For God and Country
A judge has set aside a Ft. Benning soldier's conviction for child enticement, sentencing him instead to six months for simple misdemeanor battery and six months for felony sexual battery, with six of those months to be served on probation.
Further, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Brown, 28, may ''continue his career in the military if a panel convened by the Army to hear his case decides it is in the service's best interest to retain him" ("Soldier Gets Six Months in Jail for Kissing 14-year-old.'') The headline reads, ''for kissing,'' but there is also the matter of driving her to a ''remote cul-de-sac'' for the peck on the cheek.
''A jury on March 21 found Brown guilty of enticing a child for an indecent act, but not guilty of child molestation, opting instead for conviction on the misdemeanor simple battery charge.'' Although Brown was sentenced as for a misdemeanor, ''the sexual battery charge remains a felony conviction.''
For the sake of argument, let's imagine these were two gay soldiers exchanging a kiss. Under the Don't ask, don't tell policy, they'd be out on their asses. Yet the hetero sex felon Brown is given every break in the book. On the bright side, Brown probably didn't make the girl wear a hijab.
Does this seem inconsistent to anyone else.
Further, Staff Sergeant Jimmy Brown, 28, may ''continue his career in the military if a panel convened by the Army to hear his case decides it is in the service's best interest to retain him" ("Soldier Gets Six Months in Jail for Kissing 14-year-old.'') The headline reads, ''for kissing,'' but there is also the matter of driving her to a ''remote cul-de-sac'' for the peck on the cheek.
''A jury on March 21 found Brown guilty of enticing a child for an indecent act, but not guilty of child molestation, opting instead for conviction on the misdemeanor simple battery charge.'' Although Brown was sentenced as for a misdemeanor, ''the sexual battery charge remains a felony conviction.''
For the sake of argument, let's imagine these were two gay soldiers exchanging a kiss. Under the Don't ask, don't tell policy, they'd be out on their asses. Yet the hetero sex felon Brown is given every break in the book. On the bright side, Brown probably didn't make the girl wear a hijab.
Does this seem inconsistent to anyone else.
posted by rangeragainstwar at 10:15 AM
3 Comments:
Jerry Lee Lewis would probably have a comment.
It is inconsistent, of course. Several things have been inconsistent about handling of criminal or disciplinary issues since this war began. For instance, those who declare themselves conscientious objectors and refuse to go to Iraq, or like Lt. Watada, dispute the legality of the war, have been pretty aggressively prosecuted. But those who merely desert quietly are not brought up on charges. My son, medical'd out of the Army last spring, was an NCO with a couple guys in his unit who deserted right before deployment of said unit to Kuwait/Iraq. He begged his superiors to take disiplinary action. None was taken, the guys were eventually retrieved, in one case by my son locating the guy a couple states away at his grandparents' house. He informed the kid's veteran grand-dad that "No, he isn't on leave, he is AWOL and went right before he was to go overseas." Grandpa threw the kid out and he returned to base. NOTHING happened to this young man.
And it wasn't the first time he did it. But he didn't call CNN or get his name in the paper. So, I guess desertion is ok, long as you don't make a point of telling the news about it or saying it is because the war is wrong. If it is just fear, for instance. I guess the crime isn't refusal to deploy, but TALKING about it. Like your example...I mean kissing underage girls is just a guy having fun, right; not like those perverted gays or anything. (turning off sarcasm font now)
Labrys,
The deserters are the gorilla in the room. And yes, we do still suffer the ''boys will be boys'' mentality, for all the propaganda use they can milk out of allowing for women's rights in the Arab world.
Jim hasn't worn a uniform for a while, but he was always amazed at the subtle forms of sexism he witnessed in the military.
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