May 11, 2011

Who's accused of blaming the rape victim now?

The Peace Corps.
[F]rom 2000 to 2009, on average, 22 Peace Corps women each year reported being the victims of rape or attempted rape...

Jessica Gregg, who was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2007 in Mozambique, said a Peace Corps medical officer “made me write in my testimony that I was intoxicated” and suggested that “I willingly had sex with this guy.”...

Many, like Kate Finn, who was raped in Costa Rica and now works in the district attorney’s office in Denver as a victim’s advocate, complain that they are not advised on how to prosecute their attackers; a 2010 survey of Peace Corps volunteers revealed that nearly 40 percent of those raped and 50 percent of those sexually assaulted did not report their attacks. Ms. Finn said that her attacker’s family was on the police force and that she “did not feel safe” reporting what had happened....

105 comments:

edutcher said...

Well, it can't be the fault of all those nice Third Worlders, can it?

Known Unknown said...

They'll always have shared custody.

Fred4Pres said...

Welcome to the third world.

Rape is a potential problem anywhere. But in other parts of the world, you just shrug it off and move on (and even in the West that was the case until relatively recently). And reporting it will result in the woman being blamed. All of this is horrible and wrong. But beaware that is how it is treated.

I am just a little surprised that a progressive outfit like the Peace Corps is playing along with this, but the supervisors just want to protect the program. Hmmmmm, sounds familiar doesn't it? Not quite as bad as the Catholic Priest Abuse scandal, but similar motivations at work.

Fred4Pres said...

The Heath Ledger? I never heard of it before.

Funny Peace Corps story, however.

Anonymous said...

Jessica Gregg, who was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2007 in Mozambique, said a Peace Corps medical officer “made me write in my testimony that I was intoxicated” and suggested that “I willingly had sex with this guy.”

Did the Peace Corps medical officer hold a gun to her head and make her write that? No, I don't think he or she did. Instead, I think she felt that she should write that, and then she equates having that feeling with being forced. She should have stood up for herself and insisted that her version of events be documented.

You can go paragraph by paragraph through that NYT piece and come up with obvious questions that go unanswered, and point out reasoning that does not make sense.

Why are the rules of logic and journalism so much more loose when the topic is rape, or women's issues, or issues of "diversity"?

The Drill SGT said...

I blame Bush...

seriously, instead of the 22 number, you should have used the 100 sexual assaults number...

more seriously, it must be aq double trauma for these naive and generally liberal women to first be assaulted by the same little brown brothers they are there to help, then screwed by the liberals running the Peace Corp when they get home.

concealed carry would help :)

rhhardin said...

Rape as socially constructed hasn't caught on in academia for some reason.

Anonymous said...

Jessica Gregg, who was drugged and sexually assaulted in 2007 in Mozambique, said a Peace Corps medical officer “made me write in my testimony that I was intoxicated” and suggested that “I willingly had sex with this guy.”

Did the Peace Corps medical officer hold a gun to her head and make her write that? No, I don't think he or she did. Instead, I think she felt that she should write that, and then she equates having that feeling with being forced. She should have stood up for herself and insisted that her version of events be documented.

You can go paragraph by paragraph through that NYT piece and come up with obvious questions that go unanswered, and point out reasoning that does not make sense.

Why are the rules of logic and journalism so much more loose when the topic is rape, or women's issues, or issues of "diversity"?

Fred4Pres said...

Julius, maybe she decided if the family whose kid got eaten by a bear got $2 million, she could gin up a claimf for at least $500K.

I agree there is a question there, but (if true) she would not be the first person to be taken advantage of by a government employee with a pen.

Skyler said...

I hate to say it, but the rest of the world is not as nice as ours. Women, if you join the peace corps, be prepared to defend yourselves. Or reconsider your arrogant attempt to teach those poor natives how to weave burlap using sticks.

Shouting Thomas said...

Why are the rules of logic and journalism so much more loose when the topic is rape, or women's issues, or issues of "diversity"?

There are rules of logic in journalism?

Freeman Hunt said...

I don't know what the Peace Corps can do about it apart from not encouraging women to lie. Women are treated like garbage in a lot of countries. The "..." in the Gregg account leave out this:

She and a number of other women complained that a training video the Peace Corps uses places too much emphasis on the role of alcohol in sexual assaults; in response, Mr. Williams said the video would be replaced.

I would like more details about that. If there is a real problem with Peace Corps women being assaulted while intoxicated, who is helped by removing that video?

Shouting Thomas said...

Why are the rules of logic and journalism so much more loose when the topic is rape, or women's issues, or issues of "diversity"?

There are rules of logic in journalism?

