Military Cover-up

LaVena Johnson Comes Home
Not that military cover-ups are new but with so many stories on Pat Tillman lately, his tragic "accident" and the subsequent cover-up should be front-paged, but I cannot see a story about him with out thinking of PFC LaVena Johnson. I've posted many times on her case and its cover-up and today I'm asking Randi Rhodes and Mike Malloy listeners to add LaVena's story and signing of the petition to reopen her case to their homework. Please watch the ONLY video report of her death and its cover-up. Philip Baron at Waveflux is still posting updates on LaVena's story and was a guest on VetNet KDHX in St. Louis.

Murdered Women, US Atty Firings--Same Kettle of Fish

Josh Marshall of TPM has attempted to answer the question for conservatives about why the US Attorney firings are such a big deal. As always he does a brilliant job, but one bit of his story stuck out for me:

For all the intensity and hostility awash in our politics, there are some lines we just assume aren't going to be crossed, lines that are so basic that the civil compact itself can't easily survive if they're not respected.

This quote from Josh's article is exactly why BushCo needs to go. They cover-up, lie, obfuscate, deny, spin, virtually everything to further their interests at the cost of our very safety and freedom.

I've been active on the story of LaVena Johnson of late because while her story has garnered a paltry amount of attention, it is precisely indicative of what has become deeply wrong with America under the Bush Regime: America no longer respects the most basic civilities at home or abroad. The civil compact is broken.

One very crucial aspect of that civil compact is upheld by soldiers, marines, airmen and sailors; they trust the president will never put them in harm's way without good reason. They will never be expected to breach the water's edge without cause. As we enter the fifth year of the Iraq war we know this is no longer true. The military knows this as well, so all bets are off. The US military are behaving like barbarians and it just fine with the White House.

This latest scandal with the AG is but a symptom of power-mad dictators gone wild. And when a young, female soldier is murdered in her tent and they call it "suicide" things can only get worse. Read Josh's post and then come back and sign the petition to get answers on LaVena Johnson's murder. I'll wait. I hope the country can too.

PFC LaVena Johnson UPDATE

I have posted a number of times on the tragic death of PFC LaVena Johnson and today found a recent news report updating us on the progress of the mounting suspicion and investigation into her death, which I believe was murder. Please watch the video and if you haven't already done so, please sign the petition to put pressure on the pentagon to right this injustice to one of our brave fallen.

Military Murder

Jurrasic Pork, part of The Unruly Mob over at Les Enrages.org has written up the latest tragic death of a woman soldier in Iraq. Anyone here about this? The murder of LaVena Johnson has been treated by the military as a "suicide." Read JP's gut-wrenching post and with others we can bring this horror out of the darkness and demand the answers for the pentagon for yet another cover-up.

On July 19th, 2005, Pfc. LaVena Johnson was found dead in her tent, a single bullet wound to her left temple (she was right-handed). Her nose was broken. One of her lips was battered so badly that a mortician had to reconstruct it. Two of her front teeth were knocked loose. Her shoulder or elbow was dislocated. A trail of blood led from her tent to outside.

Where's the outrage people?

Are Women Soldiers Inherently Less Valuable?

So few people seemed moved enough to comment on the "Murdered Woman Soldier" post and I am disturbed. Very few in the blogosphere, the left blogosphere mind you, have bothered to post this tragic, powerful story; A young female soldier found battered and sexually abused in her tent with a bullet hole through her head is called "suicide" by the army and they refuse to re-open the case. What more needs to be said here? Is it an underlying bias toward women in the military? Do women who choose to serve their country just automatically 'get what they deserve' when they are raped? I have posted a number of stories about the unprecedented abuse women in the military have endured since the inception of the "war on terror." The posts go virtually unnoticed. And guess what? The newest terrorists are us. Al-Qaeda ain't got nothin' on the Pentagon.

Male US military persons are raping and killing their fellow female soldiers. Military policy downrange requires that females go places in pairs while in the presumed safety of their own bases. The danger is from male soldiers and no one seems to give a shit. Women are dying of dehydration from not drinking as to avoid having to go to the toilet. I guess I didn't realize how deep the misogyny runs in the left side of the pool.

At least one man has taken this incident seriously and not only posted on it but has begun a petition to send to the Senate Armed Services Committee to force the re-opening of the investigation. Give Philip Baron of Waveflux your thanks and support by signing the petition and perhaps the family and friends of PFC LaVena Johnson may rest a bit easier. Missouri TV news report of LaVena's story.

'Trashy Women'

"Fashion Photo"
Vox ex Machina (now on my blogroll) added a link from my post about the murder of LaVena Johnson to the post "Women still face violence, no thanks to high fashion". This post shocked my sensibilities in ways I cannot describe. Please read it and explain how these ads sell clothes much less are 'sexy,' especially in light of it being Women's History Month.