this diary is dedicated to all who suffer because of war and other disasters
we honor courage in all its forms
cross-posted at DailyKos, Booman Tribune, European Tribune, and My Left Wing.
image and poem below the fold
An Iraqi journalist (2nd from bottom, L) lies among the dead at a morgue after a suicide bomb attack in Baghdad January 23, 2006. A suicide car bomber attacked a security checkpoint in central Baghdad on Monday, killing at least two people and wounding six others close to the Green Zone government compound, police said. Police said the wounded included three civilians and three policemen. REUTERS/Ali Jasim
Daylight Savings
by Maura MacNeil
allow the raven who shatters the windshield
on the river road, harried and confused
by the change of our schedule, to remain
feather tossed and broken in struggle
without need to erase what we commit
because what is done is done.
allow the river beside the road to toss brown
and do not name it with your denotations,
and allow the fear last night that slowed the car
without will the name of raven killed today
the name of what you do not yet know.
do not hold a brown river with bird
and falling leaf in a photograph to name it:
the day of river after rain.
do not name air that strips the trees wind.
do not move into it wanting its name.
– – –
put a meaningful magnet on your car or metal filing cabinet
read Ilona’s important diary at MLW – Returning Vet PTSD – One Soldier’s Story as well her comprehensive series on PTSD and Iraq War vets.
view the pbs newshour silent honor roll (with thanks to jimstaro at booman.)
take a private moment to light one candle among many (with thanks to TXSharon)
support Veterans for Peace
support the Iraqi people
support the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC)
support CARE
support the victims of torture
remember the fallen
support Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors – TAPS
support Gold Star Families for Peace
support the fallen
support the troops
support Iraq Veterans Against the War
support Military families Speak Out
support the troops and the Iraqi people
read This is what John Kerry did today, the diary by lawnorder that prompted this series
read Riverbend’s Bagdhad Burning
read Dahr Jamail’s Iraq Dispatches
read Today in Iraq
witness every day
Click on the candle to copy the image into your own comment (you can leave it on my server), and/or rate this one – not for mojo, but to leave a small mark after taking this moment.
” I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.”
from Dirge Without Music
by Edna St. Vincent Millay
…but there are some days where I want to knock the war-mongers the fuck out!!!!!!!!!!!
Sigh…thanks Rub, this daily vigil gives me strength to carry on despite the anger and frustration.
I know Manny….I know
doesn’t make any sense does it?
Throw some ventage out at a local recruiter’s office. Gather up some of your buddies ang just spen 30 mins or an hour there.
Nevermore
Peace
Iraq bombing highlights dangers journalists face
ENGAGE! FIGHT! IMPEACH!
Imagine what they are doing to Iraqi women and girls if that is what they do to their own comrades.
May they all go to hell.
yes that and this too, when they are out in the heat of the battle, they expect the woman counterpart to cover their backs like any other male would too..and look what it gets them..raped! I am so pissssssssssssed….I want to grab each of their balls and dig my nails in them so hard..till they know what got a hold of them..and vow never to forget why it was done either. I am severely angry ove this one! Them to have them die of dehydration for a silly man who wants to get his jollies off…God I hate those kind of men. I have been around those kind and they are the worst kind of human beings on earth!
Here’s my question and I”M NOT BLAMING VICTIMS… I swear I’m just trying to figure this out… why was there no light? Why didn’t they band together and
1. either get a light which would probably just get shot out anyways..
2 form a BIG BUDDY system? And go as a whole group? Or were they being reprimanded for that?
3. Shoot the fuckwads in the face? Or jack em up. They’re in combat. They must know hand to hand?
not drink???? I dunno… my heart goes out to them.
I think now we are understanding the term, “Soldier killed by small gunfire”. Meaning – someone ate their own bullet or got “Pay backs”.
“Commands can reject the complaints if they decide they aren’t credible, and there is limited protection against retaliation against the women who come forward, according to Gilberd. “People who report assaults still face command disbelief, illegal efforts to protect the assaulters, informal harassment from assaulters, their friends or the command itself,” she said.
