The Seduction of Suzanne Smith
http://www.suzanneswift.org/
Suzanne Swift was seduced twice -- once as a teen when she was persuaded by a military recruiter that she could get her college education in the military and that by signing up for five rather than four years she would not be sent to Iraq -- and the second time when she was subjected to "command rape" by an harassing sergeant in Iraq. In the face of a repeated and speeded up assignment to return to Iraq, Suzanne went AWOL and was arrested in her home in Oregon and returned via a county jail to the military.
I recommend that any and all check out the website above of Suzanne's mother, Susan Rich, and, if possible watch the re-run on Democracy Now (Channel 75 in the NYC area at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, 7/11) to hear her mother's first hand report on how Suzanne was abused and how our military continues this abuse of a young woman (just turned 22) who is suffering from PSD and is being pressed to the breaking point. Her grandfather Rich will be interviewed tomorrow on Democracy Now
Is this story true? I can testify to its credibility because one of my own daughters was similarly seduced by the military -- first by a recruiter who enticed her to join the National Guard with promises of medical training paid for by the military -- and again very nearly raped while on duty and left to suffer the abuse of the would be rapist and his buddies until I personally intervened with all the academic authority that I could muster. She did have respectful treatment by her sergeants.
Fortunately with her family expanding, my daughter decided to end her military service prior to 9/11 to do her medical training now in process privately along with her family of 3 young children -- not subject to enforced deployment to Iraq regardless of her family responsibilities.
Sarah's experience with the would be rapist: assigned to man her COs office over night, she was attacked by a 6'4, 200+ pound drunken soldier whose rape attempt she was barely able to fight off. She reported this incident to a male investigator who dismissed it, leaving Sarah facing the threats of the would be rapist and his buddies.. At this point I intervened, phoned the commanding officer, who then had a second (woman) investigator assigned to Sarah's case who took her seriously and had the soldier dismissed from the military -- pre 9/11.
I am posting this as widely as I can -- both to protest the outrageous recruiting tactics of our military who call into homes to reach young kids in their teens while still in high school to recruit them while their parents are at work -- this has happened to members of our CUNY staff and boys in particular are vulnerable to such inducements. And also to protest the abuses of these young recruits, once they have been hooked -- particularly the young women.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
Suzanne Swift was seduced twice -- once as a teen when she was persuaded by a military recruiter that she could get her college education in the military and that by signing up for five rather than four years she would not be sent to Iraq -- and the second time when she was subjected to "command rape" by an harassing sergeant in Iraq. In the face of a repeated and speeded up assignment to return to Iraq, Suzanne went AWOL and was arrested in her home in Oregon and returned via a county jail to the military.
I recommend that any and all check out the website above of Suzanne's mother, Susan Rich, and, if possible watch the re-run on Democracy Now (Channel 75 in the NYC area at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Tuesday, 7/11) to hear her mother's first hand report on how Suzanne was abused and how our military continues this abuse of a young woman (just turned 22) who is suffering from PSD and is being pressed to the breaking point. Her grandfather Rich will be interviewed tomorrow on Democracy Now
Is this story true? I can testify to its credibility because one of my own daughters was similarly seduced by the military -- first by a recruiter who enticed her to join the National Guard with promises of medical training paid for by the military -- and again very nearly raped while on duty and left to suffer the abuse of the would be rapist and his buddies until I personally intervened with all the academic authority that I could muster. She did have respectful treatment by her sergeants.
Fortunately with her family expanding, my daughter decided to end her military service prior to 9/11 to do her medical training now in process privately along with her family of 3 young children -- not subject to enforced deployment to Iraq regardless of her family responsibilities.
Sarah's experience with the would be rapist: assigned to man her COs office over night, she was attacked by a 6'4, 200+ pound drunken soldier whose rape attempt she was barely able to fight off. She reported this incident to a male investigator who dismissed it, leaving Sarah facing the threats of the would be rapist and his buddies.. At this point I intervened, phoned the commanding officer, who then had a second (woman) investigator assigned to Sarah's case who took her seriously and had the soldier dismissed from the military -- pre 9/11.
I am posting this as widely as I can -- both to protest the outrageous recruiting tactics of our military who call into homes to reach young kids in their teens while still in high school to recruit them while their parents are at work -- this has happened to members of our CUNY staff and boys in particular are vulnerable to such inducements. And also to protest the abuses of these young recruits, once they have been hooked -- particularly the young women.
--
"A war is just if there is no alternative, and the resort to arms is legitimate if they represent your last hope." (Livy cited by Machiavelli)
--
Ed Kent 718-951-5324 (voice mail only) [blind copies]
http://BlogByEdKent.blogspot.com/
http://www.bloggernews.net
posted by Ed Kent at 9:39 AM
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