Dempsey: Sex assault, combat ban on women linked

[DonViejo]

Source: AP



WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s top military officer says he believes the rise in sexual assaults in the military is linked to a longstanding ban on women serving in combat roles — a ban the Pentagon is now eliminating.

Gen. Martin Dempsey is chairman of the Joint Chiefs. He said Thursday the assault problem is due partly to the military’s separate classes of personnel — male ‘warriors’ versus the rest of the force, including women.

Dempsey says the sexual assault problem is more complicated than that, but he indicates the disparity between the roles of men and women in the military has created a psychology that lends itself to disrespect for women.

Treating the genders equally, he says, is more likely to lead people to treat each other equally.

-30-

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2013/01/24/dempsey_sex_assault_combat_ban_on_women_linked/

[cbayer]

1. I sure hope this has an impact on the epidemic of sexual assaults in the military.

I heard a few women interviewed this morning who think it will.

[OKNancy]

2. Good for him

Insightful and thoughtful comments too.

[TwilightGardener]

3. I agree with him.

Treating women differently, as if they are either physically inferior OR physically sacred, does women no favors. Men need to stop seeing women as either precious fragile things, or sex objects. Don't afford special protection to women, don't assault them either--it's that simple.

[McCamy Taylor]

4. Treating the genders equally is the first step towards reinstating the draft.

If they try to bring back the draft for men only, some guy is going to sue on the grounds that women have to face the draft, too. So, the Pentagon will side step that problem by drafting men and women. However, in that case, some man will sue on the grounds that he can be sent into combat but his sister can't.

This rule change clears the way towards a new draft.

[seabeyond]

5. nobody wants a draft. nt

[Scootaloo]

6. I've seen plenty of people calling for a draft on DU

And all of them are over the draft age.

Funny, that.

I've always said that if a draft is reinstated, the military should pick up the lottery right where it left off in the 70's, so these folks who missed hteir chance will finally get the opportunity they've been waiting for

[seabeyond]

7. ok. the people that matter. congress, pres, military do not want a draft. lol.

[Scootaloo]

8. Fair enough

[bluedigger]

9. I'm okay with a draft.

I volunteered in the Eighties. It's not an issue I am passionate about, but I don't think it is morally any worse than our present system of economic incentives. It would probably be more equitable and dampen our war ardor, in fact.

[cui bono]

10. I think some people call for a draft because they believe that if it came to that the public

would speak out loudly against the war. And congress doesn't want that, so congress doesn't want a draft.

That's why I think fine, instate a draft. Not because I want to see people drafted but because the end result of a draft would be less war. When it could happen to "you" people get more concerned and active to stop war.

ETA: Also agree with bluedigger's post above. Why should the only people serving be the poor who need it for survival or a chance at education, or immigrants who trade service for citizenship. And also, the standards for enlistment were drastically lowered so that now felons are serving. Is that what we want?

So yeah, have a draft and there will be less war because you know when children of the affluent can be drafted things will change.

[theHandpuppet]

24. My thoughts as well

Why should only the children of the poor and working classes serve? If there was a draft, one that the rich couldn't weasel out of, you'd hear a lot fewer war drums beating at every opportunity. The rich use the poor as cannon fodder to protect their economic interests.

[freedom fighter jh]

23. Some people have called for a draft because they think it will mean no more war.

The idea is that if we knew war meant sacrificing our children's lives, we'd protest war a lot harder.

[lumberjack_jeff]

11. No. The opposite is true.

If daughters will see combat, you won't ever see a draft again, and in fact I expect the registration to go away too.

[REP]

15. Excellent.

That would be fanfuckingtastic. I very much hope you are right. Don't even care if it's for crap reasons, as long as it's gone.

[Demo_Chris]

12. Probably controversial, but I think this is bullshit

These sexual assaults are taking place all over the military, including the navy and air force.

In any case, we do not need more combat troops, we need less combat.

[forestpath]

13. I think it's bullshit too.

[riderinthestorm]

16. The Israeli Defense Force stats contradict your point (which have combat gender equality).

From what I can see on Wiki, there are @ 177,000 active duty people in the IDF.

According to Haaretz, there were 445 reports of sexual harassment claims. That means about 3% of Israeli military women are being sexually harassed - a far cry from our 33% +/-.



http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/female-idf-officer-accuses-major-general-of-sexual-harassment-1.459512

Last paragraph:
In 2009 there were 445 complaints, compared to 363 in 2008 and 318 in 2007. Most of the allegations related to incidents on base and concerned physical harassment.

[AtheistCrusader]

17. They have equality in workload/roles, but they segregate in at least some areas.

The lochamot magav is all-women. They do the same exact roles as the male groups, but they are segregated. (Border police)

Not sure about the general IDF.
This may or may not have something to do with the abuse rates, I don't know.

[riderinthestorm]

18. I guess I believe the facts and stats speak for themselves. nt

[AtheistCrusader]

19. I'm just saying, it's not a 1:1 correlation.

Our militaries are structured differently. There is likely more than a single factor in play here.

I'm willing to try whatever it is they are doing though, because 3% versus 30% is just a mind-boggling disparity.

[justiceischeap]

14. This guy doesn't understand rape at all

and using the "women aren't treated as equals" means they're more likely to be raped, is basically victim blaming. Why does the military allow their male soldiers to think less of women in the first place. I thought it was all about following the rules and code of conduct in the military? And what happens to the rapists--are they punished thoroughly, do they lose rank, do they go to the brig? What message is being sent to other potential rapists with slaps on the wrists for raping women? What is the military telling female soldiers when they tell them to not report these rapes?

[ZombieHorde]

20. Thoughtful reply.

I'm not sure what all the causes are, but I think you have some excellent points.

[Fumesucker]

21. The rapes often never get reported in the first place

It's not good for your career to be seen as a "complainer".

[justiceischeap]

22. As if reporting a crime is complaining.

That's where the military fails in this area and this particular subject. If you report a crime, you're seen as a complainer and it more than likely has worse effects to the victims career than the rapists and that has absolutely nothing to do with whether women are "equals" in combat.