Skyler said...

I hate to say it, but the rest of the world is not as nice as ours. Women, if you join the peace corps, be prepared to defend yourselves. Or reconsider your arrogant attempt to teach those poor natives how to weave burlap using sticks.

The Drill SGT said...

Skyler said...
I hate to say it, but the rest of the world is not as nice as ours.


carrying that a bit farther...The naive people that join the Peace Corps are the same types that decry the military and want to 'just give peace a chance".

as though a world without armies and police would be something less that a horror pit for women and children...

Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night, only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf

john said...

It's not always just rape. Sometimes it's murder. And it's not always by "the little brown brothers they are their to help", but the volunteers themselves.

Murder in the Peace Corps is a compelling book and a great read. It's of a girl stabbed to death in Tonga by a fellow volunteer, and of the Peace Corps, always more concerned of protecting its program, aiding in the escape of the suspect, and preventing his ever being tried for the crime.

Anonymous said...

If they didn't want this sort of thing they shouldn't have called it the Piece Corps. Just sayin'.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)



I’d argue that it’s not “Indifference’ but “Sensitivity” that is the problem, in the Peace Corps. It’s the problem many NGO’s have confronted overseas…for example in many nations womyn don’t make economic/tribal decisions, men do…HOWEVER, much of the economic activity involves womyn. An NGO discovers two truths in a village, the man truth and the womyn truth, about what is good or bad development. The NGO is presented with a dilemma, which truth to “honour.” Quite often, in order to be “sensitive” to the indigenous culture, the man truth is accepted, even though the womyn’s truth may be more useful…i.e., a new well (womyn) versus some other option, (tribal council). NGO’s are, often, torn, between “Serving” or “Developing” an indigenous culture. In today’s multi-culti times, options that would be ABSOLUTELY and vehemently rejected in Arlington VA, ignoring 50% of the population, are ACCEPTED in Harare, in the name of cultural sensitivity…

So too, rape of Peace Corps volunteers. The Peace Corps not only wishes to preserve its good name, and so wishes to down-play the rapes, but also wishes to preserve the “good name” of the cultures it operates in. So, actions and attitudes that the Peace Corps administrators would never tolerate in America, become “authentic” overseas and they are loathe to make a “value judgment” about them.

Wince said...

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how can you convict the poor, downtrodden accused when the very organization itself translates phonetically as "Piece Corps"?

Richard Dolan said...

That nasty things happen in nasty parts of the world is not news. That the Peace Corps is complicit in the cover-up is an example of the First Law of Bureaucracy at work: above all, protect the organization.

Wince said...

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how can you convict the poor, downtrodden accused when the very organization itself translates phonetically as "Piece Corps"?

Methadras said...

Awww, life isn't as cushy as you expected it to be as a western female going to an 8th world unflushed toilet now is it? I don't blame these women. I just blame their naivete and the sub-human tribalists they try to help. These countries deserve none of our help. Let China dole out their generosity and see what happens. I don't see India sending any missions. Why we as Americans/Westerners feel the need to do this is beyond me and why we think these animals deserve our help is even a further mystery.

They have supposedly been around longer than we have and yet they are still living their lives in with sticks and huts. Tell me again how noble that is?

tim maguire said...

I was planning on writing a defense of victim blaming, but that's not what's at work here according to the excerpt. More like falsifying documents and ignoring a problem--which is not the same thing.

Fred4Pres said...

Of course alcohol plays a role in a lot of sexual attacks. The Peace Corps needs to advise women not to put themselves in sitations where bad things can happen. That is not blaming the victim, that is common sense.


That said, doing so after a rape with the victim is a bad idea.

tim maguire said...

I was planning on writing a defense of victim blaming, but that's not what's at work here according to the excerpt. More like falsifying documents and ignoring a problem--which is not the same thing.

MayBee said...

Freeman said: I would like more details about that. If there is a real problem with Peace Corps women being assaulted while intoxicated, who is helped by removing that video?

I once heard someone make the most compelling point about intoxication and crimes against women.

The drunk girl is the weak zebra. The predator will target her.

traditionalguy said...

American single women going over seas in a Peace Corps are in a world with no protectors. Have a great life. Rape is illegal, but how is that enforced? Tribal loyalties control the police and judicial officers. Their lack of protectors is a veritable license issued to locals to rape them. You know, like in Central Park, NYC.

The Drill SGT said...

beyond caution to American females about drinking themselves, I read it as cautioning about being around a group of local men who are drunk as well...

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

The Peace Corps needs to advise women not to put themselves in sitations where bad things can happen. That is not blaming the victim, that is common sense.

