The Invisible War | Rape in the Military
THE INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of our country’s most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within our US military. Today, a female soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire with the number of assaults in the last decade alone in the hundreds of thousands.
Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of several young women, the film reveals the systemic cover up of the crimes against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. THE INVISIBLE WAR features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm conditions that exist for rape in the military, its history of cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much needed change. A couple facts shown in the trailer below:
• 16,150 service members assaulted in 2009.
• Only 8 percent of sexual assault cases are prosecuted in the military. Only 2 percent result in convictions. Let me repeat that… TWO PERCENT!
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I was not aware of this movie until my dear friend, Rose, posted about this on her blog, Weaving Among The Stars. Rose and I met when our local Occupy Albuquerque movement started in October last year. We both had the same concerns and issues with the typical internal conflicts that were occurring during the growth of our group. Rose and I started tag-teaming on the internet… she would tweet and update the local Occupy Albuquerque Facebook Page, and I would upload photos and videos and blog about the protest I just attended. Our friendship grew.
Rose has been very open about being a rape victim in addition to suffering from PTSD. It affects her life significantly… every second, minute, hour, day, year, breath she takes, step she walks, beat of her heart, sunrise and sunset… there is no end to how she has been affected.
Rose submitted to the movie a photo (below) of her serving in the military – which the movie chose to show in a montage in the credits at the end. Rose is on the far left, just slightly below center, working on some equipment. This photo is very special to her, just as she is to me.
And Rose is now in the process of arranging to host the movie here in Albuquerque! You may read more about this in her posting, “@invisible_war Exceeding My Own Expectations #notinvisible.” Please check it out.
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After watching the trailer above, I most certainly want to see this movie. I am fortunate never having been a victim of rape. But I do know several women very close to me who have. It is an emotion and memory which will never leave them for the rest of the lives.
I do not want to dive into politics in this posting as that is not the focus here. But I do feel I must add one item… Can you imagine how these women who are victims of rape felt when Santorum stated that a pregnancy from rape is a “gift from God”? One woman in the trailer above tells, with tears falling down her face, how “a month later [she] found out [she] was pregnant” from her rape. Talk about pouring salt on an open wound…. Santorum is completely cold and heartless and has absolutely NO business being in any political or leadership position. With that, I will say no more here.
Here is some more information about the movie and website, and related articles:
Sundance Film Festival: Winner of the U.S. Documentary 2012 Audience Award
Academy Award Nominated Filmmaker Kirby Dick
Website: The Invisible War
Petition: Stop Military Rape (also available in the right sidebar)
Democracy Now! The Invisible War: New Film Exposes Rape, Sexual Assault Epidemic in U.S. Military > THERE IS A MUST WATCH VIDEO IN THIS ARTICLE.
Reuters: “Invisible War” exposes widespread rape in U.S. military
The Invisible War Blog. There are some awesome posts here such as:
Fox News: “women in the military should expect to be raped.”
Survivor to FOX News: Fire Liz Trotta
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Reblogged this on The ObamaCrat.Com™ and commented:
All I can say about this is….it makes me sick. Read, get informed, and protect yourselves ladies….”By Any means Necessary”. Thank you Michelle from the blog “Motley News”.
The numbers you post above are staggering and appalling.
Yeah, they got me, too.
I’m not at all surprised it happens, but I’m appalled that the military doesn’t prosecute it aggressively. Sexism is obviously alive and well in one of history’s oldest “good ol’ boys” clubs.
Yes it is.
A disgusting outrage that the guilty are not punished with the same frequency and severity that they are in the US civilian judicial system. If they were, the incidence of rape in the US military would go way down.
Thank you for this post, my friend! Thank you! I simply cannot describe the emotions felt while reading this, and knowing I have your support and understanding with me, not only as I work to show this film here, but as a loving and caring friend. This means the world to me.
You deserve my friend. I cannot imagine having lived through what you have. I used to have nightmares about being raped and wake up screaming when I was a teenager. My mom would come in and calm me down. And I was never raped. I guess I have always lived in fear that would happen. No man can ever ever imagine what it would be like or is like.
The sad thing is that there are far more men who experience rape, especially in the military, than people realize. One is profiled in this film. The attorneys who assisted me with my PTSD claim finally informed me I was their first female client. The rest of their veteran clients have all been male; both combat and non-combat PTSD claims have all been won.
Really? THAT many that you were the first? That may also have been due to the ratio, too. But that still surprises me.
Yes, but in addition, my claim had been so screwed up by the VA (and the VA benefits office, as well as medical center are NOT in the business of assisting veterans as the public believes) that I finally had to contact lawyers to assist with gaining the benefits I rightly deserved, and needed, in order to live above the poverty level. All of the evidence required was in my records, and my claim file. However, since this issue, MST, IS being covered up and the military, as well as the VA does not want it aired in public, those who claim benefits must jump through enormous hoops. Their claims will continue to be denied, even though they may actually have an open and shut case (as I did), over and over again (as mine was)..
In order to finally win a claim for PTSD based on MST, many have to go outside the VA system using lawyers trained to assist. Once one obtains a lawyer, the VA must then follow their own laws and regulations to the letter. They can no longer “snow” the veteran, and the claim can finally be awarded. Mine was a clear open and shut case, and yet, though awarded, I was still awarded less than I should have been. We are now appealing. The MST problem is very serious at ALL levels within the military system.
It is devasiting to see the results of this, but the fact is some men when trained to kill without thr blink of an eye lose all reasoning…Really gut-wrenching what these women go through and it is a national disgrace!
It really is. I had absolutely no idea that the numbers were so high in the number of rapes, and the prosecutions so low. Horrible!
yeah, sa this on Rose’s blog. too disgusting. save for pedophilia don’t think there’s a worse crime. continue…
I will agree with you on that!
Uncalled for…
Absolutely uncalled for.