Isabel Garcia and LaVena Johnson - Important Stories you can’t miss
I apologize for posts coming a little slowly for the past month or so. Preparing for the big move on July 4th, Blogging While Brown and for the business conference I am attending right now has been a little distracting. Next week, we’re gonna get back into “it” full tilt, so fasten your seat belts.
In the meantime, there are important stories that I’ve not addressed here. I want to make sure you don’t miss them. So please follow the links below for the latest news you won’t find on cable.
An Arizona talk radio jock commits simulated rape on an effigy of a Latina activist. This whole scenario is a gross display of sexism, racism and depravity all mixed together and necessitates protest.
From Nezua, The Unapologetic Mexican
Now, I’m not here to just share anger. This is an assault not just on those who would stand for human rights and for the voiceless, this is an assault on women, on powerful women, on public defenders, and on the first amendment right, which Isabel exercised and which set off this vengeful, sick retribution by a grinning, sweaty, leering radio personality too used to privilege and the unchecked power to spread mental dis ease and instigate harm.
I want your help. I am asking for your help. Allies, feminists, males, white, brown, black, golden, all of us. We need to strike hard at this type of scourge. Jon Justice and his Rape Fantasy Revenge
Any American with a television has heard the details of how Pat Tillman was mistakenly killed by US Forces in Afghanistan, despite the military’s best efforts to obscure that truth. But unless you are an avid blog reader, you may have never heard the name of Private Lavena Johnson. Finally, due to the unrelenting coverage by black bloggers and their allies, her story is reaching the mainstream blogs. Which, if past is prologue, means that the MSM will not be far behind. Maybe now Soldier Johnson’s family will finally get the justice they deserve.
In July 2005, 19-year-old Johnson became the first female soldier from Missouri to die in Iraq. She was found with a broken nose, black eye and loose teeth, acid burns on her genitals, presumably to eliminate DNA evidence of rape, a trail of blood leading away from her tent and a bullet hole in her head. Unbelievably, that’s not the most horrifying part of the story. Here’s what is: Army investigators ruled her death a suicide. The tragic story of LaVena Johnson
Momentum is building in our efforts to gain Justice for LaVena Johnson!
The love and persistence of her family in the three years since LaVena was killed has been remarkable. The online activism of Philip Barron of Wave Flux, Shakesville has been equally remarkable. In fact, it was Bro. Barron’s LaVena Johnson Petition that created the first call to action as he collected 12,000 signatures to be delivered to the Armed Services Committee.
‘Original Villager’ Danielle Vyas created an online petition calling on Congress and the President to re-open her case. She plans to close out her online petition when it reaches 3000 signatures. Currently, 1837 signatures have been collected. Have you signed it yet? Online activism for LaVena Johnson gaining momentum
Posted by: Carmen D. in 
Rape is funny? I just heard today the asinine “joke” of McCain. Any man who jokes about rape should serve a week in the prison system, where unfortunately many a man is forcefully raped. Bet they wouldn’t joke so much anymore.
2,331 signatures have been so far collected on the Justice for LaVena Johnson petition.
At this rate we can hope to close the petition by the end of the week and promote promote promote the mighty and professional efforts of Color of Change. Their petition is available here.
Glad I caught a feed subscription.
Wishing you light and love
Danielle Vyas
July 29th, 2008 at 10:07 am -Thanx for sharing this information on LaVena Johnson with your blog readers. I hadn’t heard of the Arizona shock-jock issue. I’m heading to the link in your post to learn more…
peace, Villager
July 29th, 2008 at 11:23 am -Carmen, thanks for this post….but in all honesty I cannot continue to read your threads if you allow racist trolls like Jerry C to post. Why on earth have you not banned this ignorant puss-pie?
July 30th, 2008 at 4:13 am -*gasps* Kai, I apologize to you and others for not moderating his insulting, ignorant comments that appeared on this thread. I’ve been away from the computer immersed in a business seminar and won’t have much access until Friday.
