Monday, January 30, 2012

Invisible War: Rape in the US military (video)

Democracy Now; Wisdom Quarterly
Occupy my bra? Police -- back from military service -- grope, brutalize, arrest, and violate protesters (Ben Ehrenreich/LAreviewofbooks.org).


On the heels of a new military survey that the number of reported violent sex crimes jumped 30 percent in 2011. Active-duty female soldiers ages 18 to 21 accounting for more than half of the victims.

Democracy Now speaks with Trina McDonald and Kori Cioca, two subjects of "The Invisible War,” a new documentary that examines the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military. It won the Audience Award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

"Not only was I astounded by the numbers, but when I started talking to the women and men who had experienced this, I was just so devastated by their stories," says the film’s Academy Award-nominated director, Kirby Dick.

"These are women and men who are very idealistic. They joined the military because they wanted to serve their country. They were incredible soldiers. And then, when they were assaulted, they had the courage to come forward, even though many people advised them not to," Dick says.

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