Violence is Violence in and around colleges, military, homes, city streets, country roads

Sexual Assault on Female Students, Dark Deeds in (not only in) Home of Jefferson

Editing, brief comments by Carolyn Bennett

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he University of Virginia was founded by America’s second vice president (1797–1801) and its third president (1801–09), Thomas Jefferson. It received its charter in 1819 with Jefferson as the first rector of its board of visitors (the governing body). US Presidents James Madison and James Monroe also served on UVA’s board of visitors. Aided by Virginia State Senator Joseph C. Cabell (1778–1856), the school’s chief fundraiser, UVA was established as a public, coeducational institution of higher learning in Charlottesville, Virginia, its campus set on 1,000 acres (405 hectares) near the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. [Britannica]

 

Now it is one of many great places and institutions, including the United States of America itself, that have been brought down in shame because of deplorable acts, including the failure to act assertively, of citizens, leaders and not leaders, public officials and not public officials.  

Fairfax City, Va. 2005: 26-year-old woman assaulted while walking home from supermarket

Linked with later assaults

Charlottesville 2009-2010: Morgan Harrington assaulted, murdered

Twenty-year-old Morgan Harrington had traveled with friends to the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, Va., to attend a concert. Police reports said it was the night of October 17, 2009. The young woman went outside the John Paul Jones Arena to use the restroom. She could not get back in and “became separated from her friends.” FBI reports said she was last seen after 8:30 p.m. trying to hitch a ride from passing motorists.

 

July 2010: DNA evidence links Harrington case to 2005 sexual assault case in Fairfax City, where an assailant grabbed the 26-year-old woman from behind, carried her from Rock Garden Drive to a nearby wooded area, assaults her then flees the scene of the crime. The young woman, according to police, had been walking home from a Giant on Jermantown Road around 10 o'clock on the night of September 24, 2005.

Charlottesville 2014: Hannah Graham, assaulted, murdered

18-year-old University of Virginia student Hannah Graham had reportedly spent Friday evening September 12, 2014, close to campus “drinking and socializing with friends.” She then headed “out on the town around midnight [and] By 1 a.m., she was seen wandering the Downtown Mall, about a mile and a half from her apartment. She sent messages to friends indicating that she was lost.” Witnesses reportedly saw Graham with 32-year-old Jesse L. Matthew Jr. of Charlottesville near Tempo restaurant shortly after 1 a.m. Hannah Graham is reported to have vanished with this man in the early hours of September 13, 2014. 

The body of U-Va. student Hannah Graham “was found about five miles from a hayfield where the remains of slain Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington were discovered in 2010, 101 days after she went missing in October 2009.”

 

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s to recent coverage of the issue of sexual assault, it appears that part of a Rolling Stone story failed due diligence. Its editors apparently rushed to press without sufficiently checking all the facts concerning another UVA case. Tom McKay speaks to the upshot of the story in terms of both journalism practice and the human issue of sexual assault.

The case matters, he says, “since the story received prominent national attention and a highly publicized response from University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan, who promised a full investigation.”

However, “the unfortunate reality is that any collapse of the Rolling Stone story (viz., the telling of ‘Jackie’s’ story) will likely tar the testimony of other rape victims who have stepped forward.” Nonetheless, other stories “should not be written off….”

The University of Virginia, he says, “still has to answer for its wretched record on sexual assault” and “the national media would do well to remember that 1 in 5 college women will be raped during their time in higher education.

“There are countless real victims whose stories need to be told, and their importance has not diminished just because one story has some pretty bad holes in it.”

America's violence is not just in and around and covered up on its campuses.

  

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eported December 3, 2014, in a USA Today was an update on the issue in an article by Tom Vanden Brook. In the US military, “the number of troops reporting sexual assaults jumped 63 percent” – from 2,828 in 2010 to 4,608 in 2014”. And, as in 2010, 2014 found “almost the same number of troops — 19,300 of them — reporting unwanted sexual contact.”

US Drone war on Pakistan

However, “Women who experienced and reported unwanted sexual contact — anything from groping to rape” also reported that personnel retaliated against them. Most of the women reportedly said, “They felt social retaliation from peers or co-workers.”

