Air Force veteran Evelyn Carson, of Fairview Heights, echoed a common complaint: The public image of "veteran" continues to be that of a male.
When newscasts show video about the war in Iraq, the top field commanders are all men, with the background also filled with male military members, Carson said.
"Where are the females?" asked Carson, who served as an Air Force surgical technician before leaving in 1999. "There are no females in those positions."
At the heart of veterans issues is the same thing at the heart of anyone else's issues: respect. Those who've served would like recognition of that service. That's why it's so upsetting when the lack of recognition comes from Veterans Service Organizations. We called out one April 11th after a veteran pointed out to me that the VSO posted a photo of 13 people under a headline of "America's Newest Generation of Veterans" and all 13 were men (they were all Anglo-White with the exception of one Latino). Fortunately, that photo was taken down. With over 1 in 10 of veterans of today's wars being women, I don't know how you end up with that photo to begin with.
It's a shame others can't be as responsive as that VSO was. There's an e-mail this morning from a veteran. I believe he was the first one I met with PTS (Post-Traumatic Stress). Elaine ended up helping him with that issue (I know that because I referred him to Elaine and, when I called him this morning, he asked me on the phone to mention that she was "a life saver") and he continues to read Elaine's site. He really enjoyed her post last night "Lisa Savage, feminism will not miss you" and went on to explore some of the other writing of the woman Elaine was calling out. "The Things They Carry: Heroes and Their Medals" is one of Lisa Savage's posts at War Is A Crime.
Who is this crazy woman? And what is David Swanson posting crap like that. She is so insulting. She opens with "Another kid from Maine died in Afghanistan." Staff Sgt Eric Shaw was 31-years-old. You don't call him a "kid." That insulting. I don't care how old you are.
But everything about what this idiot Lisa Savage wrote is insulting. She is so ignorant, it's borderline ridiculous. While the veteran and I were on the phone, I was reading the article. He was offended by
this section:
Here's the article's conclusion, provided by his widow:
"My oldest told me she wants to be in the Army," she said, "because she wants to be a hero, like Daddy."See how equal women are now?
That is really offensive. That's offensive in that she's using a dead man's young daughter to try to make a political point. (Is she one of the loons wanting to release photos of the children killed in Newtown for political gain?) And she's suggesting that there's something wrong with that innocent child's statement.
What's wrong with that statement?
Why shouldn't a little girl whose lost her father believe he was a hero? What's so offensive about that even in the abstract?
That's before we get to the realities. Just in the abstract, what's so offensive. And who is this piece of trash to thinking a young girl wanting to join the military is a set-back for women's rights? We've dealt with that crazy nonsense before.
So let's move to the specific here.
Does Lisa Savage know how to read? Elaine asked that in her post and I'm seeing why.
This is from the article that Leslie Bridgers wrote:
A couple of months later, she got her own debriefing about the incident, which was when she found out he had been nominated for a Distinguished Service Cross, an award second only to the Medal of Honor.
Despite persistent phone calls, she learned little about the progress his nomination was making through the review process for two years.
Any step of the way, someone can request more information, and the review starts over, Tangen said. Every time that happened, he was the first person to find out.
"When it's a soldier who died right in front of you, who you love, it's emotional to be told he doesn't deserve it," Tangen said.
During that process, he started to feel strongly that Shaw's actions warranted a higher distinction.
"His final act, his final thought, was to save a human life that was not an American soldier," said Tangen, who doesn't know of any Medal of Honor recipients who did the same for Afghans. "He stands alone."
The citation for the Distinguished Service Cross says Shaw's "bravery and selflessness saved the lives of twelve Afghan soldiers and enabled the forces to consolidate, continue fighting and accomplish the mission."
Did Lisa Savage miss that?
Its even mentioned in the sub-heading. 12 Afghans are alive because of Eric Shaw. I don't think his daughter's wrong to assume her father was a hero.
Lisa Savage quotes repeatedly from the article but never mentions the name of the woman who wrote it (Leslie Bridgers) so I'm not really sure why she thinks she can stand on a soapbox for 'sisterhood.' She mocks little girls who have lost a parent and she thinks this is 'feminist values'? (As Elaine noted last night, Lisa Savage hates feminists and will now just say she believes in 'feminist values.')