Well, I’ve learned my lesson. Allowing him to post had more to do with my dogged hope that he might read something that would trigger at least some soul searching and even a faint interest in dialogue. I know, I know, he will never get it and has no interest in any kind of two-way conversation. He’s even over at AOL calling me names using various handles.
His lack of basic human decency is not my problem.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:51 am -Carmen, ah thank you! No worries, it’s not your fault that racist fools…are racist fools! And I would have kept on reading your posts, just not the threads…but I’m much happier being able to read and participate in the threads too!
July 31st, 2008 at 9:38 am -LaVena Johnson (In Memorial)
Just when you think you’ve heard it all,
Another name is slammed into a brick wall,
LaVena Johnson an Army Private First Class,
Is she the first? Certainly this PFC isn’t the last.
Is it any wonder Osama Bin Laden can’t be found?
With a criminal loose in our camp running around,
Destroying evidence, burning bodies, again & again,
Calling themselves soldiers, claiming they are men.
What a shame when the real enemy is on the same side,
Behind the color of camaraderie these cowards hide,
Punched in the face, loose teeth, she was only 5 feet 1,
The Army claims its suicide, that’s all, over and done.
How many before shooting themselves bust their own lip,
Severe enough to the point it needs more than one stitch,
Surprisingly they didn’t say she tried to saw herself in half,
Which lie would be easier to swallow? You do the math.
So, how did that chemical burn get on her private parts?
Oh yeah, maybe a tattoo, some kind of new wave art,
Why would someone waste time getting rid of DNA?
Just maybe without detection they’re free to get away.
The U.S. Army actually tried lying, hooray for her dad,
He gave that crap the smell test and oh did it smell bad,
7/19/05 her dead body found in a contractor’s tent, HBR,
Broken nose, black eye, shot in the head and body scars.
Military personnel or civilians aren’t we on the same side?
Who is the American Government protecting, why that lie?
Had to be someone with pull to get her alone, you’d think,
I don’t have to be standing next to skunk to know it stinks.
Where’s Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the infamous NAACP?
She could not have been more violated, do you not agree?
A 19-year-old honor student should be shown more respect,
But, this is how she’s being treated. Hey! What the heck?
Can’t call it racial because all women are treated the same,
Even academies and bases in the states there is this claim,
We are truly near the end of days soon God will work it out,
Vengeance will certainly be more than a punch in the mouth.
The Uniform Code Of Military Justice aka the U.C.M.J.,
But, where is this promise for LaVena, her assailant got away,
Judging by the condition of her remains, she put up a fight,
Now John and Linda Johnson are paving the road to right.
Funny thing though, seems they have a roadblock in Iraq,
It’s from the U.S. Army, who supposedly has their back,
The saying, “with friends like these who needs enemies?”
Guess the Army thinks first the perpetrator said, “please?”
Here’s a little something to me that is simply down right scary,
The hole in her head was from a pistol, which she did not carry,
Oh yeah, if you think that’s something how does this fact sound?
The fatal bullet that went through her head was never even found.
If there ever was this kind of incompetence in World War II,
Adolph Hitler or his off spring would be telling us what to do,
Oops, I don’t mean us because there’d be no Blacks or Jews,
And only if the Furor liked Mexican food maybe a Hispanic or 2.
Whomever, wherever, whatever, an injustice did occur,
We can’t make it right for others without justice for her,
Hey, White House, the most powerful office in the world,
Do you have the gonads to speak out for this Johnson girl?
A petition was signed that is over twelve thousand strong,
The Army closed the case anyway saying nothing’s wrong,
Nothing like U.S. Intelligence, it’s the reason for the attack,
If they hadn’t been storing WMD’s we wouldn’t be in Iraq.
Poems By Luke Easter
July 31st, 2008 at 11:49 pm -Hey Luke, welcome to the conversation. Thank you for sharing your poetry with us. I am honored that you would choose to do that here.
August 1st, 2008 at 6:48 pm -LaVena Johnson (In Memorial) Where Is The Justice?
Just when you think you’ve heard it all,
Another name is slammed into a brick wall,
LaVena Johnson an Army Private First Class,
Is she the first? Certainly this PFC isn’t the last.
