Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 08, 2013

Mel speaks the truth (Mel and Leo, the best characters GT has created since the original cast).

For new readers, this isn’t a dreaded rerun; the first seven panels are a flashback she’s recounting to new recruits.

That’s why they give them guns and knives, to cut problems.

Mel is telling new recruits the ordeal she went through.She was sexually assaulted by her commanding officer about 7 years ago. When she first appeared in the strip, she was going through counseling at the Vet center that BD attends. She returned to active and has been promoted to sergeant.She continues to speak out this issue.

Well, except there’s multiple routes and methods to report sexual assault, many of which are designed for EXACTLY this situation and allow you to report well outside of your chain of command.

But let’s not let facts get in the way of a good story, huh?

Orion

gmartin, rape is about control rather than lust. Violation through violence.

So the only time you ever get horny is when a beautiful woman happens to be around?

So the excuse for dismissal here is she WASN’T asking for it?

A teacher of mine used to say; “It is better to remain silent, and be thought an idiot, than to speak, and remove all doubt.”

Why do people get defensive about rape? Why would they be confused by it? “Rape has different definitions, different connotations.”

Duh! It’s a violent crime. Those people are creepy.

Couldn’t a been himCan’t get it up with a crane…

Actually, the ability to go outside the chain-of-command has been around since the inception of the Inspector General’s Office. If you can’t get results from within the chain, then you can go to the IG and file your report, along with copies to the higher ups. So again, “don’t let facts….”

@ Doctor Warbucks, gmartin997, & Orion – I hope there are no female humans under your care or supervision. Your attitudes reflect back to the late 1800s and early 1900s and are today most appreciated in Muslim nations where women are allowed to be doctors, but not to drive.I have two daughters, one is a major in the military who did two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. As a male, I find your postings embarrassing, and as parent I find them infuriating. Your comments lack honor, morality, ethics, intelligence, and respect for women, and rape victims of both sexes. Consider yourselves flagged.Angrily,C.

…when part of our politicans are claiming that being raped is part of God’s will,I can’t see America having any different attitudes about rape than some Muslim countries…with number one songs blurring the lines singing that ‘you know you want it’,and football player cases getting dismissed to civil cases,the comments of the morons above seem more typical in the population at large than not.Their suggestions that the character does not sexualize herself enough to be raped is true to the spirit of Tv commercials rather then the reality of this hideous crime.Read the papers,no woman is safe,from babies to the elderly.Rape is a cultural problem in America.It is glorified more than not,and this needs to be stopped.Kudos to Mr. Trudeau….

“When did this (whatever “this” was, since “rape” can have several definitions) happen?”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~You mean like the difference between ‘rape’ and ‘legitimate rape?’

“certainly no beauty queen. Then, again, the term “rape” has many connotations.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rape is not necessarily an act of lust.Most rapes are simply power trips.

I’m afraid gmartin is a hit and run troll. We probably won’t be hearing from his worthless cowardly carcass again. He won’t have the guts to read our responses.

If any soldier feels that her / his commanding officer has failed to fulfill his / her duties as described in AR 2-1, soldiers have a right to file an complaint under Article 138 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, this requires the commander to redress the complaint within 48 hours or it is considered a failure to redress. (Redress doesn’t necessary mean you get what you want). If the commander fails to redress the complaint to the soldiers satisfaction, the complaint is then referred to the first person who has General Courts Martial jurisdiction over the commander for investigation.If a situation as described in this strip happened, not only would a complaint under article 138 be a good way to get the CO fired, a complaint could be filed with the JAG (Judge Advocates Generals Office) and of course the soldier could writhe their Congressmen and Senator. If I was Sgt. Wheelers Squad Leader (just so you know, I was in the Army) I would have recommend that she go with all of the above.Another factual tidbit that I read a few months ago on MSNBC, on a per-capita basis, more men are sexually harassed than women, 1 in 4 men vs. 1 in 5 women.

Copy that.

“Women do NOT belong in the military, except in positions of nurses and clerics.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Good grief! How can you be so old? Most folks have developed a totally different viewpoint.You must be the oldest misogynist on earth, since people with such sexist thoughts have died from old age.

“I have a better idea, NO military at all anywhere on the planet. It is a total waste of people, treasure and resources.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~What a wonderful idea! And then we can just relax, sit back and wait for Iran to wipe us off the face of the earth. No more problems, right?

@gmartin997

Willful vicious snidely crafted ignorance cubed!! Scuttle back to the filthy hole you belong in! Especially if you are “just” baiting us!

Thanks GT for pointing out the catch 22 situation of dealing with sexual assault and harassment in today’s military.

