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We all know the unspeakable acts that ocurr during wars. Help end all forms of military sexual abuse

by Open-Publishing - Wednesday 5 July 2006
11 comments

Demos-Actions Movement Wars and conflicts USA

Dear people of common sense and reason ...
I honor all who continue to spread words of hope that we can all live peaceably on this planet called Earth. While we are working to end the violence of country against country, religion against religion, and neighbor against neighbor, I hope that you will see the universal value of supporting The Suzanne Swift Petition.

Many cruel and inhumane acts come out of war. Some more atrocious than others but all inflicting various degrees of harm and trauma and often resulting in death. The Media reports these atrocities on a daily basis. And today, I am posting this petition on bellaciao.org so that the global community can weigh in on another form of assault that ocurrs within the military - a soldier against soldier sexual assault - a subject currently not in the news. Some soldiers refer to this type of assault as ’Command Rape’.

To directly access a summary and the petition pls visit:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/441448013

Petition for Suzanne Swift

Please join us in signing The Suzanne Swift Petition as thousands of active and non active military members and social justice groups around the world call for an end to ’Command Rape’ and other military sexual abuses.

Spc.4 Suzanne Swift, who had refused to return to her unit for a 2nd tour of duty in Iraq, had served honorably in Iraq from Feb 2004 thru Feb 2005, as an MP, driving humvees and on patrol - protecting fellow soldiers and others while she, herself, was being manipulated and sexually abused by her superiors.
When it came time for her 2nd deployment to Iraq (11 months later), Suzanne found that she could not return to that environment with those same superiors who had manipulated and sexually abused her.
While back in the states during 2005 and reporting to duty, Suzanne reported in to her superior and asked where she should report, he responded: "Naked - in my bed."
The above is only a snapshot of the abuse Suzanne faced.

The petition also calls on 22 others in authority to respond as to why the military has looked the other way and not enforced its own policies. We feel that lack of commitment to ending this type of violence, lack of enforcement and lack of oversight has allowed military sexual abuse to continue for decades.

The petition can also be accessed from a web site created for Suzanne.
http://www.suzanneswift.org

Please join us in supporting this effort - for Spc.Swift and for all the women and men who have been or will be sexually assaulted by their fellow members of any armed forces. According to one set of reports put out by the US DoD, as many as 23% of its enlisted women and 3% of enlisted men have been sexually assaulted. What are the percentages in other countries? We must permit the voices of both men and women survivors of military sexual assault and their advocates to assist governments and militaries in the education and enforcement of policies on sexual abuse.

We encourage all to learn more about this issue and believe that others will also be revolted by what soldiers are calling ’command rape’. Especially in a war zone where your superiors have complete control over you. Life and death.

Respectfully submitted,
"Imploring You to Take Action’
Please sign the petition and forward this to as many others as possible.

Forum posts

  • Well this is the result of being in a system where absolut power of decision is given to MEN that have permenant HARD ON for releasing pent up frustration, discontent, and malice that they practice in thier mind control game called "JUST WAR".

    Their is no such a thing as a "JUST WAR". If you can not solve your problems in a civilized manner then you are uncivilzed for using the power of command and the authority of death and punishment on a fellow human for the sake of your pants and your MALE EGO... they perform this act of descration upon the body of the female as a "sort of male" spoils of war thing. Part of the lure of the mindless historical lifestyle of the soldier.
    This EGO power control thing is one of the pinnicales of the male patriarchal system of control, threat of the loss of control of the female body in exchange for the submission to authority. - A REAL DUMB male high if you ask me. If they need sex their are other more effective ways to enjoy the sexual company of woman that builds trust, encouranges intimacy, and enables positive self image. This mind rape followed the body rape is a long time spoils of war - favorite - in fact it is perhaps one of the recurring themes in war movies, books, magazines and other war paraphanaila appealing to the lower male self and his errection insertion desire.

    I hope one day that people can enjoy sexual relations without the dogma and mind control of war, false religions, guilt and turmoil that is entrained upon the mindds of the men and women in our world.

    – 

    • Thank you for your clarity and for adding some of the historical and biological components.
      Much education and training (or untraining) needs to be done. But first the militiary needs to make the commitment to solve this. What was done to Suzanne while there is a treasonous offence.
      Can you imagine being in a combat zone and having the person over you upset that you won’t sleep with him and then his treatening to send you on a mission where no man wants to go? He has complete control over you. Giving you extra duty and pulling the humiliation scenario on you whenever he can in front of other soldiers? Soldiers you were protecting.
      Suzanne protected them and others and now who is going to protect Suzanne?
      I hope that you visit the petition site and forward to others asking that they also support and sign.

    • A US media Editorial calling for US troops to come home.

      THE TERRIBLE TOLL OF WAR
      A Register-Guard Editorial
      Published: Wednesday, July 5, 2006

      You may need to be registered with the RG to view article.
      www.registerguard.com/news/2005/07/05/ed.edit.iraq.0705.p1.php?l

      Will the Washington Post. NY Times and LA Times follow suit?

  • SUPPORT THE TROOPS = bring them home so we can spit on them!!!!!!!!

