When I was young, the media used to report the truth. They used to have guts and dared to stare the likes of McCarthy in the face without flinching.
Now, the truth is buried; left for those who don't work in newsrooms to mine and uncover.
Most truths are so naked that people feel sorry for them and cover them up, at least a little bit. - Edward R. Murrow
The problem with this is we (the general public) don't have "credentials", so we're easily ignored. Without "credentials", we don't know what we're talking about in the eyes of big guns like the Department of Defense (DOD).
However, just because the likes of Santorum and Limbaugh have access to airwaves and, perhaps, a larger audience, doesn't make them knowledgeable. In fact, I submit to you that since they've never been in the trenches, they don't know diddly-squat.
Just because your voice reaches halfway around the world doesn't mean you are wiser than when it reached only to the end of the bar. - Edward R. Murrow
And yet, they seem to pull more weight with the DOD than those who serve, and have served, in the rank and file to protect the Nation and our Constitution.
The Department of Defense (DOD) still refuses to remove Rush Limbaugh from American Forces Network (or Armed Forces Network) even though two military servicewomen's groups, Service Women's Action Network and VoteVets, have now supported the action, as well as Democratic Senator Carl Levin, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, according to an article in "The New Civil Rights Movement".
Why?
I haven't been able to figure that out yet, because according to the DOD's own sexual harassment definition, Limbaugh's comments are clearly "sexual harassment", and per the DOD, they have "zero tolerance" for sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape.
DOD Directive 1350.2, Enclosure 2, August 18, 1995, the DOD defines sexual harassment as:
E2.1.15. Sexual Harassment. A form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
E2.1.15.1. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person's job, pay, or career, or
E2.1.15.2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or
E2.1.15.3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
This definition emphasizes that workplace conduct, to be actionable as "abusive work environment" harassment, need not result in concrete psychological harm to the victim, but rather need only be so severe or pervasive that a reasonable person would perceive, and the victim does perceive, the work environment as hostile or offensive.
("Workplace" is an expansive term for Military members and may include conduct on or
off duty, 24 hours a day.)
Any person in a supervisory or command position who uses or condones any form of sexual behavior to control, influence, or affect the career, pay, or job of a Military member or civilian employee is engaging in sexual harassment. Similarly, any Military member or civilian employee who makes deliberate or repeated unwelcome verbal comments, gestures, or physical contact of a sexual nature in the workplace is also engaging in sexual harassment.
Every branch of military service has the exact same definition of "sexual harassment" within their regulations and training materials. I was able to locate the
Air Force Military Equal Opportunity Program, the
Navy Regulation, SECNAVINST 5300.26C, dated 17 Oct 1997 (and this is extensive, and good; pdf format), and the
Army Command Procedures, AR 600-20,Chapter 7, 18 March 2008 (also pdf, extensive, and excellent).
I was unable to locate Marine and Coast Guard regulations or training materials on sexual harassment, but they should be in line with the rest of the Services as listed above.
DOD Directive 1350.2 also clearly states the requirements for the MEO program (which is similar to the EEO in the civilian sector):
4.6. Provide for an environment that is free from unlawful discrimination and
sexual harassment. (See items E2.1.15. and E2.1.16., enclosure 2.)
Later revisions to this directive (just one example of many I found), as well as various policy letters from Commanders and regulations within the various branches of the Armed Services all promote a "zero tolerance" policy with regards to sexual harassment. MEO policy is the same as EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) policy for civilians.
Other info on the "Zero Tolerance" policy of sexual harassment can be found here:
1996 article: The Navy and Air Force plan to review the way in which the military's zero-tolerance sexual harassment policy is communicated to their employees in the wake of recent reports of rape, sexual harassment, and other sexual misconduct at two Army training bases.
Department of the Navy, Commander Military Sealift Command, Sexual Harassment Policy Statement, February 11, 2000
Further, within the same directive, as well as Title 10, Section 136 of the United States Code (USC), it is the responsibility of the Under Secretary of the Defense for Personnel and Readiness, who reports to the Secretary of Defense (Leon Panetta... you know, the guy who runs the DOD):
6. RESPONSIBILITIES
6.1. The Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness shall:
6.1.1. Develop overall MEO policy.
6.1.2. Monitor compliance with this Directive.
By ignoring the call of thousands of military (and civilian) personnel to remove Rush Limbaugh from AFN, it's pretty safe to say at this point that the DOD isn't following the law, nor it's own policies and directives.
In an earlier article from "The New Civil Rights Movement", I saw the following statement:
Is there a clear line of cause and effect? There of course are no studies, but common sense would say that when service members listen to a revered 35-year radio talk show commentator who spends hours attacking women and minorities, chances are that is contributing to creating and maintaining a hostile environment.
Well, actually, this is inaccurate. According to a
GAO (General Accounting Office) reportpublished September 21, 2011 (pdf file, and a MOST important read):
Moreover, a 2010 DOD survey, the most recent available, found that, of the active duty servicemembers who reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the preceding 12 months, about half ofwomen and a third of men reported they were also sexually harassed or stalked by the alleged offender before or after the incident.
The DOD's own investigative offices have reported what many military personnel already know: Sexual harassment can, and often does, lead to sexual assault and/or rape.
Leon Panetta and Ashton Carter... you are breaking the law and are not following your own policies.
Time to pull the plug on AFN already, wouldn't you say?
Sun Mar 11, 2012 at 12:16 AM PT:
"The culture has to change, and it has to change from the top down. Rep. Jackie Speier