Ho hum same ole same ole, ...

Sundance: 'The Invisible War' sheds light on rape in the military

Stunning, muckraking documentaries are a staple at Sundance, but even by the film festival's impressive standards, Kirby Dick’s “The Invisible War” is exceptional — both for its scandalous nature as well as its emotional impact.

Having its world premiere in Park City, Utah, on Friday night, this investigation of the epidemic of rape in the U.S. military (against both women and men) is such a tragically moving story that even Dick, a veteran Oscar-nominated director (“Twist of Faith”), said the stories he heard were “the most intense series of interviews I have ever been involved with.”

It's not only the number of rapes that take place in the military that is staggering — the film estimates, based on extrapolation of military statistics, that 30% of servicewomen are sexually assaulted during their enlistment and that they are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan than killed by the enemy.

...

“I was kicking myself, thinking, 'Why didn't I think of this 10 or 15 years ago?"

When he realized no such film had been done, he said, “I was astounded. What's shocking is how few people are aware of this. It's one of the most under-reported stories of this generation.”

I can think of a few other under-reported stories that would span all the generations since the inception of the US.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/movies/2012/01/sundance-documentary-sheds-light-on-rape-in-the-military.html

Now the slaughter or 3,000 people just this month?

JTT - where's your outrage?

I think if you went to any city of, say, 40,000, people, most of whom are between the ages of 18-35, you'd see the exact same problem. Look at college campuses, sexual assault is a real problem but they manage to keep it pretty quiet.

I've seen statistics that say 1 in 5 women have been assaulted. Maybe only half of those report it and of that half I doubt that half of the perpetrators are punished.

Marine pleads guilty, ending final Haditha trial

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The U.S. Marine sergeant accused of leading a massacre of 24 Iraqi civilians in Haditha pleaded guilty on Monday to dereliction of duty, ending the final prosecution stemming from a 2005 incident that brought international condemnation of U.S. troops.
Staff Sergeant Frank Wuterich, 31, entered his plea at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base north of San Diego as part of a deal with military prosecutors in which more serious charges of involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault were dismissed.

As part of his guilty plea, Wuterich accepted responsibility for providing negligent verbal instructions to the Marines under his command when he told them to "shoot first and ask questions later," resulting in the death of innocent civilians.
He faces a maximum sentence of three months of confinement, forfeiture of two-thirds of his pay for three months and a reduction in rank when he is sentenced on Tuesday, a Camp Pendleton spokesman said.
"By pleading guilty to this charge, Staff Sergeant Wuterich has accepted responsibility for his actions," base spokesman Lieutentant Colonel Joseph Kloppel said.
Any discharge process Wuterich may face will be separate from the plea and sentencing, Kloppel added.
Wuterich, 31, was accused of being the ringleader in a series of November 19, 2005, shooting and grenade attacks that left two dozen civilians dead in Haditha, a city west of Baghdad that was a hotbed of insurgent activity.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/marine-accused-haditha-massacre-pleads-guilty-dereliction-184407896.html