Victims of
US Drone war on Yemen

Violence is violence is violence wherever it is and whoever commits it. 

It will not stop until it stops – whether in the acts of war and conflict, or by those at war; whether on campus or on streets or country roads. 

When we stop tolerating violence, stop turning a blind eye to it, stop making excuses for it against anyone anywhere, violence will end.  

Sources and notes

Washington Post reports

By Justin Jouvenal September 30, 2014, http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/morgan-harrington-case-gets-major-break/2014/09/30/d796126e-48b5-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html

By T. Rees Shapiro October 18, 2014, “DNA evidence to the investigations of two violent crimes: a sexual assault in Fairfax City in 2005 and the abduction and slaying of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington, 20, in October 2009, police have said,” http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/police-to-hold-briefing-in-hannah-graham-case/2014/10/18/9a22d396-570a-11e4-892e-602188e70e9c_story.html

By T. Rees Shapiro October 24, 2014, “Authorities identified remains as those of missing University of Virginia student, Hannah Graham” (Reuters), http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/authorities-confirm-body-is-u-va-student-hannah-graham/2014/10/24/6b71988c-5ac7-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html

T. Rees Shapiro December 5, 2014: “The Rolling Stone allegations shook the campus at a tumultuous moment, as the university was still mourning the death of U-Va. sophomore Hannah Graham. Her body was found five weeks after she disappeared in Charlottesville. Jackie’s story [in Rolling Stone] empowered many women to speak publicly about attacks on them but it also immediately raised questions about the decisions Jackie made that evening — not going to a hospital or reporting the alleged crime to police or the school — while some expressed doubt about her story altogether.” http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/u-va-fraternity-to-rebut-claims-of-gang-rape-in-rolling-stone/2014/12/05/5fa5f7d2-7c91-11e4-84d4-7c896b90abdc_story.html

News.Mic, Mic Report

By Tom McKay December 5, 2014: “The problem: In the original story by  Sabrina Rubin Erdely's, which remains on the Rolling Stone website here, Jackie claimed that she had been lured upstairs during a Phi Kappa Psi party and raped by seven men on top of a broken glass table on September 28, 2012. Rolling Stone’s investigation claimed that Jackie’s story was subsequently ignored by college administrators. It further noted that the University of Virginia was among the 12 of 86 schools under federal investigation for their response to sexual assault cases flagged for a total ‘compliance review.’” http://mic.com/articles/105838/rolling-stone-may-have-set-the-fight-against-college-sexual-assault-back-decades?utm_source=Mic+Check&utm_campaign=cf0e40ad8e-Mic_Report_12_5_2014&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_51f2320b33-cf0e40ad8e-285308977

Rolling Stone

By Sabrina Rubin Erdely November 19, 2014

“A Rape on Campus: A Brutal Assault and Struggle for Justice at UVA: Jackie was just starting her freshman year at the University of Virginia when she was brutally assaulted by seven men at a frat party. When she tried to hold them accountable, a whole new kind of abuse began,” Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119#ixzz3LL3EcGwp

“Last month, Rolling Stone published a story entitled A Rape on Campus which described a brutal gang rape of a woman named Jackie during a party at a University of Virginia fraternity house, the University’s failure to respond to this alleged assault – and the school's troubling history of indifference to many other instances of alleged sexual assaults. The story generated worldwide headlines and much soul-searching at UVA. University president Teresa Sullivan promised a full investigation and also to examine the way the school investigates sexual assault allegations.…

“In the face of new information reported by the Washington Post and other news outlets, there now appear to be discrepancies in Jackie’s account. ...

“We published the article with the firm belief that it was accurate.

“Given all of these reports, however, we have come to the conclusion that we were mistaken in honoring Jackie’s request to not contact the alleged assaulters to get their account. In trying to be sensitive to the unfair shame and humiliation many women feel after a sexual assault, we made a judgment – the kind of judgment reporters and editors make every day.

“We should have not made this agreement with Jackie and we should have worked harder to convince her that the truth would have been better served by getting the other side of the story.

