And the Depressing Fact of the Day award goes to this:
As reported in the LA Times on Monday, Rapists in the Rank, women serving in the U.S. military are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire in Iraq.
WTF. I have nothing more to say.
Girl Sailor has recently posted an AMAZING series of narrative pieces by a female midshipman, Cpl Laura B. Ramsey, who was deployed in Iraq before coming to the Naval Academy. She wrote the pieces for a dramatic monologue show being put on earlier this month in the Naval Academy’s English Department, called “Forward Deployed.” Check out her poignant and amazingly crafted accounts: “Wadi Road,” “Nail Polish and Boots,” “Sweet Face and Bitter Future,” and “My Relief.”
(The author wishes to share the following disclaimer: “[These] pieces are true accounts of Cpl Laura B. Ramsey, USMC, while deployed to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq from January to June of 2006. They are not meant to harm, offend, or acts thereof any audience that may hear or read them. These experiences are simply informative first-hand accounts of a female Marine.-Laura B. Ramsey.”)
Well, it’s five years and counting and what is there to say.
A LOT.
Sara Gould of the Ms. Foundation, for one, has a great oped up at the org’s blog which begins with a good ole Albert Einstein quote: “The problems that exist in the world today cannot be solved by the level of thinking that created them.” Yesss.
Over at Women’s eNews, there’s an interesting piece offering a women’s perspective on military service and its aftermath. One returning female vet offers advice to the next commander in chief: “I would request that they limit deployments and the time you have between deployments….That is really hurting morale.”
And MOMocrats are stirring it up today too. (Thanks, Joanne, for the heads up!)
Just in case anyone’s craving a refresher, here’s a lovely timeline of what’s gone down since we invaded. On Jan. 9, the World Health Organization estimated that the actual number of Iraqi civilian deaths due to the war lo these past 5 years is at 151,000. What’cha going to do about it, George, tough guy, huh? Man.
