Buck McKeon whines that it's "uncomfortable" to talk about rape in the military.

[sheshe2]

Victims tell him it's far more uncomfortable to be raped!

“We have indentified 59 victims,” General Edward Rice, USAF Air Education and Training Command told members of the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday morning who were conducting a hearing at the Rayburn Office Building into the Lackland Air Force Base sexual assault scandal.

Following a nine month investigation involving 550 investigators and 7,700 surveys, USAF Chief of Staff, General Mark A. Welsh III, testified that out of 46 recommended changes 45 would be instituted to prevent sexual assaults from happening in the future. Only 23 have been put into place so far and the other 22 are expected in November, according to Welsh.

The 46 recommendations could either be viewed as encouraging (so much is being done) or horrifying (so much has to be done).

However, for Congresswoman Jackie Speier, (CA-14) the number that should really stand out is “one.”

As in, not one of the 59 victims was allowed to testify at the hearing.

As in, not one of the 59 victims was consulted when crafting the 46 recommendations.

“How could any of those recommendations be complete without first having talked to at least some of the victims?” asked Speier.. She went on to admonish Gen. Rice for not even responding to a November 16, 2012 letter she written to him asking for the victims to be interviewed.

http://downwithtyranny.blogspot.com/

[PDJane]

1. And there goes Frum's objection.

[pinboy3niner]

2. Rape and sexual abuse in the military is finally getting attention

Despite Buck McKeon (my former congressman, until I recently got redistricted).

[sheshe2]

3. Thank Goodness you were redistricted....

Sorry you ever had to suffer that kind of pain, with him as your congressman!

pinboy!

[pinboy3niner]

5. No big deal--I had a good relationship with his vet rep

But Patty Murray, who's been a champion for women vets, put out a statement:

http://www.murray.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/newsreleases?ID=f0b0d74a-7cee-4345-afad-7886ecdb69e5

[sheshe2]

7. For you, pinboy, and for Patty Murray!

..
sheshe2

[stevenleser]

4. I have mixed feelings on asking the victims for recommendations. THey should have been testifying

though. Their experiences should have been related by them and read into the record. That would have been important.

I can tell you though that you arent ready to make recommendations about the military or basic training after you graduate. You are talking about mostly 18 year old kids that dont know much about the military yet.

[sheshe2]

6. Recommendations, maybe not.

Testifying, definately...gotta ask why that was denied...or maybe not. It seems to me that Womens voices don't matter to many. Who is more appropriate to give testimony than a woman.

Take Sandra Fluck for example.

Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke talked to The Politicker today about her rejection from yesterday’s House oversight committee hearing on President Barack Obama’s controversial contraception coverage rule. House Democrats wanted Ms. Fluke to be a witness at the hearing, but the committee’s chair, California Congressman Darrell Issa, denied the request and said she was ”not found to be appropriate or qualified.”

“He said that I was not an appropriate witness or a qualified witness. The appropriate witness part just really struck me because I can’t imagine who would be more appropriate to address this policy than the stories of the women I wanted to share,” Ms. Fluke told The Politicker. “They are the women affected by this policy, they are the appropriate witnesses.”

.

Darrell Issa denied her a place. Sandra Fluck was not deemed appropriate or qualified by Mr Issa....really a Woman!
The oversight committee...invited only men and religious groups. I have to ask the question to the GOP...why do they hate women so!



http://politicker.com/2012/02/sandra-fluke-discusses-being-rejected-from-house-contraception-hearing/

[Separation]

8. As an active duty military member, I think if he should feel anything, it should be shame.

It's a sad state of affairs that we can't protect our sister in arms from people who are supposedly not a threat to them. It's not a subject of a lack of education, twice a year we have to sit through sexual harassment classes. So it's not like we don't know what's right, wrong, or even a grey area.

[sheshe2]

9. Thank you,Separation. For your post and for your service to this counntry.

Sisters need to be protected...always!

[Separation]

10. Always!