Letter to the Editor:
Recent deaths on Ft. Hood have pushed me to write this letter. The first is SPC Vanessa Guillén, who was sexually harassed and then murdered by a fellow soldier — he bashed her head in with a hammer, then dismembered her body, burned it, and buried it. He then killed himself to escape justice. The second is SGT Elder Fernandes, whose body has just recently been found hanging from a tree. It is believed he killed himself after members of his unit subjected him to bullying after he reported a sexual assault by a superior. Two young soldiers, dead not because of “the enemy” but because of their own fellow service members.
This is not just Ft. Hood. This is a problem on every base, in all branches of the military. I have heard these same stories, over and over. And so, I’m asking what is being done? How are we changing the military culture that allows, and even encourages, this kind of behavior? What protections are being put in place and how are we holding not only those who commit these atrocities accountable, but also the leadership that allows them? How are we to make meaningful change?
There has been much talk about police brutality and the only reason we’re finally talking now is our citizens have lost some measure of respect and trust in our police forces. But when will we finally discuss how the military brutalizes its own members? We haven’t lost trust in our military institutions for fear of disrespecting those who serve in them. We can’t even civilly discuss those who choose not to stand for the national anthem because “it disrespects our service members/veterans.” As a veteran, I feel no disrespect on that. Allowing service members to continue to be harassed, raped, assaulted, beaten, bullied, silenced, murdered, driven to suicide, with no hope of protection or justice – that is disrespectful to service members and veterans. The man who murdered SPC Guillén and the people who bullied SGT Fernandes to death do not deserve our respect. To our elected officials, please, do something, if you truly care about service members and veterans, as too many claim to.
Jennifer Dixon, SGT Ret. Dear Editor,
Do you love our flag, our national anthem, and our constitution? Then find your feet and fight for them!
Because of our family German heritage I began to read about the German people 1933 to 1945. I found to my amazement that those poor people allowed National Socialism to destroy them and their country. To my dismay I find that our country is following some of the same patterns. The only difference is that we do not have the BROWN SHIRTS - but we are getting close. How can we let the virulent left steal our country? It is very scary and must STOP!!
If our forefathers planned socialism for this country as a preferred form of government so it would have been. Do not let the filth that wants to restructure our country take hold. Our very lives will be changed for the worst.
We must clean the swamp for the scum is moving through our neighborhoods. They may steal our signs but they will NEVER steal our VOTES! I will fight with all that I have to keep our country free of such garbage.
I read volumes about the resistance fighters with World War II. They gave their very lives to fight for freedom and political theology to end their horror. The French Marseillaise has a wonderful line - "Aux armes citoyens! Formez vos bataillons" - "To arms, citizens, form your battalions!"
Find your feet America and fight with your votes to save our country. Get your heads out of your phones and give your country your vote to stop the lunacy.
I love my USA enough to speak up and out to save it!
Very Sincerely, Frances Breihan
