Disrespecting Women Soldiers (NYT editorial)

[Vitruvius]

Showing bad timing as well as bad judgment, House Republicans chose the days before this weekend's patriotic holiday to deny needed health services to women serving the nation in the military.

On Tuesday, Republican leaders had the Rules Committee block the House from voting on two modest amendments to the military authorization bill that were intended to remove ideological barriers to providing decent care to military women who are victims of sexual assault. One amendment, offered by Representative Michael Michaud, a Maine Democrat, would have ensured that so-called morning-after emergency contraception, which can prevent pregnancy if taken within 120 hours of unprotected sex, was made available to sexual assault victims at military bases. The other, sponsored by Representatives Christopher Shays, Republican of Connecticut, and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Democrat of Florida, would have carved out a narrow exception to the ban on federal financing of abortions, for military women who have suffered rape or incest.

We understand why G.O.P. leaders wanted to prevent the House from voting on these measures: that would have required Republicans to go on record in favor of ill-treating female service members to placate their influential extreme-right wing. <SNIP>

"We ask women to put their lives at risk for our freedom, so why is it we do not support them when they require safe and legal medical services?" asked Representative Davis. That is the right question. Troubling figures released this month by the Pentagon show that the number of reported cases of sexual assault among service members continues to climb. Regrettably, this did not deter the House from defeating the amendment, 233 to 194. <SNIP>


More at http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/29/opinion/29sun2.html

[rodeodance]

1. this editorial should be front page news in the nytimes!!

[Coastie for Truth]

2. As much damage as Viet Nam did to our military

the Bush Administration's record of--

1) "On the cheap" - scrimping on vehicle armor, scrimping on body armor, scrimping on post-active duty medical care for service connected conditions - just to name the most egregious.

2) "People Mismanagement" - from insufficient "boots on the ground" to "stop loss" orders to, again, health care. And, insufficient JAG corps support of service members in Servicemen's Civil Relief Act issues and on-base insurance and investment scams by "financial advisers" (military only took action after a blow up on the blogs).

3) "Evangelization of the Military" - whether the issue described in the NYT editorial, or what is happening at the Air Force Academy, or the reported "promotion and retention" discrimination in the Chaplaincy Corps in favor of Evangelicals.

4) "Misuse of the Guard and Reserve" - Abu Ghraib - the Reservists/Guardsmen were "set up" - from Karpinski down to Charlie Grainer and Lyndie England. Again, the "stop loss" orders, and the breach of the unwritten, "wink and nod" social contracts as to lengths of deployments. Again, the health care issue.

Remember - the Guard is the Governor's disaster response army - and during the Hurricanes the Florida National Guard had to rely on "Mutual Assistance" with Guard support from other states. We just don't have the bandwidth for a bad hurricane season in the east and a major earthquake in the west. And that is the Guard's primary mission.

borders on fraud, waste, abuse, and treason.

The "chicken hawks", with Chicken Hawk in Chief Bush, are destroying the military for the benefit of their plutocrats.

[cap]

3. so if a female soldier is raped by an Iraqi

she must bear that child!