If I recall, rape (and other crimes) doesn’t occur on US military bases at a higher rate than any other similar sized population group.
However, the cover-up mentality is frustrating to me. Why not just say that her death is “under investigation”?
This “cover-up mentality” is not unique to the military. It can be seen in other governmental or beauracratic institutions, like the police departments, hospitals, and even university administrations.
Generally, someone is worried that the incident in question will make them (or their institution) look bad, so they try to CYA their way around it. And usually, the CYA job gets flubbed.
And why should anyone believe that ? The military is known to have a habit of ignoring complaints of rape and sexual assault, or only lightly punishing the perpetrators. And they’ve never been shy about lying.
And even if it’s true, that doesn’t say a thing about military academies, troops in the field, and so on.
It should go without saying that I would be delighted to review any cites you wish to offer that crime occurs at a higher rate in the US Armed Forces. I could be wrong.
Way to move the goalposts there, Bryan. You said there is no evidence. The OP lists lots of evidence. When **DT ** pointed out that there is evidence, you changed your story to “no doubt.” I’m not sure when “no doubt” became the standard for anything (reasonable doubt, I have heard of), but you said there was no evidence. You were wrong.
When our military spends as much effort investigating the facts on a case like this as they do propagating the “correct” message…
When our military leaders concentrate as hard on getting results as they do assigning blame…
When the military stops saying things like “Gays are harmful to morale but felons and the mentally deficient are A-OK”…
… THEN I will be inclined to listen to you ya-yas who meet any criticism of the military with “:rolleyes:” or “You just don’t know” or “You’re a coward.”
(And those of you who think, “If you haven’t served you just don’t know!” I have to assume that you actively participate in every job/activity/hobby YOU criticize as well.)
I don’t see it as having become jaded, as I never held the military in very high esteem. We need our military, and everyone who serves is doing something I don’t want to do, but I don’t view it with the same awe and sparkle that I know many here do.
I respect those who serve, especially those who make lifetime commitments, and the unique sacrifices military families have to make. But to me, service is a choice, not a duty. I do not believe the lines that the military is out there fighting to preserve our freedoms or to bring democracy to other countries. Armed forces serve a country’s interests, and that is not always the same as being righteous and honorable.
I said “no doubt” because Der Trihs said “no doubt”. And if there’s evidence she was raped, and more specifically that she was raped “by her comrades” and that subsequent actions demonstrate “no doubt it was an attempt to cover up”, lay it on me.
We have some unusual circumstances, certainly, worthy of further examination. How this jumps to a “no doubt” conclusion escapes me.
Plus he’s being a jerk about it, but that’s a side issue.
Ah, and now we have the word nitpicker hijack. Forget about the issues; just divert the argument into a relentlessly literal minded hijack & criticism of someone using a quite common phrase like “no doubt”. That way, we can have a three page argument over word usage and hopefully the whole issue of rape in the military will be buried.
It’s not nitpicking to react with skepticism to the unfounded. Johnson could’ve been raped and murdered. If she was, and her assailant(s) can be identified, I hope they get the maximum penalty allowable by law, and (sure, why not) get sent to a Federal pound-me-in-the-ass facility.
But “no doubt” she was raped and murdered, and raped and murdered by other soldiers, and there’s an active cover-up…? Hey, that’s great, you’ve staked out a quaint little homestead in jump-to-conclusion land. Your neighbors include people who’ve made similar statements about other mysteries:
“No doubt a bunch of black guys did it and the liberal bleeding-hearts are covering it up.”
“No doubt a bunch of Jews did it and the ZOG is covering it up.”
“No doubt a bunch of commie atheists did it and satanists in the government are covering it up.”
“No doubt a bunch of fags did it and the Democrats are covering it up.”
“No doubt a bunch of Area 51 aliens did it and the Air Force is covering it up.”
It may very well be true that Johnson was raped and murdered by one or more soldiers. Such crimes are not unknown in the military. Some of us would like to see some actual evidence before smearing entire groups and claiming pride in doing so.
A false comparison, since none of those things had a history of happening. On the other hand, as pointed out, the American military DOES have a history of covering up the murders of it’s personnel. And now we are at the stage where you try to ridicule away criticism of the military by comparing it to crazy paranoia and bigotry. All you are doing is underlining your indifference to the victims; I don’t believe for a moment you want crimes like this investigated, or the people responsible punished, or for anything to happen but a cover up so we can all bask in the myth of our Knight In Shining Armor military.
Well, individual blacks, Jews, homosexuals and commie atheists have certainly committed crimes (I’m sure I can find examples of all of the above) and jerks have used these crimes to gleefully paint entire groups, so aside from the fanciful reference to aliens (who probably don’t exist, though jerks obsessed with them certainly do), what about any of this doesn’t have a history of happening?
That’s your right, of course, as is your right to believe all kinds of things without evidence, just like any theist.
Most or all of it. ZOG ? Government satanists ? Yeah, right.
And yet ANOTHER attempt to divert the thread onto another topic, this time religion. You really, really don’t want people to be discussing the military’s misdeeds, obviously.
I’m a little surprised I really need to explain this, but those are examples of crimes irrationally blamed on groups, with other groups accused of complicity. As I see it, the example you provide is not significantly different.
Nah, just to needle you for my own amusement. Go ahead and discuss your little heart out. Us soldier types will stand guard while you do.
What evidence would you consider acceptable, a video? Audio tape of a coroner openly stating that he or she would leave evidence of physical trauma out of the official report so the military could claim it was just another soldier-beats-self-pours-acid-on-genitals-glues-gloves-to-hands-shoots-self-in-head and avoid admitting a soldier might have been raped and murdered by another soldier?