Lisa Savage quotes from the article about Audrey Shaw keeping the honors that her late husband received in a trunk until the children "are old enough that they won't take it down or try to color it. At least one of them, however, has already grasped the significance." To which Lisa Savage writes, "She'd have to be pretty thick to miss the significance wouldn't you say?"
Why is Lisa Savage picking on these little girls -- Madison, Victoria and Julia -- who lost a father?
I have no idea? We talked about this, my friend and I, this morning and wondered what David Swanson was thinking when he posted that crap at his website?
And I wonder what kind of idiot writes on February 18, 2013, "Another kid from Maine died in Afghanistan. Here's how my hometown paper reported it."?
We've already talked about how insulting it is to call a 31-year-old man a "kid." Staff Sgt Eric Shaw didn't die in February or January or 2012. He died June 27, 2010. And she's opening her piece two months ago with, "Another kid from Maine died in Afghanistan." Does she know how to read? Can she comprehend what she's read?
I forwarded another bad piece of writing by Lisa Savage to Elaine because someone sent it to me. I was asking Elaine if I needed to address it? I was wondering because I've already got one whiner telling me how mean I am. So I slid it over to Elaine who thankfully addressed it and addressed it well. On the phone this morning, the veteran kept saying, "You don't have to address it." No, I do. And it's not his fault. I'm glad he brought it to my attention.
This is disgusting and it needs to stop. It needs to stop right now.
David Swanson, you look like an idiot to a veteran who is against the war. Who was against the war when you were still cheerleading for Democratic politicians. You need to think very seriously about what you've allowed Lisa Savage to post. It's insulting and it's rude and, worst of all, it's hurtful.
You do not mock children, you do not use children to make political points. You especially show some respect for the children who've lost a parent.
Three little girls lost their father almost three years ago and, to Lisa Savage, those aren't little girls to feel empathy for or concern over, those are footballs for her to use to score political points. "Trash" doesn't begin to describe what Lisa Savage is.
I don't know why you want to add to Audrey Shaw's pain either by using her daughters -- her daughters that she's the solely responsible for protecting now. And your 'gift' to her is that you twist their words and mock them? "Trash" is too kind for what you are, Lisa Savage.
What a hateful creature you are.
And at the heart of her attack on three girls and a mother is her disrespect for women. Lisa Savage is not a feminist. Her sneering at the choice of some women to participate in the military is her attack on women and we've covered this before. I believe we last covered January 29th:
This topic is currently the number one issue today in the e-mails to this site according to Martha and Shirley who informed me last night that it was also the number one topic yesterday. You may or may not choose to join the military. If you do, you may or may not choose to go for combat. These are choices. And women can be make any choice they want.
Zillah Eisenstein's assault at Al Jazeera is only the latest thing angering women. She feels the need to refer to Iraq War veteran Jessica Lynch as "the now famous blond." Excuse me? What the hell does Jessica Lynch's hair color have to do with one damn thing? Oh, yeah, we get the coded language you're trying to speak in Zillah. (And your hatred for the pretty girl, yeah, we get that too.) She makes other insane comments. "The pay" is not "about equal between Wal-Mart and the military" and that's an offensive statement. Wal-Mart has a pledge to hire vets. I've been asked why we're not applauding that. Wal-Mart screws over people regularly, they underpay and they also have a real problem of requiring people to work off the clock. A job at Wal-Mart is better than a job no where but I'm not going to praise it. Equally true, if you join the military, you've got health care. If you're married to a member of the opposite sex (and hopefully this will shortly be true if you're married to a member of the same sex), they have health care coverage. If you honorably discharge or retire from the service, you've got the VA for health care. Do not pretend that Wal-Mart and the military are "about equal" in terms of pay. That's disgusting. And you would think a Marxist would go out of her way to avoid making such an idiotic statement.
Zillah wants you not to "confuse the presence of females, especially in combat, with gender 'equality'." No problem, Zillah. I see Al Jazeera offering token American women as columnists. I never mistake these women for feminists. Including Zillah.
