Memorial Day 2009 - A Look at Women in the Military

Marcia G. Yerman
Huffington Post
May 23, 2009

...The Pentagon confirmed that one in three women serving her country has been the victim of a sexual assault. There were 3,000 sexual assaults "reported" in 2008 (as opposed to those that went unreported for fear of ostracism or repercussion). It is clear that the problems of our service women need to be heard and addressed...
(click on title link for full article)


Why Are Women Still Treated Like Second-Class Soldiers?
By Helen Benedict, The Nation
Posted on May 25, 2009, Printed on May 25, 2009



I was born and raised in San Diego, which for all practical purposes is one big military base, or military contractor haven staffed with ex-military. I worked on a base for a couple of years. From what I have observed military women are given the choice of three titles, informally of course, by their fellow servicemen:

1. Bitch

2. Slut

3. Dyke

And my husband wonders why I didn't want to subject my siblings (non-military people) to ten fucking hours of this.

Am I going to get crap for being so "insensitive" on Memorial Day? Probably. Will it change my love/hate relationship with the military? Probably not. Do I hate the glorification of a brutal and misogynistic culture? Yes. Do I blame the kids who join the military, usually now because our industrial base has been hollowed out and said kids need jobs? No.

Do I hate the rich fucks who's kids never join the military yet expect the military to protect, or increase their wealth?

Absolutely.

Do I really hate being dependent on the military budget which has become a sacred cow in this country, yet is bankrupting this country?

Absolutely.

When I got married I felt like I was in between a rock and a hard space and I did not have only myself to think about.