I have a request for those of you who would like to honor Veterans Day but aren't sure what you can do this holiday weekend to make that happen. The ground breaking film, The Invisible War, has been released to iTunes; for $4.99 you can rent the film and for $19.99 you can buy it. It's also available on Amazon.com; for $3.99 you can rent the film for three days or you can outright buy the movie for $14.99.
Sit down with a friend, grab a box of tissues, and watch this moving documentary as way of letting veterans know that you care about the issues that matter to them.
Haven't heard of The Invisible War? Give the trailer a watch:
Just this week, an Army Brigadier General is facing trial for having inappropriate relationships with five women, none of whom were his wife. At least two of those women have been punished for their role - following the orders of their superior officer. Once again, women are being accused of adultery to make this appear as if they were on equal footing with the man given responsibility by our government to help them be the best that they could be.
A married captain gave into the General's request for nude photos though she sent him ones where faces were cropped out so he couldn't tell that they weren't pictures of herself.
Another woman testified that General Sinclair, her direct supervisor at the time, forced her to perform oral sex. She and her family were threatened with death if she spoke. Threats and forced sex are not the actions of an adulterer but of a sexual predator.
Another who served as company commander for the General has been punished for indecent acts. She willing sent photos and video to the General and that was enough to condemn her in the eyes of the military justice system.
If you have the stomach for it, you can read more at The Washington Post.
Zero tolerance will never exist as long as commanding officers take part in sexual abuse and sexual harassment. My guess is that this Brigadier General has long been known as a sexual predator. My guess is that women have warned each other to stay out of his command if at all possible. My guess is that a few former bosses have known and turned a blind eye because they didn't want to make a stink.
I'm glad someone finally came to their senses and put this man on trial.
If you would like to see the Department of Defense use The Invisible War to train it's officers in how to better understand sexual predators and how they work, then please sign the petition. We're looking for 10,000 signatures by the end of the weekend. We're more than halfway there.
Happy Veterans Day.