Throughout time and history, women have shown various sides and carried out various roles. But Zillah wants you to be 'dainty.' If you want combat, there's something wrong with you and you're not a woman or you're a woman who loves drones or whatever else garbage Zillah's tossing out in her badly written article that goes to how academic 'feminists' really need to learn to write for the masses when they're writing columns for the people. Amazons are a part of Greek mythology. That's Hippolyta and her sister Penthesilea. So in 7th century BC, women fighters could be envisioned but it's somehow unknown to Zillah?
Women can be whatever they want to be and should be. We don't question a man's identity because he wants to go into combat, nor should we question a woman's identity.
Right now, women veterans and women service members are watching as various men attack them and insist that they couldn't handle combat. At the same time, do we really need Zillah and her kindred also attacking women and suggesting there's something wrong with them if they want to take part in combat?
I don't think so. Equally true, we're talking about different genders, not different species. This nonsense has to stop.
You want to call out women? There are plenty worth calling out. Choose a name and have at it. But don't insult a group of women and think you're a feminist because you're not. Don't degrade their dreams and desires because your own are different. That's not feminism. What Zillah practices does have a name: Know-it-all-ism.
There's another one before that where I note that I would never join the military and that's my choice and I want it to be respected so why would I slam another woman for making a different choice? I certainly don't go around slamming men for serving in the military. (Nor do I attack the children the fallen, that's Lisa Savage's trademark move -- way to put War Is Crime on the map, David Swanson.)
There is nothing unnatural about a woman wanting to pursue her dreams. If her dreams are the military, more power to her. There is nothing 'unladlylike' or masculine about her because she chooses to serve. She is as much a woman as any other woman and the last thing she needs is to be torn apart by some idiot like Lisa Savage.
I thought David Swanson had some respect for veterans. I thought he wanted to build a bridge with them. I don't see how you do that and post articles that imply there's something wrong with women who serve, that go after the children of the fallen, that make a surviving spouse's life harder. I don't know how you do those things and claim to want a build a bridge.
I've been told before -- multiple times -- that David Swanson is "a good guy." And he probably is. And there's a good chance that he never even read it. There are copy and pastes that go into the snapshot from friends that, honestly, I don't read. I may see it later. But I'm dictating the snapshot to a friend and asking if we have anything else because sometimes I don't get to talk to Martha or Shirley before I dictate. And if that's the way the day's going, they'll have forwarded requests to the three friends I dictate to. So I'll here, "____ wants to know if you can note ___" and, depending on space, I'll say, "Sure, just copy and paste it in." Especially if it's a personal friend, I won't say, "Read it to me first." So there's a very good chance David Swanson didn't read it.
But right now it's up at his site. And it's insulting. And if that's the message he wants to send, I guess that's how it'll remain. But if that's the message he wants to send, he better realize that the veteran he pissed off this morning isn't going to be the only one angry and his hopes of any building any bridges will be in question.
This piece appeared at War Is A Crime earlier this month. It's about efforts by March Forward and others where veterans of the wars try to speak to service members about not deploying to Afghanistan. I applaud that effort. I applaud all efforts at communication. But does David Swanson really think that effort will go anywhere when he's also posting Lisa Savage's writings which read like an attack on women who serve and on the families of the fallen?
The following community sites -- plus Pacifica Evening News, PRI, The Diane Rehm Show, Jody Watley, Adam Kokesh, Antiwar.com, L-Studio, Ms. magazine's blog, Susan's On the Edge and the Center for Constitutional Rights -- updated last night and this morning:
We'll close with this from The Headstrong Project:
The Headstrong Project is proud to be hosting the first ever “Words of War” event on May 8th at IAC HQ in New York City.
This cocktail fundraiser is designed to further support the mission of the Headstrong Project, to help veterans recover from the hidden wounds of war in order to lead full and meaningful lives. Specifically, “Words of War” will support comprehensive mental healthcare for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The evening will include a war poetry reading by Jake Gyllenhaal. Additionally, Adam Driver (from HBO’s Girls and major motion picture Lincoln) and Joanne Tucker of “Theater of War” will perform a scene from Sophocles’ Ajax. This short presentation of wartime poetry, literature, theater and letters articulate the exuberance and ideals that drive men and women to war, the thrill and horror of combat, the difficulties of returning home, and the experience of family members worried about their loved one at war. Iconic wartime images, by photographers Ashley Gilbertson, Lucian Read and Jonathan Alpeyrie will be projected during the presentation.