I agree entirely…though it’s not the “Third World” I read stories about Britons in Dubai or the like, in jail, in trouble, and almost INEVITABLY the story is…Blah-blah-Champagne-Party-Beer-Party-Hook-Up Sex-Police Involvement…..now in Cambridge, either the UK or MA, that sort of “Chav-ish” behavior may be tolerated, but NOT in the Middle East. And I just wonder, “What WERE these people thinking?” Hellllooooo, you’re in Dubai, it’s not like hometown, everyone wears a potato sack…and YET they behave like they’re out for a night on the town, In Cambridge!?!?!

People you are a Looooong way away from home….in a foreign land with a foreign culture…don’t don’t DON’T act like you’re not…and don’t act like the local social scene is like the off-campus pub…it’s not…drinking, and fraternization are acceptable in the West, but in many cultures it says, “I’m a slut. Please use me.”

I don’t “blame” the victim” but I think that the survivors might have been a bit better trained before going overseas….

The Drill SGT said...

traditionalguy said...
American single women going over seas in a Peace Corps are in a world with no protectors.


Funny, lots of virile Iraqi men, haven't heard of many American female soldiers raped by the locals...

I suspect that, unlike the Peace Corps, the Marine Corps would kick some local ass...

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

Funny, lots of virile Iraqi men, haven't heard of many American female soldiers raped by the locals...

I suspect that, unlike the Peace Corps, the Marine Corps would kick some local ass...

The BAM’s, generally, have either an M-9 or an M-4 with them, outside the wire…they don’t NEED the Male Marines, to kick @rse…though I’m sure that the extra numbers are appreciated.

traditionalguy said...

Drill Sgt...The America women troops could attack the threatening attacker themselves. Rape is a power trip that uses the sex act to proclaim domination. Rape is not going to work on the US military. But a Peace Corps arm candy assistant do-gooder is just begging to receive a proclamation of male domination from among the locals.

I'm Full of Soup said...

We brainwash college kids with PC pablum and they toddle from suburbia to leafy college town to urban apts and the Peace Corps woefully unprepared for the ugly side of the real world.

Like that girl who went to Harvard and three years later, she is a man! Her parents must be so proud.

The Drill SGT said...

Joe, Joe, you forget rule 1:

Rules for Gunfighting

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

Roger J. said...

Good heavens--I am aghast--you mean the local natives are rapists? they are not tillers of the earth living in harmony with nature? They are after american pussy? who knew

MayBee said...

We brainwash college kids with PC pablum and they toddle from suburbia to leafy college town to urban apts and the Peace Corps woefully unprepared for the ugly side of the real world.

You know, that's a good point.
Pretty much all the girls and boys are taught "no means no" and that's supposed to take care of things.

William said...

The feminists here will not take these women under their wing. They cannot discuss the beastly behavior of the rapists because that would promote intolerance of third world peoples. Although rape is sinful, there can be no greater sin than intolerance . The Peace Corps administrators present a more inviting target. However, these people too are part of the fold, and an attack on these well meaning idealists is, in the end, an attack on progress.....I predict the femiinists will let this issue slide. Instead they will rally the troops for a spirited defense of Planned Parenthood. Perhaps they can find another white cop who complains about slutty clothes......There's a latent sense of racism in all of this. White people, especially men, are infinitely perfectable. It just takes a little more nagging. Third world people, having been brutalized by western imperialism, are a different kettle of fish. It is incumbent on Peace Corps volunteers to be rapist whisperers. They should treat these men with sympathy and understanding and not perpetuate the cycle of brutality that caused them to be rapists in the first place. Perhaps the Peace Corps could offer a training film teaching volunteers how not be judgemental and disapproving in the presence of other people's customs and traditions.

Anonymous said...

I guess I don't know much about how the Peace Corps operates, but the article said that the women are usually going out there alone. That strikes me as insane (for anyone, but particularly for women). Even at my quite safe undergrad, my girlfriends and I never walked more than a block after dark on our own. We'd team up and ensure that everyone was safe, or we'd take the opportunity to flirt with one of the fellows by asking if he would walk us home. It just seemed like common sense.

If they're not at least advising people to operate on some sort of a buddy system, they're really failing here.

- Lyssa

William said...

