March 20th
8:58 AM
8:58 AM
March 19th
9:07 AM
9:07 AM
Continued…
The Lewis McChord military facility has the worst record for dealing with post traumatic stress disorder, according to the independent military newspaper Stars and Stripes.
The base was home to the American soldier Robert Bales, who is accused of killing 16 Afghan civilians.
BBC
Just unacceptable.
March 13th
9:57 AM
9:57 AM
What will bring peace?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17349736
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-17334643
The recent news of ever rising tensions between Afghanistan and the United States is disheartening. I can’t help but think of how much more severe the news would hit home if the tables were turned and how it would forever live as a historic turning point. But instead it’s just another piece of news about the instability in the Middle East. Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds are talking about the work week, some personal detail, or KONY. Yet, how is the atrocity committed by one of our own so easily disregarded and swept under the rug as the “same old”? Is it just me who feels that even though this is front page news, my generation just seems to not really care?
BBC paints a picture of a US soldier having a mental breakdown as a possible factor in his massacre of innocent civilians in a nearby farming village where he was stationed. Most of these innocent civilians were women and children. Most lost their entire families and became the sole survivor by acting dead. Most endured the trauma of seeing their loved ones being killed in front of their very eyes. This man has three children of his own.
I can’t help but wonder how unstable or unavailable mental support is for a soldier. How was he allowed to come to this point? Why did he channel his anger or frustration at civilians? Why is this channeling of anger and frustration at civilians a trend among US soldiers? Why was there no preventative measure from this happening? Was he truly the only person involved in this massacre?
The US says it wants peace with Afghanistan, yet actions prove otherwise. Even before this tragic event, citizens of the US disrespected this country in more ways than one. If direct killing was not enough, a US pastor burns the Koran. If violence was not enough, US soldiers humiliate the deceased by urinating on them. What kind of sick, twisted culture is at play in the American military? How are these actions allowed to continue and grow even more disturbing?
I understand that soldiers may need to be dehumanized in order to act as robots when war comes about. But why must compassion be completely absent from warfare? Is that not the only thing that may bring about peace? Am I just too naiive?
Probably.
Prop. 8 : Unconstitutional!
About time!
December 15th
8:54 AM
8:54 AM
US to lower flag to end Iraq war
God bless America. God bless Iraq. God bless the world.
December 14th
10:05 AM
10:05 AM
More women in combat means more mothers with PTSD
There is so much wrong with this article starting from the incredibly patronizing title. Where do I even begin?
Let’s start with the title. “More women in combat means more mothers with PTSD”
Why I’m furious at this title:
1) It links a woman’s inherent role as a mother. Of course because the woman interviewed for this article is a mother, I suppose it relates… but it would have been much less offensive if this article was not gender specific and researched on ALL soldiers (male, female, or in between) who acquired PTSD.
2) The logic that will proceed in most of the minds of people reading this article: So, mothers with PTSD are obviously unfit mothers. Unfit mothers raising children?! Children will become messed up! Mothers should not become soldiers because of their likelihood to get PTSD! Women should not become soldiers because they will get PTSD!
I need to speak with whoever wrote this article or came up with this title and have a lengthy conversation with them about how wrong and ancient their ideas have come off.
I wonder - do they realize that if they replaced “women” with “men” and “mothers” with “fathers” how much more obviously foolish the title would look? They would NEVER put a title like that because it is not in their hetero normative mind to do so. It just frustrates me that people still think this way and even worse perpetuate this belief by publishing such gender specific, gender OFFENSIVE articles like this.
Let’s get into the actual article itself. It begins like predicted, profiling a woman who has served in the army and how her PTSD came about. And then it proceeds to give statistics. Women are getting pretty traumatized because of looking at burning decapitated bodies. (As opposed to men? Who CAN look at all that horror and be okay?)
Then this quote:
“Women tend to be diagnosed more often, at least with our recent returnees, with depression, whereas men are being diagnosed more often with substance abuse,” says Natara Garovoy, program director of the Women’s Prevention, Outreach & Education Center at VA Palo Alto Health Care System.
Let’s see. So, male veterans being diagnosed with substance abuse isn’t as newsworthy as female veterans going crazy and cutting themselves? What? It isn’t an issue that male veterans are going to be UNFIT fathers because of their substance abuse (Probably because of the horrors they saw in war)? Of course not. Because first and foremost their roles aren’t fathers or husbands. No, they were meant for greater things like being an actual soldier. I’m actually surprised that as patronizing and belittling the title is, it didn’t add “More women in combat means more mothers and WIVES with PTSD”.
Then, the article actually says something that alleviates my frustration:
Garovoy says recent studies show the percentage of women veterans suffering from PTSD is on par with the percentage of men: 20%.
“Women are exposed to combat now more than ever before, and they’re proving to be just as resilient to those exposures as men,” she said.