“Even for those who have fought and served in combat, PTSD can be a tough term to understand,” said Zach Iscol, Executive Director, Chairman of Headstrong Project. “It isn’t accessible and there is a stigma attached to it. This event will speak to how normal and timeless the reactions and emotions felt in and returning home from war can be. Of course you’re going to feel grief over losing a close friend. Of course you’re going to feel shame and guilt about life and death decisions made in the fog of war…any good person would.”
The Headstrong Project began treating military veterans in August 2012, and will be using funds raised from this event to expand care to veterans and their families. In partnership with their media partners Google, Newsweek/Daily Beast, and Pixel Corps, Words of War will also benefit Team Rubicon, Team RWB, and Student Veterans of America. These organizations have been incredibly effective at building communities of veterans- a strong antidote to the effects of PTSD and moral injuries.
Over 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report symptoms of PTSD. The VA estimates we lose 22 veterans a day to suicide and the Department of Defense reports 30-50 active duty troops take their lives every month. Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are at particular risk. It has been estimated that for every troop we have lost in combat this year, 25-30 take their own lives. These numbers also do not reflect increases in dangerous and destructive behavior – such as astonishing increases in domestic abuse, substance abuse, and even motorcycle accidents.
The evening will benefit the Headstrong Project, Team RWB, Team Rubicon and Student Veterans of America. For more information of the Headstrong Project or to purchase tickets to the “Words of War” please visit www.getheadstrong.org.
This cocktail fundraiser is designed to further support the mission of the Headstrong Project, to help veterans recover from the hidden wounds of war in order to lead full and meaningful lives. Specifically, “Words of War” will support comprehensive mental healthcare for military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
The evening will include a war poetry reading by Jake Gyllenhaal. Additionally, Adam Driver (from HBO’s Girls and major motion picture Lincoln) and Joanne Tucker of “Theater of War” will perform a scene from Sophocles’ Ajax. This short presentation of wartime poetry, literature, theater and letters articulate the exuberance and ideals that drive men and women to war, the thrill and horror of combat, the difficulties of returning home, and the experience of family members worried about their loved one at war. Iconic wartime images, by photographers Ashley Gilbertson, Lucian Read and Jonathan Alpeyrie will be projected during the presentation.
“Even for those who have fought and served in combat, PTSD can be a tough term to understand,” said Zach Iscol, Executive Director, Chairman of Headstrong Project. “It isn’t accessible and there is a stigma attached to it. This event will speak to how normal and timeless the reactions and emotions felt in and returning home from war can be. Of course you’re going to feel grief over losing a close friend. Of course you’re going to feel shame and guilt about life and death decisions made in the fog of war…any good person would.”
The Headstrong Project began treating military veterans in August 2012, and will be using funds raised from this event to expand care to veterans and their families. In partnership with their media partners Google, Newsweek/Daily Beast, and Pixel Corps, Words of War will also benefit Team Rubicon, Team RWB, and Student Veterans of America. These organizations have been incredibly effective at building communities of veterans- a strong antidote to the effects of PTSD and moral injuries.
Over 300,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans report symptoms of PTSD. The VA estimates we lose 22 veterans a day to suicide and the Department of Defense reports 30-50 active duty troops take their lives every month. Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are at particular risk. It has been estimated that for every troop we have lost in combat this year, 25-30 take their own lives. These numbers also do not reflect increases in dangerous and destructive behavior – such as astonishing increases in domestic abuse, substance abuse, and even motorcycle accidents.
The evening will benefit the Headstrong Project, Team RWB, Team Rubicon and Student Veterans of America. For more information of the Headstrong Project or to purchase tickets to the “Words of War” please visit www.getheadstrong.org.
The e-mail address for this site is common_ills@yahoo.com.
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