The feminists here will not take these women under their wing. They cannot discuss the beastly behavior of the rapists because that would promote intolerance of third world peoples. Although rape is sinful, there can be no greater sin than intolerance . The Peace Corps administrators present a more inviting target. However, these people too are part of the fold, and an attack on these well meaning idealists is, in the end, an attack on progress.....I predict the femiinists will let this issue slide. Instead they will rally the troops for a spirited defense of Planned Parenthood. Perhaps they can find another white cop who complains about slutty clothes......There's a latent sense of racism in all of this. White people, especially men, are infinitely perfectable. It just takes a little more nagging. Third world people, having been brutalized by western imperialism, are a different kettle of fish. It is incumbent on Peace Corps volunteers to be rapist whisperers. They should treat these men with sympathy and understanding and not perpetuate the cycle of brutality that caused them to be rapists in the first place. Perhaps the Peace Corps could offer a training film teaching volunteers how not be judgemental and disapproving in the presence of other people's customs and traditions.

Anonymous said...

I guess I don't know much about how the Peace Corps operates, but the article said that the women are usually going out there alone. That strikes me as insane (for anyone, but particularly for women). Even at my quite safe undergrad, my girlfriends and I never walked more than a block after dark on our own. We'd team up and ensure that everyone was safe, or we'd take the opportunity to flirt with one of the fellows by asking if he would walk us home. It just seemed like common sense.

If they're not at least advising people to operate on some sort of a buddy system, they're really failing here.

- Lyssa

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)

Joe, Joe, you forget rule 1:

Rules for Gunfighting

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

*ROTFL*

Anonymous said...

I was planning on writing a defense of victim blaming, but that's not what's at work here according to the excerpt. More like falsifying documents and ignoring a problem--which is not the same thing.

I actually wasn't so sure about that, from the article. Was she intoxicated? I know that it says that she was drugged; certainly that (and the intoxicating effects thereof) is relevant to any report, and if she was intoxicated before the drugging took place, that would be relevant as well, to the point that it would be dishonest to leave it out.

The article is unclear- either they wanted her to lie, or it could be read to indicate that she wanted to be dishonest, but they insisted that she tell the whole story.

I don't know.

- Lyssa

The Drill SGT said...

MayBee said...
You know, that's a good point.
Pretty much all the girls and boys are taught "no means no" and that's supposed to take care of things.


Unlike yesteryear when mothers advised their daughters about avoiding situations like....

The Drill SGT said...

hadn't seen those Joe?

Here's the whole list for your pleasure:

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Your life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

9.5 Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don't drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a ".4"

The Dude said...

And, make sure the first number in the caliber is at least a "4". Okay, a .308 will work when dealing with pirates, but that's not an everyday situation.

WV: nuarse - you brits know what that is all about.

The Drill SGT said...

hadn't seen those Joe?

Here's the whole list for your pleasure:

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Your life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

9.5 Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don't drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a ".4"

MayBee said...

If they're not at least advising people to operate on some sort of a buddy system, they're really failing here.

I agree to some extent, but aren't we talking about adults here? At what point do you stop needing people to advise you not to go places alone?

Roger J. said...

no means no except when you have some fucking wog with a machete at your throat--yeah--no means no. That will work.

MayBee said...

If they're not at least advising people to operate on some sort of a buddy system, they're really failing here.

I agree to some extent, but aren't we talking about adults here? At what point do you stop needing people to advise you not to go places alone?

Julie C said...

As a former Peace Corps volunteer, I can tell you that back when I applied, they did a great job at weeding out the naive, do-gooder types. It isn't just as simple as filling out a form and being handed a plane ticket. I had to go through an intensive, 3 day process with interviews, group projects and activities, and some pretty serious discussions about why we wanted to join. A number of people either left voluntarily or were not allowed to continue. After that weekend (stateside), we had about 6 weeks of in-country training. We were told to avoid wearing clothing the locals considered inappropriate - no shorts for men or women!!. They did try to make sure you were not alone in your town or village - usually there were two or more but in my case, the gal I was supposed to join had left early so I was by myself. I felt very safe in my village. I have a feeling the larger cities/towns are where the problems were.

Julie C said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fred4Pres said...

traditionalguy said...
Drill Sgt...The America women troops could attack the threatening attacker themselves. Rape is a power trip that uses the sex act to proclaim domination. Rape is not going to work on the US military. But a Peace Corps arm candy assistant do-gooder is just begging to receive a proclamation of male domination from among the locals.

5/11/11 10:54 AM



Actually traditional guy, at least according to that paragon of balanced reporting NOW on PBS, rape is a problem in the U.S. Military.

While I do not trust the "journalists" at NOW, I suspect there is a problem with rape in the military. It is relatively rare (given the millions actually serving), but it still happens and it is a problem as it is in all segments of society.

AllenS said...

What works the best, is when a woman pulls out her small pistol, and says: "make my day".

Roger J. said...

Julie C--thanks for your comments--in all honesty I dont think the peace corps administrators want to deal with the outliers--sounds like your program was relevant.

