Rape/Sexual Assault in the Military

This year, I spent Veteran’s Day at home watching documentaries. One of those documentaries, “The Invisible War” covered the subject of rape and sexual assault in the military today. Twenty percent of active-duty female soldiers are sexually assaulted while serving. When it comes to lawsuits, rape is just an occupational hazard. I would not be surprised if your jaw is currently on the ground after reading those few facts. Kori Cioca was one of the most prominent women in the film and her story really stuck with me. During her interviews in “The Invisible War,” Cioca shares her story of serving in the U.S. Coast Guard and being raped by her commanding officer. During the attack, not only did he leave emotional pain; he also left physical pain. He dislocated her jaw and she never received the correct medical care for it. As of 2012, her jaw was so far gone that she was in constant pain, restricted to a soft food diet, and couldn’t play outside with her daughter during certain seasons because the cold would make her jaw lock up. The pain in her jaw is a constant reminder of her attack. After the film was released, many generous viewers helped pay for the procedures and treatments needed to help Cioca get rid of the pain. Sadly not everyone who has been raped or sexually assaulted while in the military can be in a documentary and receive the same help as Cioca. The problem needs to first be addressed by those who hold power in the military and the system in which rape/sexual assault reports are handled needs to be changed. You can help by educating others on the matter and supporting initiatives in the legislature that could change the aforementioned system. Simply put, educate yourself and others.

Planned Parenthood attack

Another month, another act of violence against a Planned Parenthood center and those within it. The frequency of such attacks is horrifying. The most recent one in Colorado Springs just confuses me. Robert Lewis Dear Jr. killed three people and injured at least 11 in his attempt to stop Planned Parenthood from ‘killing babies.’ It makes no sense to kill others in order to save the lives of unborn fetuses. That is tragic irony. It has been reported that he said something about “baby parts” and their sale. When will terrorists such as Dear (Yes, he can be described as a terrorist. A terrorist is defined as “a person who uses terrorism in the pursuit of political aims.”) realize a few simple things? One, Planned Parenthood offers so many services, abortion is only one of them, and it is utilized a lot less often than their many other services. Two, there is no killing of babies. Medical abortions are safe and there is a window for safety. Within this timeframe, there is no harm done to a fetus. Three, despite what some people may think, Planned Parenthood does not sell “babies’ body parts like the parts of a Buick,” as Mike Huckabee so eloquently put it. There has been use of tissue from the fetuses for medical research but never the sale of body parts. Planned Parenthood is a respectable organization. Four, killing people who are just doing their job and creating a safe place for people to receive care and stay healthy is not going to help your cause. Planned Parenthood still stands strong after this attack. “We have a saying here at Planned Parenthood: ‘These doors stay open.’ It means we don’t back down because of protesters of violent extremists or anyone else, and it means we are a safe, supportive, welcoming environment for all people who need high-quality reproductive health care,” stated Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards in a tweet on Saturday.

Thanks for reading!