Another Rant About Whitey
Every once in a while I get an email forward that resonates. Not in the way that yesterday's resonated, but strikes a chord that makes me jump up and say, "DAMN STRAIGHT!"
Such is the case of Army Spec. Shoshana Johnson. Spec. Johnson became an Iraqi POW in the same raid that brought Jessica Lynch such fame and fortune. Why then, even with all of the information that proves how much of a PR stunt Ms. Lynch's rescue was, has Ms. Johnson been forgotten?
You know what I think and I challenege anyone to prove me wrong. America just doesn't want to embrace an African American woman as a hero.
After the cut, is the email I received with the latest details of how the government is playing unfairly with Spec. Johnson when compared to the way they treat Ms. Lynch. Do something, people. Email your Congressional representation. Don't know how? Here you go. Look up your Senator Here and your House Rep Here. Speak your mind, sound off. Fight the Power, yo.
Army Spec. Shoshana Johnson, the African American women who was held prisoner of war in the U.S. invasion of Iraq, was looking forward to a quiet discharge from the Army in a few days. Battle scarred and weary, she has said not a word as her fellow POW comrade in arms Jessica Lynch cashes in with book and movie deals and a celebrity status in the media. But it is the Army that is forcing Johnson to break her peace.
A few days ago, military brass informed her that she would receive a 30 percent disability benefit for her injuries. Lynch, who is White, was discharged in August and will receive an 80 percent disability benefit. The difference amounts to $600 or $700 a month in payments, and that is causing Johnson and her family to speak out. The are so troubled by what they see as a "double standard," that they have enlisted Rev. Jesse Jackson to help make their case to the news media. Jackson, who plans to plead Johnson's cause with the White House, the Pentagon and members of Congress, says the payment smacks a double standard and racism. "Here's a case of two women, same [unit], same war; everything about their service commitment and their risk is equal. . . . Yet there's an enormous contrast between how the military has handled these two cases," Jackson told The Washington Post.
Johnson's father, Claude Johnson, himself an Army veteran, says that while neither he nor his family begrudge Lynch her celebrity or disability payments, he believes that his daughter should get her due, and it is more than a 30 percent disability benefit. For its part, the Army, in denying charges of double standard, said Friday that claims are awarded to soldiers according to their injuries. Johnson, 30, the mother of a 3-year-old daughter, was held captive for 22 days, when her unit stumbled into an ambush in southern Iraq last March. Eleven solders were killed, and six, including Lynch and Johnson, were taken prisoners. Johnson was shot in both legs and is still traumatized by her war experience.. In addition to walking with a limp, she suffers from bouts of depression..
So I ask that you forward this email on to all and inform others of this latest racial attack. Forget about the destroying of stamps, forget about Kobe, forget about Micheal Jordan getting fired and fight for the rights of this strong Black Woman!!!
So here's my letter to my Senators and Representative.
Dear-
My name is Ernesto Cruz and I currently reside in Lawrence. I'm writing today to discuss the fate of one of our fine women in uniform. Army Spec. Shoshana Johnson was caputred by the Iraqi Army in the same raid in which Pfc. Jessica Lynch became a POW. While I can reconcile the difference in treatment that these two brave Americans have received at the hands of the media, I cannot make sense of how differently our government has dealt with these two women.
While Pfc. Lynch will receive an 80% disability benefit, Spec. Johnson will only be receiving a 30% benefit. All reports I have seen have listed Spec. Johnson's wounds as more severe and long-term than Pfc. Lych's, which leads me to question how the US Army can shortchange as fine an American as Spec. Johnson. This discrepancy sends a startling tone to our many brave Americans stationed in Iraq.
I hope whomever reads this email will deem it a crucial enough issue to pass it along to a supervisor who will pass it along until it reaches the Senator's desk. I am loathe to accuse my government of racism, however when dealing with the same government that passed the Dawes Act all those many years ago, I have to wonder what is really going on.
Thank you for your time
Nenie
Not to make light of Ms. Lynch's ordeal, but did anyone else think of Wag the Dog when the story first broke? I mean, it's all propaganda. People would rather cheer for the quiet homegrown white girl than the black girl, cuz she represents the country better. Or rather, the mediadministration would like to believe.
But this 50% difference is horrible. I don't necessarily think it's racist, but it does show prejudice and bias. Kinda makes you wonder who reviews these cases and approves the disability benefits.
For what it's worth, BBC News reported that Jessica Lynch was raped while held hostage. Hit up the story here.
Interesting. I still don't know what to think about this whole thing. And yes, I did think Wag the Dog when this story broke. I still think of that movie every time I read about this war.
Sadly, this is just one example of how stupid the disability rules are. The mother of a friend of mine had to go to court to have her disability changed from 50% to 100% after 20 years in the service. She had surgery for lung cancer and has had 5 heart procedures in the last 3 years after she was first misdiagnosed by a base doctor 8 years ago. She wasn't even allowed to retire when she wanted to because of shortages caused by cutbacks. As members of my family and those of my friends are retiring now after 20+ years in the services, and people I grew up with are going in, the shoddy treatment of enlisted troops has become more apparent to me. As much as I think the handling of Spec. Johnson has been wrong, I think time would be better spent appealing for more funding to go towards the troops as a whole.
And you're right about that, more funding to the troops is a good idea. However, I've noticed that it's hard to get attention to something as sensible as giving all troops more money.
Results seem better when you have one very sexy example to jump up and down about.