Hope you enjoyed the experience and got something out of it.

Christy said...

I'm wondering what a study would show comparing assaults against women in the Peace Corp and in church missions. We've all heard of murders of nuns in S.A. of course, but I do wonder what a hard look at the data would tell us.

I know most mission work is done in teams. Would that make a difference?

Roger J. said...

rape is a problem everywhere--in yesterday's memphis commercial appeal the cops were able to run down a rapist who (allegedly) raped a 14 year old--his problem was that the pants he kept low under his ass kept falling down and he couldnt run

I consider rape to be a capital crime--it demeans underclasses--now it can be abused, viz Ms Magnum and the duke lacross team--but it IS a problem and many of the perps are the class that it isnt appropriate to speak ill of.

The Drill SGT said...

Joe, for your enjoyment. I thought I'd posted this, but ti doesnt seem to be here:

1. Bring a gun. Preferably, bring at least two guns. Bring all of your friends who have guns.

2. Anything worth shooting is worth shooting twice. Ammo is cheap. Your life is expensive.

3. Only hits count. The only thing worse than a miss is a slow miss.

4. If your shooting stance is good, you're probably not moving fast enough nor using cover correctly.

5. Move away from your attacker. Distance is your friend. (Lateral and diagonal movement are preferred.)

6. If you can choose what to bring to a gunfight, bring a long gun and a friend with a long gun.

7. In ten years nobody will remember the details of caliber, stance, or tactics. They will only remember who lived.

8. If you are not shooting, you should be communicating, reloading, and running.

9. Accuracy is relative: most combat shooting standards will be more dependent on "pucker factor" than the inherent accuracy of the gun.

9.5 Use a gun that works EVERY TIME.

10. Someday someone may kill you with your own gun, but they should have to beat you to death with it because it is empty.

11. Always cheat; always win. The only unfair fight is the one you lose.

12. Have a plan.

13. Have a back-up plan, because the first one won't work.

14. Use cover or concealment as much as possible.

15. Flank your adversary when possible. Protect yours.

16. Don't drop your guard.

17. Always tactical load and threat scan 360 degrees.

18. Watch their hands. Hands kill. (In God we trust. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them).

19. Decide to be aggressive ENOUGH, quickly ENOUGH.

20. The faster you finish the fight, the less shot you will get.

21. Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

22. Be courteous to everyone, friendly to no one.

23. Your number one Option for Personal Security is a lifelong commitment to avoidance, deterrence, and de-escalation.

24. Do not attend a gunfight with a handgun, the caliber of which does not start with a ".4"

AlphaLiberal said...

Well, that INDIVIDUAL who told her to report she was drunk should be disciplined.

However, nowhere does it state that the Peace Corps, the organization, has attacked her or blamed her.

Contrast that to the KBR/Halliburton contractor who was gang-raped, then locked into a container.

"In a lawsuit filed in federal court against Halliburton and its then-subsidiary KBR, Jones says she was held in the shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave. Jones described the container as sparely furnished with a bed, table and lamp."

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

And, THEN, Senate Republicans actually fought a bill punishing such contractors.

Fred4Pres said...

William Shakespeare on the subject>

There were two unforgivable crimes in Shakespeare's mind: rape and regicide.

AlphaLiberal said...

Well, that INDIVIDUAL who told her to report she was drunk should be disciplined.

However, nowhere does it state that the Peace Corps, the organization, has attacked her or blamed her.

Contrast that to the KBR/Halliburton contractor who was gang-raped, then locked into a container.

"In a lawsuit filed in federal court against Halliburton and its then-subsidiary KBR, Jones says she was held in the shipping container for at least 24 hours without food or water by KBR, which posted armed security guards outside her door, who would not let her leave. Jones described the container as sparely furnished with a bed, table and lamp."

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/story?id=3977702&page=1

And, THEN, Senate Republicans actually fought a bill punishing such contractors.

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


Sorry Alpha but I believe that that rape story has an incredible number of holes in it…at least the last time I bothered to read up on it….

Roger J. said...

great job Alpha lib--way to make the thread about the feared and scurrilous HBR bush Cheney connection

you are such a twit I mean really

twit

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


Sorry Alpha but I believe that that rape story has an incredible number of holes in it…at least the last time I bothered to read up on it….

Anonymous said...

What, exactly, has the Peace Corps accomplished in its 50 years? It seems to send the same naive kids (of all ages) to the same backwaters to keep teaching the same things and building the same school houses. When will we declare victory and pull out the troops?

Brian Brown said...