But most shameful is Sanchez’s cover-up of the dehydration deaths of women that occurred in Iraq. Sanchez is no stranger to outrageous military orders. He was heavily involved in the torture scandal that surfaced at Abu Ghraib. Sanchez approved the use of unmuzzled dogs and the insertion of prisoners head-first into sleeping bags after which they are tied with an electrical cord and their are mouths covered. At least one person died as the result of the sleeping bag technique. Karpinski charges that Sanchez attempted to hide the torture after the hideous photographs became public.
Sanchez reportedly plans to retire soon, according to an article in the International Herald Tribune earlier this month. But Rumsfeld recently considered elevating the 3-star general to a 4-star. The Tribune also reported that Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks, the Army’s chief spokesman, said in an email message, “The Army leaders do have confidence in LTG Sanchez.””
Retaliation
and Sanchez is in charge… and will be promoted.
Sanchez committed perjury last year in broad daylight when he claimed in front of a Congressional panel that he didn’t authorize the use of dogs and other techniques. It came out later in memos that he had in fact authorizd it. I remember writing to my Senators and Congresspeople about it with no response. Zero. Perjury. Someone please explain how perjury is ignored. Not only that. Now you say he is to be promoted? Maybe fuckhead Bush will give him a medal of honor too.
Unfuckingbelievable
okayed the torturing of men, women and CHILDREN in Iraq… and now he’s okaying the RAPE and GANG BANGS of American women.
I’m sure Bush is pleased.
Excuse me while I go vomit.
And… I bet it was that crappy Halliburton feces water anyways.
The war crimes is adding up… I don’t think this country can survive it.
Did anyone see the movie ‘The General’s Daughter’? with John Travolta..basically it is about the gang rape of a woman in unit with the men who simply couldn’t stand the fact a woman was in their unit so they thought they’d show her a lesson…and how it was covered up until she killed herself and the whole thing of course was uncovered..good movie but one I really can’t watch again as it makes me so angry at the culture of so many in the military towards women. How even her own father-the general-helped cover it up for the ‘good’ of the military and not make waves..
I read the book. Hated it and what ticked me off was that they made the victim into some S&M dominatrix type. Alluding to the fact that “she wanted it” or “she brought this on herself with her wild lifestyle”.
If I’m remembering the movie right she didn’t become that way until after what happened to her..that kind of subject matter(not the dominatrix part) is very, very difficult for me to read or watch…and I usually don’t/can’t watch movies like that. I didn’t know when I rented movie that that was what the mystery/cover-up was.
I saw it. It was a sick thing to watch because even though it’s a movie, it portrays exactly how women victims of rape are treated in our society. That she became involved in extra normal sexual activity afterwards was used as evidence against her instead of what it really was. A direct result of her trauma and inability afterwards to believe she deserved to be treated well anymore. This happens to so many rape victims. Especially victims of childhood sexual abuse. The come to believe that they deserved to be treated that way and seek out relationships where the will likely be abused firther. Emotionally, physically and sexually.
You know… I’m so upset right now. Alito, and this diary has had me up in arms all day… and I know you posted with anger and frustration – but your words help me remember that there are good, understanding people still.
I tried calling another’s office regarding Alito and the Senators who basically gang raped us all with their laughing votes… but I couldn’t speak due to the FROG in my throat. My kids think I’m “sad”…
and then YOU come along and I can actually feel grounded again. Friends got our backs with understanding.
Thank you my friend. For so much.
If something I said helped you feel grounded then I’m happy about that. We do do that for each other here without even trying because we’re all in it together. We’re all beating our heads against the wall everytime they let us down, even though I think most of us realized before today that the field is tilted against us and we’re fighting an uphill battle with inevitable losses along the way.
I’m upset too. I don’t feel optimistic at the moment. I have the feeling that we’re about to see the real Americans seperated from the pretenders. I feel safe in the knowledge that I’m in good company here though.
One more thing about feeling grounded.
Last night when I saw the image of a beautiful smaller version of Damnit Janet decked out in pink, I felt the love coming from the one behind the lens and the dedication and determination you display in your efforts to secure a better world for her and her brother. That makes me feel grounded and it makes me feel safer and more confident that my own children will be safe, knowing that there are people like you out there fighting your hearts out for the betterment of us all.
I get what you are saying here about society’s treatment of rape victims, and the all-too-often turn to unhealthy, abusive relationships.
I haven’t seen the movie, or read the book, & I may be mis- or over-reading the comments here, but allow me a plea.
