WEEK 2: Lavena Johnson: A Surprise or A Reoccurrence

Although my topic can be very broad, when I chose it I did so because of one issue that has arose in recent years. Lavena Johnson was a 19 year old Army soldier who was killed while serving in Iraq. Johnson was the first woman soldier from Missouri to die while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. Although the Army ruled it a suicide, all of the evidence collected proves otherwise. This is a perfect instance of not only racial, but sexual discrimination that exists in our military system today.

Lavena Johnson was a 19 year old African American woman who was raped and murdered by someone from her own base, and the Army covered it up probably so they wouldn't deface the criminals who committed this heinous crime. There were bruises all over her body as well as burn marks around her vaginal area, suggesting someone trying to burn away any possible DNA evidence that might lead to the actual truth. Johnson's parents have turned in every possible direction to find answers, even to Congress, the one body of people that can hold the military accountable, and they have still been denied the truth.

Lavena Johnson's story is one horrible example of the discrimination that black people as well as women are still facing in the armed forces, and this is something that absolutely cannot be tolerated. You can read more about what women think of the issue at Salon, a women's rights website.

WEEK 1: Discrimination in the Military: A Surprise or a Reoccurring Trend

Racism and sexism are two issues that are ongoing in society today; as much as we would like to say our country is "free" and "equal," it's not. The fact that we have to deal with this in everyday life is a shame, but the fact that the people who are fighting to defend this "freedom" and this "equality" is even worse.

In recent years, more and more instances of racial and sexual discrimination have been showing up in our armed forces, and the stories are getting worse and worse. Our soldiers are out there fighting one battle, the battle for freedom from other countries, they shouldn't be forced to fight two battles at one time. It shouldn't matter where you came from or what kind of background you came from, when soldiers are giving their lives for this country, they should all be on the same side and not have to worry about battling with their own.

I was interested in this issue because I think that even through these harsh times of war people still can't put their prejudices aside to help out the country as a whole. This is to me a reason why I think as long as this country is alive, the U.S.A. will never be able to get over its prejudice issues.