Finn said that her attacker’s family was on the police force and that she “did not feel safe” reporting what had happened

You know in the movies all these 3rd worlders are always in touch with nature, noble, and wise.

How can this be?!

Welcome to how the world actually is vs. how these leftists wish it were.

Phil 314 said...

To those who suggested a gun would have solved it, please play out how the local populace would have responded to

foreign immoral American woman shooting one of our young, bright up and coming men.

And I assume there would be no base to retreat to, let alone some chopper to fly in and rescue her.

CatherineM said...

They had a 20/20 episode about a couple of the murder cases (women) and rapes. The Peace Corps pushed it under the rug, blamed the victim. One woman was murdered in her sleep and everyone knows who did it (the peace corps volunteer blew the whistle on this native teacher who was molesting girls), yet nothing has been done. Disgusting.

Unknown said...

Long ago - way back in the late 70's - I worked in Jamaica as a teacher (not in the Peace Crops) and knew quite a few Peace Corp members. My recollection is that rape was common and the women just viewed it as an occupational hazard.

MayBee said...

It sounds like the Peace Corps could do a better job of medically and emotionally supporting women who have been raped while overseas, but I can see how they would be reluctant to help them prosecute.

It isn't easy, and US laws do not follow US citizens around the globe. Would you want to prosecute a rapist in a Sharia law country? How easy is it to cut through the corruption that has created the third world situation in many of these places?

carrie said...

I have a friend whose daughter is in the peace corp. Her daughter is the only peace corp worker in her village and she has to bike something like 10 miles to get a spot where she can make a phone call. In addition to not taking rape serioucly, I think that the peace corp is putting women in harm's way when they place a woman alone in a third world country.

Anonymous said...

It's one thing to have a conversation about normative behavior and expectations in the United States. It's quite another thing to have that conversation about other countries that you go to to try to foist help on.

This sucks and all, but the whole thing is so naive.

Wilson said...

Who benefits more from Peace Corps service, the locals or the volunteers? I say if these kids want to have exotic adventures in developing countries, they or their parents should foot the bill, not US taxpayers.

Kirby Olson said...

Well, one way to keep the peace is to keep quiet, and this is the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps never gets angry, and is always accepting of differences.

J said...

A clever move by Aynhouse-- shift the discussion from alarming numbers of rapes in the US Military (which has been in the news lately) to the relatively trivial issue of rapes in the Peace Corps. Classic AA Doublespeak.

Michael said...

carrie: The Peace Corps is the last stop in a long line of institutions that have taught our young that America is the problem and that third world people are exactly like you or me except with higher regard for the environment, sustainability and community and with cooler more authentic clothing. At no time during the long years of indoctrination are our children taught that there are evil people living in foreign countries under regimes that are hostile to civilization as known to us, at no time are our children taught to physically defend themselves or to fight in any way other than quietly and verbally. We have carefully constructed a nation of pussies who are vulnerable when afoot in the actual real world. Go save the world at your own peril and don't expect the government to help.

Ann Althouse said...

"A clever move by Aynhouse-- shift the discussion from alarming numbers of rapes in the US Military (which has been in the news lately) to the relatively trivial issue of rapes in the Peace Corps. Classic AA Doublespeak."

Don't you mean a clever move by the NYT (reporting on its front page) and members of Congress (holding hearings)?

Michael said...

J: "alarming numbers of rapes in the US Military (which has been in the news lately) to the relatively trivial issue of rapes in the Peace Corps."

Not in the news lately. Lots of rapes in the Congo though.


Love the "trivial issue of rapes in the Peace Corps" though, keep it up. Not a big women's issue guy are you suburban hipster dude?

J said...

In fact I am, Mikey---rape in the US military is a far more pressing and ugly issue, than the Peace Corps (which however should be considered)--sort of like comparing a serial murderer--a Ted Bundy--to someone who killed one person in a fit of passion.

Then, like most AA Hillbillies, you're not too big on Reason, Mikey.

MayBee said...

Rape in the military is no longer interesting, as Obama is now Commander in Chief.

Wilson said...

Readers of the NY Times are probably more likely to have daughters in the Peace Corps than in the military, hence their focus on this issue.

J said...

Rapes/military


For perspective--3000 sexual assaults were reported in 2006 from women in uniform, compared to...22 in PeaceCorps.

A bit deeep for Bundyhousers, but maybe a few can make the correct inference.

Brian Brown said...

J said...
In fact I am, Mikey---rape in the US military is a far more pressing


You voted for Obama.

Obama is the Commander in Chief.

Get where I'm going, clown?

J said...

1:49:
Did I? You can read minds, eh, Jay Trash? Actually I voted neither McAint or BO. Yr typical non sequitur, either way.