“These mistakes are on Rolling Stone, not on Jackie. We apologize to anyone who was affected by the story and we will continue to investigate the events of that evening.” http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119

USA Today, http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2014/12/03/pentagon-sexual-assault-obama/19836227/
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A lifelong American writer and writer/activist (former academic and staffer with the U.S. government in Washington), Dr. Carolyn LaDelle Bennett is credentialed in education and print journalism and public affairs (PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; MA, The American University, Washington, DC). Her work concerns itself with news and current affairs, historical contexts, and ideas particularly related to acts and consequences of U.S. foreign relations, geopolitics, human rights, war and peace, and violence and nonviolence. Dr. Bennett is an internationalist and nonpartisan progressive personally concerned with society and the common good. An educator at heart, her career began with the U.S. Peace Corps, teaching in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Since then, she has authored several books and numerous current-affairs articles; her latest book: UNCONSCIONABLE: How The World Sees Us: World News, Alternative Views, Commentary on U.S. Foreign Relations; most thoughts, articles, edited work are posted at Bennett’s Study: http://todaysinsightnews.blogspot.com/ and on her Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/carolynladelle.bennett. http://www.prweb.com/releases/2014/08UNCONSCIONABLE/prweb12131656.htm http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-000757788/UNCONSCIONABLE.aspx Her books are also available at independent bookstores in New York State: Lift Bridge in Brockport; Sundance in Geneseo; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center in Buffalo; Burlingham Books in Perry; The Bookworm in East Aurora

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Ilk that obstructs ERA plunders women

Perverts and predators in public office
Editing, re-reporting, comment by Carolyn Bennett

Violence in the character of Americans is endemic. A reckless impunity, it is reflected in every aspect of U.S. relations, civilian and military, domestic and international, against those considered American and those who are not considered American. The case of women in the military and veteran women is a sobering example of inordinate power’s perverse penchant for preying on women. A sick caricature of Americans’ throwaway line “thanks for your service.” Today a woman on Democracy Now! spoke to the rash of this curable malady.

“‘We’re all victims of military sexual assault,’” she said. It appears that current San Diego Mayor and former member of the U.S. Congress Bob Filner, in his assault on women, “was particularly targeting” members of the National Women Veterans Association of America, “hitting on them … because they were easy prey.” Many of these women veterans had already been sexually assaulted while on active duty. 

This public official, Eldonna Fernandez, said, “is part of an organization that’s (purportedly) against sexual assault and sexual violence toward women and sexual harassment (yet) he is doing the very thing that we are fighting to make stop in our service and in our country.”

Eldonna Lewis Fernandez is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who is a negotiation specialist and performance expert for women who want to develop more influence, discipline and negotiation skills, professionally and personally.  Focusing on women's topics, personal growth, adventure, self esteem, and inspiration, she helps to empower women.

National Women Veterans Association of America

Its advocacy and mission statement says “We Served. You Served. Now We’re Serving Each Other.”

The National Women Veterans Association of America (NWVAA), according to the group’s website, “assists states, universities; private-sector and government agencies in several areas that are essential to the overall livelihood of military and veteran women.” Their work includes:

Assisting or referring women veterans in processing backlogged claims

Coordinating and/or providing affordable 24-hour to 6-month child care services for military women

Offering alternative mental health services to victims of post-traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and a variety of other military service-related mental disorders

Providing employment training, job placement, certification programs, healing; and hiring fair concepts, ‘hey, Sista, listen up series and training

Though women are serving in the U.S. military in greater numbers than in the past, the specific needs of military women are not being met by existing resources. Half of the women soldiers returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs data, have been “victims of sexual assault and/or sexual harassment.

NWVAA's resources provide consulting, funding, and referral services for transitional and permanent housing for homeless and at-risk military women, veterans, and their families; a bridge to help veterans transform the nation through innovative business leadership of the new millennium; aid companies with the program model ‘how to adjust with a military veteran in the workplace’; negotiate internships and job placement that meets the needs of high-demand jobs considered ‘non-traditional’ for women veterans; and offer supportive services for veteran children through teen summits, outside service organizations, and parenting classes.  

Perverts, predators in public office

 

Contemporary reports echo the performance of former public official, U.S. President William Jefferson Clinton.

In recent reports, a nurse caring for a wounded marine said the San Diego mayor and former member of the U.S. Congress tried to barter his official help for this wounded marine in exchange for sexual “favors” from Michelle Tyler, the nurse.

