The Examiner
By Robert Tilford
In an impassioned speech before members of the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Speier pleaded for the House to act against the epidemic of rape in the military.
Her speech addressed to recent sex scandal involving Air force military instruction trainers at Lackland Air Force Base (see article: Some Air Force military training instructors targeted female recruits for sex http://www.examiner.com/article/some-air-force-military-training-instructors-targeted-female-recruits-for-sex ).
The Congresswoman reveals that the charges against the MTI’s in the Lackland case involved allegations of “sodomy”against trainees.
What follows is a transcript of part of her speech:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to implore this body to finally take meaningful action to end the epidemic of rape and sexual assault in the military. For 25 years, Congress has held dramatic hearings on this issue. It has rocked the military branches. Committee members have beat their chests and demanded answers from decorated generals and military leaders who testified. Congress demanded reports. These reports were provided and are now gathering dust on shelves around Washington, D.C. The time for reports is over. Now it's time for action to solve this problem. The solution is to take the reporting and investigation of cases of rape and sexual assault out of the military chain of command and place them in a separate office independent of the chain of command with the authority to investigate and prosecute within the military. Last week I called for the House Armed Services Committee to hold a hearing on the widespread sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. No hearing date has been set. The charges of rape, assault, and sodomy leveled against six instructors at Lackland are astonishing. One instructor is accused of raping or assaulting 10 victims, and another confessed to having sexual relationships with another 10 victims of his own. Yesterday we learned that 12 instructors are under investigation for sexual misconduct with trainees and that a criminal investigation is ongoing on four different Air Force bases now. Like many cases of rape and sexual assault, the perpetrators are not denying that they engaged in sexual misconduct; they simply contend that the sex was consensual. It comes down to the word of the accuser and the accused, the instructor against the trainee. In the military, this usually means the perpetrator gets off or receives a disproportionately small punishment, and the victim endures an arduous and humiliating legal process with little sense of justice at the end. Every day more disgusting news is unearthed about Lackland. Everyone wants to know: What is being done about it?”
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Location: US House of Representatives
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By the Department of Defense own statistics over 19,000 military men and women are raped in the U.S. military every year.
The Congresswoman said that women in our military are more likely to be raped or assaulted by other members of the military than to be killed by the enemy.
Congresswoman Speier has not minced word about this issue of rape in the military. She repeated brought the issue before the House.
In fact she brought the issue before the House some 21 times.
See videos:
Military Rape Speech 1 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 2 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 3 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 4 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 5 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 6 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 7 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 8 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 9 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 10 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv
Military Rape Speech 11 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 12 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 13 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 14 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.wmv &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 15 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.mp4 ).
Military Rape Speech #16 Congresswoman Jackie Speier.mp4 &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 17 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.mp4 &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 18 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier.mp4 &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 19 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 20 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier &feature=relmfu
Military Rape Speech 21 by Congresswoman Jackie Speier
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