Just wrong!

[ABSTRUSE]

Does anyone else find this repulsive?



Cadet Accused of Rape to Become Officer
Thu Apr 1,11:08 AM ET Add U.S. National - AP to My Yahoo!


By ROBERT WELLER, Associated Press Writer

DENVER - A former Air Force Academy cadet accused of rape will be commissioned as an officer after he successfully appealed a separate disciplinary case, the man's accuser said.



Military officials informed 2nd Lt. Lisa Ballas that Max Rodriguez will become a commissioned officer, Ballas told The Associated Press on Wednesday night.


Rodriguez was never charged with sexual assault but was expelled for other reasons that were not disclosed. He appealed to Air Force Secretary James Roche, who ruled in his favor, said Air Force spokesman Col. Jay DeFrank.


"During the course of an extensive review, it was determined that there was insufficient evidence of wrongdoing and that Rodriguez should be reinstated and commissioned," DeFrank said.


"I feel this is a personal attack against me," said Ballas, who has agreed to have her name used. "The thing I have wanted the most from all of this is for Max Rodriguez not to wear a uniform. Now that he will I can't stay quiet."


An Air Force spokesman said Wednesday night Rodriguez's whereabouts were unknown.


Rodriguez has denied assaulting Ballas. His lawyers said she had been drinking heavily with Rodriguez and others the night of the alleged assault and had been involved in a game of strip poker before the alleged attack on Oct. 13, 2001.


"My parents were told by prosecutors that there was no way he would be charged with rape, but they would do their best to get him removed because they knew of other improper behavior," said Ballas, now a second lieutenant in flight training in Pensacola, Fla.


The alleged improper behavior was never specified. DeFrank said he had no information on what had been alleged against Rodriguez.


Ballas' case was one of several that led to sweeping changes at the academy, including the ouster of the top four commanders.


Remarks by Brig. Gen. Taco S. Gilbert, then commandant of the academy, were interpreted as partially blaming her for the events.


Meanwhile, officials said they were investigating whether a former cadet, Doncosta Seawell, violated probation by allegedly trying to contact a woman he was convicted of sodomizing and seeking sex with a 14-year-old girl on the Internet.


Seawell, who is in a military brig near San Diego, allegedly violated the rules of supervised release in January, Air Force spokeswoman Jennifer Stephens said. The 14-year-old turned out to be a member of a group that tracks Internet sexual predators.


In 2001, Seawell was convicted of sodomizing a 22-year-old woman in Los Angeles who uses a wheelchair. He served 14 months in prison. He allegedly tried to contact her in January.


Seawell was also accused of raping two female cadets, in 2000 and 2002, but no charges were brought. Both women left the academy and later accused commanders of mistreating them when they reported the incidents.

 

[BlackSnake]

Playing with fire...

With not all the facts, it would be hard to say based on the information given if the Rodriguez assaulted Ballas. Her statement makes it seems that she is out to get Rodriguez in any way possible. Airmen should beware of this one. In my opinion.

 

[pop_54]

This kind of cover up goes on all the time in military circles, and in all military establishments worldwide.

Male domination of the higher ranks ensures male domination continues, and often cases will be twisted or dropped to avoid embarrassment to the service.

 

[BlackSnake]

This kind of cover up goes on all the time in military circles, and in all military establishments worldwide.

Male domination of the higher ranks ensures male domination continues, and often cases will be twisted or dropped to avoid embarrassment to the service.

That might be the case, but there are some women out there that are making victims suspect.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Like Black said, can't make a judgement without all the facts. But my personal opinion is that any self-loving woman who is assaulted, sexually or otherwise, should go to the authorities immediately if not sooner. If they wait a day or a week or three years, they shouldn't expect anybody to believe their story.

Granted, it may be different being a man, but all I know is that if anything like that ever happened to me, you can bet your ass that I'd be sittin in that police station as soon as I could drive myself there. If you're too afraid or ashamed or whatever else to tell anybody, then when people don't believe you, DEAL WITH IT.

Speaking of dealing with it, here's a great narrative on the current state of personal responsibility in our country:

https://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=239024

 

[ABSTRUSE]

That might be the case, but there are some women out there that are making victims suspect.

But.....she wasn't the only woman. He also sodomized a woman who was in a wheelchair that he met in a chat room.

He also threatened to fly a glider into one of the buildings at school. This guy is just unstable and now is being rewarded. This is no better than the Catholic church covering for the priests who have molested children.

~A~

 

[GodBlessTexas]

Oh yeah, don't get me wrong - I think rapists and the like should be castrated, then imprisoned for the rest of their miserable lives. I live in Texas, remember? Hang the murderers! Castrate the rapists!

So lest anyone think I'm just a sexist, testosterone-crazed jackass, I figured I'd better make that clear.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

I think the Catholic church thing is a different issue. There, you're talking about little kids. When I said the bit about being afraid or ashamed or whatever, I was talking about grown adults. I think the whole priest-coverup thing is 100% despicable. And my castration suggestion applies to those priests especially.

I love this country, but sometimes the legal system that allows these monsters to go free just really PISSES ME OFF!

Whew - sorry...getting off the soapbox.

If any of you don't know what I'm talking about...just move to Texas for a while. You'll learn!

 

[BlackSnake]

But.....she wasn't the only woman. He also sodomized a woman who was in a wheelchair that he met in a chat room.