Is it any wonder Osama Bin Laden can’t be found?
With a criminal loose in our camp running around,
Destroying evidence, burning bodies, again & again,
Calling themselves soldiers, claiming they are men.
What a shame when the real enemy is on the same side,
Behind the color of camaraderie these cowards hide,
Punched in the face, loose teeth, she was only 5 feet 1,
The Army claims its suicide, that’s all, over and done.
How many before shooting themselves bust their own lip,
Severe enough to the point it needs more than one stitch,
Surprisingly they didn’t say she tried to saw herself in half,
Which lie would be easier to swallow? You do the math.
So, how did that chemical burn get on her private parts?
Oh yeah, maybe a tattoo, some kind of new wave art,
Why would someone waste time getting rid of DNA?
Just maybe without detection they’re free to get away.
The U.S. Army actually tried lying, hooray for her dad,
He gave that crap the smell test and oh did it smell bad,
7/19/05 her dead body found in a contractor’s tent, HBR,
Broken nose, black eye, shot in the head and body scars.
Military personnel or civilians aren’t we on the same side?
Who is the American Government protecting, why that lie?
Had to be someone with pull to get her alone, you’d think,
I don’t have to be standing next to skunk to know it stinks.
Where’s Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the infamous NAACP?
She could not have been more violated, do you not agree?
A 19-year-old honor student should be shown more respect,
But, this is how she’s being treated. Hey! What the heck?
Can’t call it racial because all women are treated the same,
Even academies and bases in the states there is this claim,
We are truly near the end of days soon God will work it out,
Vengeance will certainly be more than a punch in the mouth.
The Uniform Code Of Military Justice aka the U.C.M.J.,
But, where is this promise for LaVena, her assailant got away,
Judging by the condition of her remains, she put up a fight,
Now John and Linda Johnson are paving the road to right.
Funny thing though, seems they have a roadblock in Iraq,
It’s from the U.S. Army, who supposedly has their back,
The saying, “with friends like these who needs enemies?”
Guess the Army thinks first the perpetrator said, “please?”
Here’s a little something to me that is simply down right scary,
The hole in her head was from a pistol, which she did not carry,
Oh yeah, if you think that’s something how does this fact sound?
The fatal bullet that went through her head was never even found.
If there ever was this kind of incompetence in World War II,
Adolph Hitler or his off spring would be telling us what to do,
Oops, I don’t mean us because there’d be no Blacks or Jews,
And only if the Furor liked Mexican food maybe a Hispanic or 2.
Whomever, wherever, whatever, an injustice did occur,
We can’t make it right for others without justice for her,
Hey, White House, the most powerful office in the world,
Do you have the gonads to speak out for this Johnson girl?
A petition was signed that is over twelve thousand strong,
The Army closed the case anyway saying nothing’s wrong,
Nothing like U.S. Intelligence, it’s the reason for the attack,
If they hadn’t been storing WMD’s we wouldn’t be in Iraq.
I saw something on the Internet much sadder than sad,
Her mom distraught, shedding tears, clutching her dad,
Soldiers carrying LaVena’s body almost made me mad,
Draped over her lifeless casket was an American flag.
Apparently the stars and stripes blows in two directions,
There is one for neglect, another for promised protection,
As it laid over her body on that particular sun filled day,
Was it 1 of protection or 1 allowing a killer to get away?
Beware this incident is not about colors, Black or White,
Remember it’s a statement in the arena of wrong vs. right,
I wonder if her recruiter bothered to make LaVena aware,
The same injustice suffered here is also allowed over there.
And here’s a timeless saying, which is entering my mind,
There’s even a movie with the title, “Behind Enemy Lines,”
Now that the light is shining on a lie that 3 years rang true,
Who will step in & accomplish what the enemy refused to do?
For every ranking Army official who signed off on this case,
Nothing less than a court martial is what each 1 should face,
Upon their conviction exactly where should they have to go?
What about life in a cell behind barb wire fences at Gitmo.
Poems By Luke Easter
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:18 pm -