Eldonna Fernandez, who had been raped while on active military duty, said when Filner was in his official position as member of the U.S. Congress he had “made unwanted advances” toward her.

Veteran Gerri Tindley reported being accosted by Filner, a man who, according to Fernandez and Tindley, “posed as a champion of women in the military (and at the same time) abused his power and betrayed their trust by making unwanted sexual advances.”

Bob Filner is a politician who comes out and is associated with a number of U.S. states, apparently before settling in California: Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York (Queens and Ithaca) and Minnesota. He was even on the faculty of San Diego State University. Before entering the U.S. Congress, he had held public office in San Diego. His seat in Congress, where he also sat on the Veterans Affairs Committee, extended from 1993 until his resignation in December 2012; San Diegans elected him mayor in November 2012.

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hirteen women have accused this dishonorable public official of sexual harassment, yet he continues to hold public office in California. 

Because of the rising number of sexual harassment allegations against Filner and his own admission of predatory behavior, the National Women Veterans Association of America rescinded an earlier intent to honor this official at their benefit in support of the Military Sexual Assault Community. The organization’s president called Filner a “keynote speaker on these injustices” and said the NWVAA does “not tolerate sexual discrimination at any level within our society.” Tara Jones said the group “encourages other women organizations and groups to

…join NWVAA’s efforts to end violence against women and children, eradicate sexual assault in military branches of service, and deter sexual harassment/discrimination within the overall society of the United States.

Obstructionists of ERA plunder women 

 

I

 would not have chosen military service as a career but I am forever supportive of women’s rights and it astonishes me that this predatory behavior is tolerated in the United States into the twenty-first century  ─ and too often tolerated by women and men.

The United States is wedged politically and socially; it is distracted and lacks the courage of its “convictions” ─ if indeed it holds “values” and “convictions” beyond empty rhetoric ─ thus in all these years America has been unwilling to grant women equal standing under law. The Equal Rights Amendment (the ERA) is the Constitution’s “unfinished business” ─ too simple to conceive:

Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.

This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.

Because America is wedged into a selfish superficiality manifested in a preoccupation with gays, gods, guns, gimme; instead of a creative, productive, progressive, inclusive individualism, it is set on a course trending backward.

Almost a hundred years (1923-2013) since its initial introduction in the U.S. Congress, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) languishes. In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and sent it to the states with a seven-year deadline (1979) for ratification; later extended to June 30, 1982. Only 35 of the required 38 states ratified the Equal Rights Amendment.

Un-ratifying obstructionists

 

Alabama	Arizona	Arkansas
Florida	Georgia	Illinois
Louisiana	Mississippi	Missouri
Nevada	North Carolina	Oklahoma
South Carolina	Utah	Virginia

Conclude what you will.

The ERA has been introduced repeatedly in the U.S. Congress but it remains the Constitution’s unfinished

business and, indeed, America’s unfinished business.

In a country where men claim an inordinate hold on power; where too many people accept this condition as the birthright of men; where women are deemed inferior and are consigned to a permanent status of “less than” and are the “servicers” or “pleasurers” of men ─ women become the prey of perverts and predators.

  

Sources and notes

“Report: Bob Filner Targeted Military Sexual Assault Victims for Harassment”, August 8, 2013,

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is reportedly completing a number of new rules to address rampant sexual assault in the military after a Pentagon survey estimated 26,000 people in the armed forces were sexually assaulted last year, http://www.democracynow.org/2013/8/8/headlines#8814

National Women Veterans Association of America, http://www.nationalwomenveterans.us/national-women-veterans-association-of-america.html

http://www.nationalwomenveterans.us/Veteran-Services-About-Us.html

“San Diego mayor faces fresh allegations of sexual harassment from two veterans ─ Accusations follow spate of others from former aides and acquaintances which have triggered a lawsuit against Bob Filner” (theguardian.com, Rory Carroll in Los Angeles), August 7, 2013, http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/07/san-diego-mayo-fresh-allegations-veterans

ERA, http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/

http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/misc/ERA_overview.pdf

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Bennett's books are available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY] • See also: World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire http://www.facebook.com/#!/bennetts2ndstudy

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