Maybe you'd like to say that in court (and quite few humans--including DAs-- ready to subpoena the AA terrorists)

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


The Small Pathetic Voice intrudes…wouldn’t the voice better spend its time working on its OWN blog, rather than wandering in shouting, “Look at me!”? The AA hillbillies seem the only ones that acknowledge it, certainly the traffic to its own blog suggests were it not for the insults it hurls here, it would NEVER be heard. How sad, the only way the Small Pathetic Voice can be known is by its poor command of logic, English and Spanish, not be the work of its own hands……

J said...

Joey Kissinger--it's you that can't write acceptable English. Even your shofar playing sucks toojota.-- maybe google non-sequitur to find out what you are.

You'll be saying small when on yr way to prison--- We already got your IP addy traced, your name, job, etc .Joey Kissinger, terrorist, bum, demonic bag of human excrement .

Alex said...

J - you're a POS troll.

Julie C said...

Successful PCVs go into the program with the intention of getting something out of it for themselves. The worst volunteers are those who have the naive attitude some of you are referring to, because as soon as the going gets tough (and it does) they want out. Yes, some of my fellow RPCVs (returned PCVs) are still wild libs. Most of us have settled into productive lives. I,for one, came home with a GREATER appreciation for my country.

As for the comment that the Peace Corps is little more than a taxpayer funded exotic adventure, I lived in a tin roofed shack with a nice collection of flying cockroaches, millipedes,and even a scorpion or two. I had malaria twice (despite taking my meds) and even had my appendix removed while there. It was freaking hot and humid most of the time. My school had no supplies or books at all. I used my meager monthly allowance not only to feed myself but also buy paper etc.

So what good did it do? People in my village always talked about the past volunteers they knew. They asked, "did you know so and so" thinking I guess that even someone from 10 years prior I would somehow know. We made a huge positive impression. I was a teacher, and I can tell you I was the best teacher those kids ever had, mainly because I didn't steal from them, beat them with sticks, or teach only by demanding rote memorization.

As to the topic at hand, my experience with the PC bureaucracy was the same as my experience with any governmental bureaucracy. Typical government employees/appointees making sure no one makes any waves or causes any problems with the host country.

J said...

Logic!! ah Joey Kissinger, Im sure you don't know modus ponens from yr mama's rancid sphincter, basura.

The Peacecorps-rape rants du jour are merely the usual tea party ruse, or from the Rush Lim-bag l-serv. A few rapes--so axe the program!--does that mean cut funding for the US military as well, which has thousands more reported rapes per year?

Just STFU AA yokels

Joe said...

(The Crypto Jew)


It’s the astounding TOLERANCE and RATIONALITY of the Left that are their most fearsome weapons…the ability to argue and to sway the uncommitted. What IF the Small Voice had its own blog, where it could expound its theories to its heart’s content…oh that’s right it does, but no one reads it, so instead the SPV must scream its rage and frustration here, instead. IF the “yokels stfu” of course, the SPV would have NO acknowledgement of its own existence…a conundrum if ever there was one.

Roger J. said...

Julie C--thanks for your service. It is certainly the equal of our men and women in uniform. Sounds like you made a difference. Good for you.

Roger J. said...

Ahh J man returns--with all the grace, charm and intellectual capacity of a wounded warthog.

Good to see you again bro--hows your blog doing?

Fen said...

J is still recovering from the racist stinkbomb he threw yesterday.

Something about "White Pigs"

Typical libtard.

Fen said...

Yes, some of my fellow RPCVs (returned PCVs) are still wild libs. Most of us have settled into productive lives. I,for one, came home with a GREATER appreciation for my country.

I have liberal Jewish relatives that are very involved in the Peace Corps. I must say that I'm impressed. They walk the walk. Always away in some hell-hole teaching people how to set up water and sewer lines. Their house is spartan. Its obvious that they've dedicated their lives to what they preach.

Of course, they are the outlier for the liberals I know. But its nice to know that their type still exists.

America still makes these kind of men and women. Its not over yet.

ricpic said...

...a progressive outfit like the Peace Corps...

The Peace Corps is hard at work turning sex slaves into happy sex workers, worldwide. That's what makes it so ...progressive!

Julie C said...

Thank you Roger! I have a relative who served in Iraq so I don't think I am his equal. But you are very kind!

Not to say I am blaming the victims here, but don't these young people need to wise up about the dangers abroad? I felt completely safe in my small village - women would have defended me without question (physically I mean) if they had to. And the houses are so close together that if anything bad happened there would have been a bunch of people right there to intervene.

