POW Jessica was tortured

New York Daily News ^ | 4/03/02 | MAKI BECKER

[conservababeJen]

I read this entire thread, and I am truly saddened by the discourse from Jessica'a heroics to hypothetical of Jessica being raped and impregnated. It is obvious that Jessica was tortured (the two broken legs) any other therorizing on what else may have happened to her during her captivity is, in my opinion, furthering the torture started by the Iraqis. She is 19 years old. There is a reason news outlets do not publish the names of rape victims...yet here we sit, safe and sound at our keyboards, taking the horror Jessica (and other American POWs) face and contorting them to our own political agendas. Let it go folks...say a prayer for her recovery (physical as well as emotional), and let her heal. Let her family heal. She (again) is only 19--last year her biggest problem was maybe finding a dress for her prom, and now she is the flashpoint for women in the military, enlisting for college money, and (now) even abortion. All of that and the emotional (being ready to die at 19) and physical (two broken legs, at broken, arm, gun shot wounds) trauma, and now a nation theorizes of what 'else' may have happened. Post traumatic stress is very real--adding additional problems (in the public forum) does her no good. God bless Jessica, and all the young women and men serving our Country

You mentioned that "theorizing" "furthers the torture started by the Iraqis"...and you suggested that these comments "in the public forum" does her no good or adds to her "post traumatic stress". I find this (with all due respect) ridiculous. FR is a discussion forum. We are here to discuss issues & theorize. Granted, some opinions may not be PC or warm & fuzzy to some, but isn't that what makes an opinion an opinion?
Again...
I address this with all due respect, NOT to inflame.

[LibWhacker]

Are they really different or only qualitatively so?

Just throwing this out there for the sake of argument, but sadism seems to be a profound character flaw. OTOH, there is nothing in general to suggest that a military interrogator, say, who is applying a little physical pressure to a prisoner in order to extract some specific piece of information, has a flawed character.

The one would gladly torture anyone [he could get away with torturing] for as long as possible. The other would have little or no interest in doing that.

Iraqis, at least those in the Baath Party, all seem to be genuine sadists.

[conservababeJen]

If this young woman was Raped by these blood-thirsty animals, why should she be forced to carry their child.

Because it's a "child" (by your own words). 9 months is 9 months but a dead child is dead forever.

[TankerKC]

Thanks for the feedback.

...and I should not have jumped on you. Truce.

[far sider]

good enough for me

[ezone]

we should honor his request , and strip him of all rights and benefits of service . the marines don't need a coward behind them in war . semper fi

[Trailerpark Badass]

And that is all i'll say on THAT topic.

Somehow I doubt it.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Not trying to fan flames either...BUT...though I do agree that FR is a discussion forum, and the the reason we are all here is to discuss our opinions, we cross a line when our theories collide with another human beings right to privacy. No one on this board is more pro-life than I am, but to take the 'abortion in the case of rape argument' and pin it to a specific young woman, (named in the media--again, something never done in rape cases) is wrong (IMO). (To this day, most media will not print the name of the Central Park wilding rape victim--do you remember the outrage when her name was 'outed' by supporters of the gang?) What purpose does it serve discuss one specific woman (Jessica Lynch) with a possible rape/pregnancy? Do we need all of intimate details to agree that the Iraqis' treat POWs (as well as their own people) as less than human. That they (the followers of Saddam) are barbarians. Why do we need to 'theorize' what specifically happened to Jessica Lynch during her time as a POW?

Because of the events she was involved in, Jessica will from this point forward be a public figure. She will undoubtedly have physical pain and scars that she will hae to live with. She will undoubtedly suffer from some level of 'post traumatic stress' (which by the way is a real ailment--used to be called battle fatigue) that she will have to heal from as well. Does she really need people discussing whether or not she was raped/soddamized. Did she get pregnant? Did she abort or did the Army make her abort? Have we (as a forum) ever theorized a specific situation like this before? I don't think so. Pfc. Lynch needs to heal and get healthy. Her emotional and physcial state should NOT be a topic of discussion.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

You should have been there on the Elizabeth Smart threads - there was some real fine theorizing there, enough to make someone puke.

[F16Fighter]

"I hope scum like Dershowitz who suggested we use torture read this article. Just say no to torture."

But then again, "torture" is a relative term, is it not?

For instance, having to watch Alan Dersh-Bag's face on CNN is "torture" to me...

[mdmathis6]

We don't know she is pregnant.....

[AlGone2001]

unaffiliated1 signed up 2003-03-26.
This account has been banned

[HairOfTheDog]

Yesterday I heard a truly idiotic person call up some radio talk show and say something to the effect of, "Maybe Jessica's being a woman was to her advantage. Maybe that's why they allowed her to live."

If the story stays true that the rest of her unit and/or other US prisoners found at the site were killed, perhaps the caller is right. We could argue that it might have been an advantage then, could we not?

[conservababeJen]

We don't know she is pregnant.....

Did I say anywhere that she was?

[HairOfTheDog]

I read this entire thread, and I am truly saddened by the discourse from Jessica'a heroics to hypothetical of Jessica being raped and impregnated.

It is obvious that Jessica was tortured (the two broken legs) any other therorizing on what else may have happened to her during her captivity is, in my opinion, furthering the torture started by the Iraqis. She is 19 years old. There is a reason news outlets do not publish the names of rape victims...yet here we sit, safe and sound at our keyboards, taking the horror Jessica (and other American POWs) face and contorting them to our own political agendas. Let it go folks...say a prayer for her recovery (physical as well as emotional), and let her heal. Let her family heal. She (again) is only 19--last year her biggest problem was maybe finding a dress for her prom, and now she is the flashpoint for women in the military, enlisting for college money, and (now) even abortion. All of that and the emotional (being ready to die at 19) and physical (two broken legs, at broken, arm, gun shot wounds) trauma, and now a nation theorizes of what 'else' may have happened. Post traumatic stress is very real--adding additional problems (in the public forum) does her no good.

God bless Jessica, and all the young women and men serving our Country.

Such an excellent post. The whole thing. I am also disturbed at this thread.

[HairOfTheDog]

Conservatives behaving badly. That is what it is.

[mdmathis6]

Just responding to several posts that seem to be running ahead of known facts...wasn't trying to criticize any-one personally. I'm sure a serum HCG will be run in Germany if she was raped, and it will be up to Jessica with family support to deal with the after-math if it is positive. I could just see the political can of worms being opened up in this country should Jessica find her-self pregnant!

[pttttt]

There's also a black lady, to the best of my knowledge who's a POW.

If she and the others on that unconscionable POW video are still alive. Prayers for them and their families.

[k2blader]

Essentially, the caller was attempting to support the idea of women in combat roles by arguing that women taken as POW's will be treated better because they're women.

My response would be this:

You idiot. The Iraqis did not let Jessica live, nor would they allow any female POW to live, out of the kindness of their hearts. They likely kept her alive to rape or torture her. And if you really think that's an "advantage," I'd hate to live in your warped little world.

[conservababeJen]

Conservatives behaving badly. That is what it is.

Says you. *rolleyes*
I see alotta PC in the house.

My prayers go out To Jessica Lynch and her family.