Understanding Military Sexual Trauma

I recently attended a college lecture on Military Sexual Trauma. It was very interesting to me since I hadn't heard to much about it before class today, excluding a few incidents that had made the press in the past few years. Speaking from the perspective of a male it is difficult for me to completely understand the destructive capability of such trauma and I think it is certainly something that needs to be addressed. However, I'm not convinced that just pointing the finger at the military and saying that prevention is what should be sought will work. I think it is clear that even with our open jury system, active campaigns against rape, self-defense programs, and other such initiatives rape is still something that remains a huge concern in the civilian realm as well. I see the problem as far more comprehensive and something that men, rather than being blamed and generalized for, would need just as much -if not more- help in overcoming their violent sexual tendencies as well as a comprehensive designation of those that have committed these disgusting acts and those men who have no involvement in these acts and truly are living up to the standard of the American Soldier we as civilians expect them to be (In essence no witch hunts).

I think it is important to keep in mind also the conditions that the military and men are under to deal with this position. At this point I take up an argument Cortwright made in his book Gandhi and Beyond, in a different context. He argued that living his safe, protected middle class life, it wasn't his place to assert a solution on people whose situation he had never lived and could never understand. I assert the same in this context. Although I think no action would be an appalling disgrace, I think it is necessary to remember the context of our analysis. It isn't our right to stand in judgement and make accusations while we sit comfortably in our homes in a stable society and environment, free to practice our lifestyles as we would like. On the other hand, those serving our country are not afforded those luxuries of life. They face constant peril, limited lifestyles, loneliness, and a whole slew of other life dilemmas. I am not explicating this as an excuse for the rape and trauma, it is just merely something we should keep in mind when making judgement statements.