I hate to say this, because it's been awhile since I was active duty, but some officers have little respect for enlisted personnel's moral character. Sort of like pre civil war when slave 'owners' had no respect for the personal body of the slaves. (I'm not agreeing, I'm explaining.) The slave owners didn't consider the slaves as 'humans' and treated them like (sorry) ****. So, many officers don't think highly of or have respect for enlisted personnel, considering them too inferior to have morals. (Did I explain this clearly?)
I don't want to get deleted for speaking what I understood as the truth.
Male enlisted, in particular, usually seemed to believe females were there for one reason only. (You don't get a prize for guessing correctly the first time.) I hated the way I was treated on base by a lot of the other units when I got to my first permanent party assignment. I had to take a guy with me to the mess hall.
Any questions?
"I had to take a guy with me to the mess hall. "
Memories come flooding back with this case. I have forgot. It's been a long time. With your statement, I clearly recall the feeling of stepping into the mess hall and having so many eyes turn on me because I was one of the only women there. It was absolutely freaky. Had to find someone safe to sit with. Many women wouldn't go to the mess hall. I only did a few times, ate in my room instead. More comfortable.
You are correct, humans can easily objectify other humans in particular scenarios, that is why we have governments, constitutions and visions, to create a sane and functional civilization and standards that keep us "human"and not animal.
With the military it is a particular challenge but one that must be overcome, it is paramount.
My mentor, a Woman's Studies professor provided me with a reading by Carolyn Gage years ago. The chain of oppression - pass it back or pass it on. Pass it back by confronting the tyrant and if the tyrant is dead one must tell the story so the pain is not buried in the subconscious left to seek closure and repeat or act out the story again passing it on.
Emily Bronte said the tyrant grinds down on his slaves and they don't turn against them, they crush those beneath them. So it is in the military, or can be.
In the military, through objectification, it is easier to pass on the pain of tyranny and that is why this story must be told and military culture must be improved. VGs case must come out with the full truth, the story must be told so the pain is not buried for all the troops. I've been out a long time. This brings me pain, but I speak when so many others remained silent in supposed protection, but perhaps only to pass onthe pain, the inhuman culture.
Change. It's a thing. It's survival and institutions that can't change self destruct.
