Much has been said about Jamie Leigh Jones, the woman whose rape spawned Al Franken's anti-rape amendment. But there's another woman, whose story hasn't been told lately, whose rape and murder should be part of the discussion. LaVena Johnson, a 19-year-old soldier from Missouri, was found in a tend belonging to KBR. According to forensic evidence, she had been dragged there. She had abrasions all over her body, burned hands, burned genitals, a black eye and a bullet hole in her head. Her death was ruled, inexplicably, a suicide.
LaVena Johnson's parents, Dr. John Johnson and Linda, quite obviously, don't buy it.
LaVena Johnson was an honor roll student. She had a future.
Please watch the Democracy Now video of her parents (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di6bKFNGGxg). Sorry, I'm a bozo and can't figure out how to embed this. If someone else can, please do.
I am glad Jamie Leigh Jones lived to tell her tale. But she is not telling her story; she is telling the story of LaVena Johnson and all the women who can no longer speak for themselves. These are women for who "mediation" is no longer an option.
I am sorry for the short length of this diary, but, while we are complaining about the Congresscritters who are denying Jamie Leigh Jones the ability to speak about what happened to her, it is well to remember LaVena Johnson and the other women who cannot speak for themselves. These are people who are earning millions of dollars to do our soldiers' work. Much more per employee than our soldiers earn.
That is not to say that I think our soldiers are blame-free; indeed, they may have been involved in the rape and murder of LaVena. It occasionally drives me nuts to see the posts that assume that just because someone puts on a military uniform, that person is worthy of respect. There are bad soldiers just like there are bad teachers and bad cops. A uniform doesn't make you a good person.
LaVena's parents deserve to see the truth come out.