People involved in dominant/submissive, sadistic/masochistic relationships (or any of the multitude of variations) are incredibly misunderstood & demonized in this society. Which is why she could be ostrasized, & why repubs harped on the IAEA inspector from Washington, DC, who was also out as a BDSM instructor, in an idiotic attempt to discredit the whole inpsection process. Many live in the closet; you probably unknowingly are acquainted with at least one. Like any relationship style, there are healthy & unhealthy manifestations, but this “extra normal sexual activity” as you put it, has nothing to do with abuse & everything to do with personal growth & freedom of expression. There are of course negative counter-examples.
Sorry for that. I should have clarified that I meant extra normal in the sense of how the society at large percieves normal to be. But looking at her change from “normal” pre-rape sexual behavior to more violent behavior post-rape could be seen as troubling. There is physical violence involved whether some or many find it normal for them or not.
or maybe i’m just sticking my foot deeper into my mouth.
There is a whole rant about the portrayal of BDSM in the media, movies, tv, etc, but I’m already horribly off-topic here. Suffice it to say that it is usually sick, pathological & often criminal. The CSI show set in Las Vegas has been a notable exception.
All I’d ask is that you begin to question the stereotypical equation, at least as an overbearing generality.
Thank you for making a diary Arcturus. I’m sorry if I was stereotyping, I truly didn’t mean to. Hell, I have a pair of handcuff…and I have a dear dear friend who is… well ahem anyways…
What I was meaning was how they made the victim the accused for nothing that had to do with her being assaulted.
Friends?
Of course. I wasn’t arguing with either of you. Just making my own point. It’s been a rough day.
(pssst .. it’s ok, you can say it . . .
k i n k y
p e r v e r t,
ahem
& g’night
That whole article is beyond sickening..I’m not surprised as I’ve read that the military has higher ‘reported’ rape against women soldiers than the general public. And as janet said if this is what our soldiers do to our women soldiers I’m sure it’s no stretch to imagine what horrors are happening to Iraqi women and young girls. Reminds me of stories that surfaced where Iraqi women prisoners were smuggling out notes to their families about the ‘treatment’ they were receiving at the hands of our soldiers.
Anyone think this might make it into the news cycle..yeah didn’t think so.
Janis will be painted as a traitor. I’m sure she’ll end up losing her few benefits that the military gives it’s “heros”.
Light A Candle For
Peace, Tolerance, Understanding
and For The Children – Innocence Lost!
Guess Who Likes the GIs in Iraq (Look in Iran’s Halls of Power)
So far Iran’s mullahs aren’t feeling much pain from the Americans next door. In fact, officials at all levels of government here say they see the American presence as a source of strength for themselves as they face the Bush administration.
Army Forces 50,000 Soldiers into Extended Duty
The US Army has forced about 50,000 soldiers to continue serving after their voluntary stints ended under a policy called “stop-loss,” but while some dispute its fairness, court challenges have fallen flat.
The State Of Disunion
by Tom Englehardt, TomDispatch.com
What exactly does our imperial presidency, with all its power, rule over?
Wayward Christian Soldiers
By CHARLES MARSH (NYT) 915 words
Published: January 20, 2006
Charlottesville, Va. – IN the past several years, American evangelicals, and I am one of them, have amassed greater political power than at any time in our history. But at what cost to our witness and the integrity of our message?
This is a Silent Honor Roll shown on the PBS ‘News Hour’, now Almost Daily, that was started at the Beginning!
As of Today, 1-30-06 there are 56 Pages with 5 ‘Honor Roll’ links per page!
If you take the Time to View ‘ALL’ the Pages/Photo’s and Information Instill This Thought Into Each American Military Face You See, ‘Try and Picture 30, 40, 50, 60 or More Iraqi Faces, Children-Women-Men, Killed for Each Of These Faces You Are Looking At’
1/23/2005
New Animation
Bravery
A Call For ‘Impeachment’
Never Coming Home
Your diaries… It’s not a box of chocolates, but like with the offspring topic of today… you never know what you’re going to get.
Some days we are spurred on to discuss seeing our own children fast asleep.
Some days we are spurred into a frenzy of anger and frustration… and rekindling support for each other.
Thank you!