I was always on my guard in the city. We bar-hopped when in the capital city with other PCVs - never alone. Isn't that just common sense? I agree with Freeman Hunt - not sure about the wisdom of not warning people about the dangers of intoxication.

paul a'barge said...

So, let me see if I have this right ... you're a young, post-teen female with a hottie little body, minimal body fat and cute little tush and you love to wear the short-shorts and the flip-flops and the halter tops and you're on a plane and off to ... wait for it ... the Third World, where poverty and superstition prevail and where women are treated little better than cattle. And don't look much better either.

And you trot into the village, swigging water from your BPA-free water bottle you hang from your backpack with a caribiner and you're all "hey, ms hottie here to help you get out of that poverty rut. what's on the top of your desire list?"

And bamm, you get raped.

And then you come back to the USA and you blame ... wait for it ... a branch of the USA Federal Government.

Is that about right? Or did I leave something out?

Anonymous said...

Paul -- Peace Corps girls are usually some of the ugliest around. FYI.

Michael said...

J: link to the plethora of u.s. military rapes that are much in the news.

thanks, suburban hipster dude. and thanks for steering clear of the crap Spanish.

Col Mustard said...

When Eastern Europe turned to the west, the PC ran programs in many cities hoping to assist small businesses get a grip on capitalism (as if the existing black market economy was clueless). Most of the PCVs were older and were provided with decent apartments and amenities.

After spending a couple of weeks visiting my former business partner-turned PCV, I concluded -

The locals looked on the PCVs as 'gods' who would soon pave the streets with gold. Not unusual when Uncle Sam shows up. However, what funds were available were typically hoarded at HQ level for showy stuff. I'm told love for the USA faded after a couple of years.

I met no PCVs in-country who were motivated by idealism - not deeply anyway. Most came with good intentions, I believe, but soon focused on shopping and sex. Most did not finish their contracts. Voluteers I met were about 50/50 male/female and about 75/25 lib/conservative.

Conversations with PCVs suggested that their training was pretty thin in some respects. One day, my friend was on the phone complaining about something. When he got off, I asked if he considered that his line might be tapped. He answered no to that and the follow-up about whether the PC had covered the possibility of 'spying' by host governments. IMO, the wild west isn't the only place to post "Watch out for the bears" signs.

Have also known many tradional-role PCVs. Good people but, I wonder, what lasting good beyond feel-goodness and PR has resulted from the PC.

Peter V. Bella said...

Aside from wasting a lot of money for doing a lot of nothing- except generating publicity here at home- why do we still have the Peace Corps.?

Col Mustard said...

When Eastern Europe turned to the west, the PC ran programs in many cities hoping to assist small businesses get a grip on capitalism (as if the existing black market economy was clueless). Most of the PCVs were older and were provided with decent apartments and amenities.

After spending a couple of weeks visiting my former business partner-turned PCV, I concluded -

The locals looked on the PCVs as 'gods' who would soon pave the streets with gold. Not unusual when Uncle Sam shows up. However, what funds were available were typically hoarded at HQ level for showy stuff. I'm told love for the USA faded after a couple of years.

I met no PCVs in-country who were motivated by idealism - not deeply anyway. Most came with good intentions, I believe, but soon focused on shopping and sex. Most did not finish their contracts. Voluteers I met were about 50/50 male/female and about 75/25 lib/conservative.

Conversations with PCVs suggested that their training was pretty thin in some respects. One day, my friend was on the phone complaining about something. When he got off, I asked if he considered that his line might be tapped. He answered no to that and the follow-up about whether the PC had covered the possibility of 'spying' by host governments. IMO, the wild west isn't the only place to post "Watch out for the bears" signs.

Have also known many tradional-role PCVs. Good people but, I wonder, what lasting good beyond feel-goodness and PR has resulted from the PC.

Peter V. Bella said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Peter V. Bella said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SC Mike said...

Kate Pusey, the gal brutally murdered in Benin, was the wonderful daughter of two wonderful teachers, now retired from the DOD overseas school system and living it Georgia. She’d grown up in Augsburg, Germany and Okinawa where her parents taught. She and her parents were trusting individuals accustomed to life in areas where the rule of law and cultural norms for polite behavior were strong. Unfortunately, Kate apparently took that outlook with her to Benin, and there’s little evidence that the Peace Corps organization prepared her to be more wary and suspicious than she was.

My wife and I have known the Pusey family for over thirty years and grieved at the news of Kate’s death. I’ve long worried that that organization does not prepare its idealistic young workers for the Bambi versus Godzilla situation they will face in many locations.

Largo said...

Ignore the trolls in the sand traps.