Sexual Assault in the Military

As we lead into civil rights, the issue of sexual assault in the military is a very current issue. Civil rights are defined as "the rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality." People should not have to live in fear, they should be adequately protected and represented by the law, and they should not be discriminated against or attacked in any manner. Sexual assault in the military is a problem that has been recognized, and the efforts to fix this problem are ongoing.

This video shows  Senator Kirsten Gillibrand discussing the issue in policy regarding the way sexual assault is reported and dealt with within the military. At this point in time, a member of the armed forces who is sexually assaulted must go through the chain of command to report the incident. Often times, a service member will not do so due to embarrassment, or lack of faith in responsive action. 

The drive to eliminate the need to go through chain of command is ongoing (see here) and is a pressing matter, as the statistics from indicate that roughly 26,000 service members report having been sexually assaulted (for article, see here)

"I don't think it's a question of being progressive or conservative. I think it's whether you're going to listen to what victims and survivors have told us about what's wrong with the system or not," Gillibrand said. "They say, 'I'm not reporting because I don't trust the chain of command.' If you do not listen to that and you do not believe it, then you will not look for this reform. So it's really just a question of whether you believe what the victims say is true."