NOW 5.23.08: Rape in the Military & "Unselling" Meth

[L. Coyote]

Week of 5.23.08 - http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/421/index.html
Rape in the Military


There are more women serving in the military than ever before, and they're in danger—but not just from combat. Last year, nearly 1,400 women reported being assaulted and raped by their fellow soldiers, in some cases by their commanding officers. The shocking phenomenon is called military sexual trauma, or MST.

Since NOW first aired its investigation into rape and sexual assault in the military last year, the Pentagon has released new reports in which one-third of military women say they've been sexually harassed. And the number of women reporting assault and rape has essentially remained the same—even though the military says it has invested serious resources to combat the problem.

This week NOW on PBS talks to women soldiers who signed up to defend their countries but instead had to defend themselves from assault and rape by their own fellow soldiers. How are these women picking up the pieces of their life after military sexual trauma?

Streaming video of this program will be available online after broadcast

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Also This Week: "Unselling" Meth -

When Tom Siebel, a billionaire software developer and part time Montana resident, learned the devastating effect methamphetamine addiction was having on the big sky state, he decided to use his successful marketing techniques—and $20 million from his own wallet—to "un-sell" the deadly and highly addictive drug.

The program uses shocking ad campaigns designed to drag meth use out of the shadows and get into the faces of kids. "The results that we are seeing in the State of Montana suggest that this may be the most successful prevention effort in history," Siebel told NOW on PBS.

The results have been so promising that the campaign has now spread to neighboring Idaho and several other states. Despite the success of the program, the federal government has not shown much interest in backing the projects. So the states have come up with other ways to fund the program, in the hopes of keeping young people away from the deadly drug. Can Montana's success be duplicated in Idaho and elsewhere? NOW travels to Idaho to find out.

[DS1]

1. When I visited Arizona, I couldn't believe how many anti-meth campaigns there were

There's nothing like that in New England

(that I'm aware of)

[mrreowwr_kittty]

2. We have a huge meth problem here.

It's why we're no. 1 in car and identity theft in the nation. I'm not sure how well the ads are working but they're pretty disconcerting. I sure as hell don't ever want to try it. :scared:

[mrreowwr_kittty]

3. I was in the Navy from 1987 to 1997.

It was about 1992 or so when the UCMJ was changed so that spousal rape was considered rape. Up until then the rape statute only concerned "women who are not the spouse of a serviceman". So it was okay to rape your wife. Or a man. That should give you an indication of the mindset you were dealing with in that environment. As for female servicemembers, we were considered fair game if not the official property of one man, as in married. Not surprising that the median age of marriage for enlisted women seemed to be about 20. I was considered quite an anomoly for remaining resolutely single. I definitely had my share of harrowing experiences. It's a very macho and misogynistic culture. That's all I can say about it.

[MannyGoldstein]

4. I Hope His Campaign Is Better Than His Software

Sounded great, didn't work.