    • Not at all. There are many fine men and women who are serving.
      I can’t wait to welcome our troops home.
      But good order does not always exist in every command.
      As pointed out by other person posting here today, this type behavior,
      in this day and age, is still accepted, Others look the other way and ’wink’.
      Is it not time to evolve as human beings?
      For that matter - war is archaic - we should be beyond this stage of development
      by now. Is the male ego and his toys to blame?
      I do want to add that military recruiting practises also need to be looked at.
      Reports of cases where recruiters, in trying to reach their goals, (and bonuses)
      recruited folks that you would not want near your sister.
      I hope you will support The Suzanne Swift Petition and
      support getting all sexual predators out of the military.
      I would be supicious of any one who was not for this.

    • Those who signed up, signed up for killing! These are your disgusting fine men and women. Puke!
      Are you a Nazi? Or may be just naive?

    • I believe that UN and nations can have military units for ’defense’ purposes. I understand your frustration and anquish - which I share. It is a nightmare to wake up each day knowing that US has destroyed more lives and infrastructure and enflammed insurgents.

      On a personal level, I count myself among the first to speak out against US invasion of Iraq.
      I am fortunate to be around others, who knew the first week after 9/11, that US administration was bent on invading Iraq. Much energy and effort by millions in US (squashed by US media) was put forward in the US to stop invasion during 2001, 2002 and 2003. And we were so proud and relieved that millions of other nations also rallied to try to prevent US aggression.

      I have and will continue to work with others in trying to get US troops out of Iraq.
      US citiizens now demanding US out of Iraq are ’finally’ in the majority in US. At every turn, this admininstration with the help of media has used the fears of 9/11 to keep US citizens behind their decision to invade and to stay the course.

      US foreign policy power is in the hands of those who control the media and spin off many lies.
      But I, like you, shake my head and wonder about the attitudes of those who do not speak out against this adminstration for invading Iraq.

      It has been a slow process in trying to reach out to those who fell under the spell of GWB.
      I am ashamed of US arrogance and agrression as are millions in US.

      I hope that you will go back and reread the intro to belllaciao discussions where it is mentioned that not all Americans are SUV drivers and behind this invasion. I respect your views and hope that you will accord me the same respect.

      One can support this Suzanne Swift Petition and also hold on to their strong beliefs against US invasion. There is no confliict here.
      By signing this petition you will have an important part in changing the attitudes of militaries around the world. This petition has broader implications than people realize.

      Blessed are the PeaceMakers,
      Imploring ...

    • NO, bring them home so we can tell them they went over there to make GW and Cheney more wealthy - that it had nothing to do with protecting their country - that they were LIED to from day one.

  • I am overwhelmed with gratitude for your support, as I know Suzanne and her mother, Sara, are.
    I share your vision of peace for this world. May it happen soon.

    Sincerely,
    BJ Stewart.
    Originiator of the Suzanne Swift petition

  • That makes a handful of soldiers who have ANY morals.

    Suzanne, I feel sorry for you, but what was a young woman doing going with a group of animals to fight a war based on lies for a dictator oil baron? What did this woman think was going to happen to her? Rape is a perk for the U.S. military, always has been, always will be. And hunting humans is the ultimate thrill for the sociopaths who join the military. Nice young women have no place in this ugly business of killing and vicious savagery. Mothers how could you allow your daughters to even think about going into the military?

    • Suzanne’s Mom happens to be a COUNTER-military recruiter, going out to high schools and trying to counter the lies that military recruiters weave on our 16 and 17 year olds. She was shocked that her daughter fell under the spell of these recruiters and fell for the lie that she would not be sent to kill if she signed up as an MP for fiive years. But - right out of boot camp she was shipped to Iraq.
      Recruiters target youth who are school drop outs, poor, in rural areas, low economic areas, and who are gullible.
      Does this mean that it makes it alright for young enlistees to be sexually assaulted? That they somehow deserve it? I don’t think so.
      While there are mililtary units on this planet, a reallty, I would think that world citiizens would want to hold military institutions accountable for any criminal acts performed by military personnel.
      Yes - US should not be in Iraq, Yes - US is wrong in many areas, but does this mean that we should tolerate and not want to clean up this systematic sick predatory violence?
      To stick one’s head in the sand for more decades is what I call criminal inaction.

      We have been trying to get recruiters out of our schools but GWB had a little clause put into a school bill that says: the federal govt will take funds away from your school if you do not allow military recruiters in your schools. And, by the way, each year we want you to turn in the names, addresses, phone numbers, grades etc of all students 16 - 18 years old.

      The recruiters even bring big tank like mobiles with machine gun simulators around to schools and ’invite’ students to come on board - to become a man - protect your country - and we will pay for your education, provide you with job skills and on and on. One school whose principal is a former Marine is actually trying to get military helicopters to land on schoolr property to dazzle these young minds.

      The recruiiters get phone numbers of coming of age students from the govt and call students at home, meet them in malls, try to get them to go on rides to bases alone with them, where they intimidate them and try to get them to sign on the dotted line. Recruiters are also now sponsoring ’fights’ and when students show up they are given the ’pitch’.

      This is a huge problem in US and I am asking that the world community unite on some of this other stuff with us and we just might be able to make some heavy duty changes that will lead to respect and integrity among all people. But if some of you can’t even step up to try to end military sexual abuse as it is happening now - then, in my eyes, you are as responsible as the US Administration is for the continuing trauma, death and destruction. You are not for peace - you are war mongers yourself.