SO WHY THE TITLE? If women and men are suffering from PTSD in an “on par percentage” of 20% and they are “just as resilient to these exposures as men” - WHAT IS THE POINT OF MAKING THIS ARTICLE SO GENDER SPECIFIC AND FOCUSED? WHY CNN? WHY?
Interestingly enough, they compare PTSD to alcoholism when they mentioned substance abuse in men earlier. This article could have been much more interesting and enlightening had it covered PEOPLE, ALL SOLDIERS suffering from PTSD and the horrors that NOBODY should have to go through. By publishing an article with such a title and with such a patronizing, belittling voice throughout - basically victimizing the female soldier - It does NOT do justice to all women soldiers who risk their lives for our country.
To me, what is truly horrifying, is that these conceptions of women still exist, no matter how much we must prove ourselves. Such is the case for homosexual soldiers as well. Unless these conceptions become obsolete, I feel as though we are not paying true homage to ALL the soldiers working to keep safety in our country.
November 22nd
11:29 AM
11:29 AM
She could leave.
Right this moment, she could do it. She imagined herself packing the only suitcase she owned, the blue reflection of the night hitting her face, almost revealing her, rushing her and urging her.
She tossed onto her side, her arm settling on the carpet. Her hands traced near her eyes, feeling the crust that was once moisture and felt that it had formed a pattern all their own.
She sat up and sighed lightly and stared at the bed that was now eye level with her. Her eyes lingered on his back that was moving up and down and for a moment she forgot what had happened and longed desperately to hold him.
As her gaze fell from his steel-like back and onto her arm that had the carpet patterns imprinted like a tattoo, she remembered why the smell of the gray fibers were so near her in the first place. She stood up as quietly as she could, fearing that he would wake. She walked out into the hall and went into her younger daughter’s bedroom.
As she walked slowly to the bed with flowered sheets she saw that the light from the window shone on her child’s face in the most beautiful way she had ever seen in her life. Her face was round and full of brightness even during her slumber. Her mouth was slightly ajar, revealing her missing front tooth that had fallen out just a couple of hours ago.
It warmed and comforted her heart in a way that she thought was impossible. So, she sat on the edge of the bed and inched herself next to her daughter and lay still. She hugged and kissed her until she felt the calm in her heart signaling her to sleep.
Finally drowsy with both sorrow and comfort, she fell asleep, just as the yellow of dawn welcomed another day.
(c) YH PARK
September 29th
10:36 AM
10:36 AM
Active Feminism
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-15102190 : Saudi women easing into driving
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15052030 : Saudi women to get right to vote
The recent news about Saudi women gaining more and more freedom and obtaining the rights they have deserved all along makes me ecstatic. It is not that I am content simply because they are now legally allowed to do things that we as Americans have thought was natural for quite some time now, it is the fact that the mindset of these nations are slowly beginning to realize that a) women are capable of independent thinking, and b) women are able to stand alone apart from their male counterparts. It is interesting when we, in the Western world, cannot help but view certain narrow minded societies and think, ‘how much more we have progressed than them’, when frankly, although it may not be as apparent, the Western mindset still has much work to be done.
It is refreshing to see such an active change in a society that is still very rigid towards women. I hope that the progress continues but that the feminism that is churning there gives birth to new ideas and new ways to think of feminism. I hope that it will not become a passive, westernized feminism but rather a feminism that is unique to Saudi women. Where their beliefs and their rights as women mesh in a way that develops into an arena that facilitates new discussions and new theories and possible solutions to revive the feminism that seems rather dulled in our own society.
In our society it is no longer “hip” to be feminists, most say it’s no longer necessary, and my greatest disappointment – some women perpetuate certain stereotypes and agree with issues that continue to justify that the “greater” sex is male. Some people refuse to believe the fluidity of sexuality or worse, are repulsed by anything other than the norm. Feminism is not only a movement about women – it is the movement that seeks to change the norm, seeks justice for those oppressed by any categorization they may be placed or forced in, and demands solutions to the betterment of people so we can truly strive towards equality for all. It is a beautiful movement, and while the Saudi community is just experiencing the sparks of it, it feels like in my country, it has been stagnant for quite some time and people can no longer see it’s tremendous worth.
I realize that putting up a blog post about our need to revive feminism may be pretty passive. But, I try and do my part – declaring my feminist identity, speaking out about my beliefs… I too need to find more active routes to begin change.
On another note, about driving – I have recently started driving myself to work all alone, and slowly relearning the skill of driving. I had driven myself in high school for a couple months, but I lacked real confidence. I think I have gained a different, newer confidence in driving recently (most probably because I’ve been practicing steadily for the entire summer). I remember my college essay, I wrote about driving. About feeling the independence. Gaining the freedom to go wherever I wanted whenever I wanted. It is still such an important challenge for me – I hope to face and conquer this challenge of mine, once and for all.
I also hope for the renewed confidence in women all over the world, by the new developments for Saudi women so that they may truly make a stand and live the life they deserve.