“…..I am more inclined to make the military clean its own house with injunctions issued and enforced by federal judges.”~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Yeah, like that’ll happen.

Male on male homosexual rape is always about domination. It is hard to imagine someone higher that a recruit wanting to show someone who the boss is…………. (in my most sarcastic font)

@gmartin997Your argument that Mel isn’t a beauty queen holds no water. What of the small children who are victims of SA? What of the young man? What of the comatose patient? Sexual assault is all about control, violence, humiliation and degradation.

The private sector stuff really worked onJameis Winston, right ?

Republicans sure love to defend rape. Fortunately, because it will continue to lose them elections..goweeder, you had me until “Iran wipe us off the face of the earth.”What part of “no military anywhere on earth” did you not understand?

Happened before the character was introduced as someone who B.D. met at his support group.

Rape is when a person is forced into having sex. Is that too much for your tiny brain to comprehend?

Civilian or military, rape is a crime we need to punish. But more, we need to re-instill the ethical/moral standards that we expect soldiers(and officers) to abide by.

bwalk7217—A leader doesn’t “recommend” that his soldier go outside chain of command, he leads that soldier.

How often does it need to be said!? Females are raped from the age of just post-birth until they are over a hundred years old. “Appealing”—in terms of receiving the undesired attentions of a male—is truly in the eye of the person doing the forcing. gmartin997, you have just outed yourself as ignorant, if not worse.

So nurses and clerics don’t get raped?

Also, besides GT, props to Kirsten gillibrand and Claire McCaskill for their work to fix this problem…

If all nations but one agreed to rid themselves of the means of opposing agressors, what would that one armed nation likely do?.Further, a blanket statement like “It is a total waste of people, treasure and resources.” kgnores the good they do after natural disasters around the world.

Now let us consider the fictional case in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD in which one person claims another committed rape.It is established that the crime could not have happened as claimed due to a physical disability.It is established that there is no physical evidence intercourse ever occured or was attempted..Not every claim is legitimate just not every claim is false..And yes, there are grey area. A physically mature looking thirteen year old claimed to be an adult and negotiated sexual intercourse for money. She admitted this in court where her clients were charged with statutory rape. Eleven members of the jury voted to acquit.One held out for guilty based on the thought they SHOULD have KNOWN.The lady telling me about it did not know how the re-trial turned out, but was mad at the one who refused to see..Not every claim is legitimate just as not every claim is false..By the way, even if you believe this was rape, it was not an act of violence, rather an act of lust.

I know that being raped is traumatic but does this character have an other qualities or characteristics beyond that.

To kill a mockingbird is not relevant to what is going on in today’s military. Claiming one has been sexually assaulted in the military is not a positive experience, to say the least. The vast majority of sexual assault victims do not report it. This is also true outside of the military.

To quote former Congressman Aiken, it’s not a “legitimate rape.”

In situations like this, even in the “old” days, you were supposed to report it NOT to the perp but to the Perps senior unit commander. So if the BatCo is the perp you report to Brigade/Regimental, if he’s the perp you report to Division CO, if Division CO you report to the Base CO, if the Base CO you report it to the IG.

So, as a common rule, if there a problem at level n that can’t be addressed due to a direction conflict of interest you always jump to n+1. Given that the ONLY person who can bitch at you for jumping the chain IS the perp they can hardly complain, and even if they do, you have recourse.

e.g. they try to use Administrative punishment, sign on the line that demands a Court Martial.

Then by your standards there is no such THING as a just war, and you should leave the United States due to its illegal usurpation of crown territory and return to England.

Actually you DO have to have been there or you can’t understand the culture. So having NOT served you’re essentially disqualifying yourself from speaking to the elements of the situation involving military culture since you haven’t studied it and never served.

Isn’t WAR by definition the absents of rule… and isn’t the first casualty of WAR TRUTH?

Another feminist fantasy. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen.

beauty is in the eye of the beer holder

Your comment has been flagged.

Yes, because that has worked so well in the Catholic Church. Oh, wait…

so to you, rape is actually a compliment?

From a letter to the editor. Washington Post:

“I enjoy Garry Trudeau’s often insightful commentary in his comic strip, ‘Doonesbury.’ However, the Dec. 8 strip appalled me. I do not dismiss the legitimate concern of sexual offenses committed against women in uniform by their officer superiors, but to raise this on the comics page? This belonged on the editorial page.”

-Alan S. Miller, Alexandria

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/some-commentary-doesnt-belong-in-the-comics/2013/12/12/8123097e-610b-11e3-a7b4-4a75ebc432ab_story.html

(Just thought this belonged here, rather than there.)

As for my commentary? Good job. Carry on.