Lets make one thing abundantly clear in no way am I downplaying the accusations against Bill Cosby. They are very serious and my prayers go out to the victims and their families? as they tread down a long painful road that sexual assault victims like myself know all too well. However, it is very important that the Department of the Navy and The Department Of Defense? are called out on their hypocrisy.
If you have been following the news you are more than likely aware that sexual assault in the Armed Services is rampant. Whats even more disturbing is that many victims are met with hostility, retaliation, and are pushed out of the military while their attackers go unpunished.
While there is no question Cosby should have his rank revoked and much more severe consequences this does nothing for victims of Military Sexual Violence. This just seems like an easy way for the Navy and DoD to publicly say they take accusations of sexual violence seriously while time and time again they have shown they really don’t.
New policies have been introduced to combat sexual violence in the military.? However, these policies have done nothing in the way of changing the attitude Command has toward victims and has done nothing to fend off retaliation against victims. Our service members deserve better than this.
If you or someone you care about is a victim of sexual violence or Military Sexual Violence please don’t hesitate? to use these resources:
David Christopher is a veteran, proud liberal, and a New Jersey native. He served as an Infantryman in the U.S. Army and is a PTS and MST survivor. David is a devout Episcopal, a feminist, sex positive, and a strong supporter of LGBT rights. The only strong hatreds he has are toward the Boston Red Sox, The New England Patriots, and The New York Rangers.
