heterosexuals: shame on you

[Chris James]

When the United States military did away with Don't ask, Don't tell, and allowed gay people to serve openly there was a storm of controversy. The right wing prognosticators screamed that there would be sexual assaults in the showers and that gay men would molest the young innocent recruits. I haven't read about any of that but it seems the truth is far different in other countries:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/male-rape-prevalent-in-uk-army-ministry-of-defense-figures-reveal/ar-BBh36hn?ocid=LENDHP

The military culture is quite similar around the globe: See the world, get drunk, get laid...bully those you feel are weaker? I don't understand the mindset that causes events like this to happen. Bullies are mentally defective and isn't the military supposed to weed out the incompetent?

In times of war it is hard to get young men to sign up for military service and face the prospect of death at the hands of the enemy. But how do you keep recruiting when the enemy is within your own forces and someone who might just sodomise you with a broom handle? Rape is an ugly word and beyond the physical damage there is a lifetime of mental anguish.

I am all for punishing bullies of any stripe but in this situation the victim is armed and dangerous. I am surprised there has not been more in the way of retribution. I'd shoot some rapist who stuck a broom handle...well, you get the point.

[Cole Parker]

In the cited cases, it wasn't one guy with a broom, but a cadre of aggressors. Hard to shoot a group. But the urge would be there. I don't get why the article doesn't say what was done to the perpetrators. I hope the army didn't brush it under the rug.

C

[Rutabaga]

I don't get why the article doesn't say what was done to the perpetrators. I hope the army didn't brush it under the rug.

C

I think the reason is that the information was a statistic contained in some document disclosed under the British equivalent of the Freedom of Information Act. The document itself didn't mention broom handles as I read the article -- all of that was filled in by the reporter and others. The question will be whether this article stirs up enough of a furor to lead to some further official inquiry.

I can't help thinking of Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson in "A Few Good Men."

R