"Don't Ask, Don't Tell" isn't only the recently repealed policy of the U.S. military regarding gays, it's also the unstated policy of the U.S. military when it comes to sexual assault, of both men and women. Recent articles via Al Jazeera address these issues.
First up, a heartfelt column by peace activist Cindy Sheehan called "Don't Go, Don't Kill", where she states why she thinks DADT repeal isn't exactly a step forward. An excerpt:
Joining the US military should never be an option for the socially conscious while our troops are being used as corporate tools for profit, or hired assassins for imperial expansion. Soldiers are called: "Bullet sponges," by their superiors and "dumb animals" by Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state.
Veterans still find it very difficult to access the services, benefits, and bonuses that were promised to them by their recruiters. I cannot imagine the repealing of DADT significantly improving the material conditions experienced by gays during military service.
I want to bang my head against a wall when another young gay person commits suicide as a result despicable bullying, yet people within the same community have fought hard for the right to openly join the biggest bully ever!
And a two-part series examines the still-rampant incidence of sexual assault of U.S. soldiers by U.S. soldiers. Excerpts from Part One and Part Two:
Every year, rape increases at an alarming rate within American military institutions – and even males are victims of the cycle.
“The crisis is so severe that I’m telling women to simply not join the military because it’s completely unsafe and puts them at risk. Until something changes at the top, no woman should join the military."