He also threatened to fly a glider into one of the buildings at school. This guy is just unstable and now is being rewarded. This is no better than the Catholic church covering for the priests who have molested children.

~A~

I have no love for a rapist or a moslester. But the woman's claims should stand on there own. Did she not see him place his hands or whatever on her? Just because the guy is nuts, don't mean that he commited an offense towards her. As by standers, we shouldn't rush to judgement.

 

[pop_54]

I think the Catholic church thing is a different issue. There, you're talking about little kids. When I said the bit about being afraid or ashamed or whatever, I was talking about grown adults. I think the whole priest-coverup thing is 100% despicable. And my castration suggestion applies to those priests especially.

I love this country, but sometimes the legal system that allows these monsters to go free just really PISSES ME OFF!

Whew - sorry...getting off the soapbox.

If any of you don't know what I'm talking about...just move to Texas for a while. You'll learn!

It's worldwide, the worlds legal systems favour the offender above the victim, accused people have more rights than the accusers and victims. Fair trial is essential, but often trial isn't an option when someone is trying to cover up from on high, or some authority is trying to save on paperwork.

 

[Liar]

It is my experience that people who when it comes to things like these boldly tell other people to DEAL WITH IT is people who never had to themselves.

But, about this case, well, I don't have the facts. What I see is a man who has been accused of rape, but have had the charges dropped. If this means that the military covers the back of their lads, or if the man is indeed not a rapist, I haven't got the faintest idea. But unconvicted he is, and should therefore have the chance of a career until proven guilty. On the other hand, there seems to be enough other incidents and circumstition (circumstance, I mean - weird Freudian slip of the day...) around that guy to make him unfit as an officer.

#L

 

[Guest]

But.....she wasn't the only woman. He also sodomized a woman who was in a wheelchair that he met in a chat room.
~A~

According to that article, the man who attacked the lady in the wheelchair (Seawell) is not the same man that attacked Ballas (Rodriguez.)

 

[ABSTRUSE]

According to that article, the man who attacked the lady in the wheelchair (Seawell) is not the same man that attacked Ballas (Rodriguez.)

Thanks, I must have confused things.
I do find the viewpoints here interesting and I thank all who have offered them.

~A~

 

[BlackSnake]

...

I love this country, but sometimes the legal system that allows these monsters to go free just really PISSES ME OFF!

Whew - sorry...getting off the soapbox.

If any of you don't know what I'm talking about...just move to Texas for a while. You'll learn!

When a woman is assualted, I get really steamed. There is absolutely no reason for it. What pisses me off even more when some women put fear in other women when they cry rape and nothing has occurred. Women shouldn't have to live under the fear of being raped anywhere.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I do find it repulsive but I don't know why.

Either the guy is getting away with rape and that would be repulsive

OR

A woman is getting away with making a phony and unfounded acccusation and that would also be repulsive.

Not enough details are given for me to form an opinion on who is right and who is wrong. If this was a matter of two cadets drinking together and playing strip poker, then deciding to have consensual sex, I would never consider that to be rape. If she was passed out drunk or slipped some kind of drug, that would be another matter. If both persons were drunk but still functioning, I would not consider that to be rape unless, in the name of sexual equality, both are charged with raping each other.

As for Seawell, he sounds like a rotter but I am unsure of the case involving the woman in the wheelchair. "Sodomizing", depending on the jurisdiction, may involve consensual oral or anal sex. If he raped the woman that is another matter altogether but, since his sentence was short, that is probably not the case.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

It is my experience that people who when it comes to things like these boldly tell other people to DEAL WITH IT is people who never had to themselves.

#L

You're right, Liar. I've never been raped. I've never been assaulted. So does that mean I should be ashamed for telling those who have to step up to the plate and speak out for themselves? Hell no!

That's just the problem with things these days. Everybody's a victim. Nobody ever has any personal responsibility. Am I saying that if the lady really was raped, it's her own problem? Of course not. I'm saying that getting wasted with (presumably) a bunch of military men, engaging in a game of strip poker, and then wondering how and why this horrible thing happened to you is a bunch of B.S. If you don't like the outcome of the situation, don't put yourself in the situation. Have some f'n self-control and just a little bit of foresight.

I've had what I would consider my fair share of knocks and bumps along the way. Were they somebody else's fault? Maybe. Could those "somebody elses" have prevented them from happening? Maybe. Did I put 100% of the blame on them and sue the socks off of them? No way. There's a scale associated with being a victim, and that scale is called personal responsibility. If I go to a club, get half-drunk, stumble out back to find my car, and get raped, am I a victim? Sure. Can I in any way be faulted for that happening? You bet your ass.

Scenario 1: you're sitting at home, watching TV on the couch, and someone breaks in and rapes you.

Scenario 2: you get drunk with a guy, play strip poker with a guy, and get raped by the guy.

Who's the bigger victim?

I'm not saying the woman in the Air Force isn't a victim. I'm not saying the guy isn't guilty. I'm saying I'm a whole lot more likely to believe the lady sitting at home on her couch than the lady wasted in the basement getting naked.

Honest mistakes, true accidents, and totally unprovoked/unencouraged crimes are one thing. But if you load the bullet and spin the chamber, don't be surprised when somebody pulls the trigger and the thing goes off.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

I think the Catholic church thing is a different issue. There, you're talking about little kids. When I said the bit about being afraid or ashamed or whatever, I was talking about grown adults. I think the whole priest-coverup thing is 100% despicable. And my castration suggestion applies to those priests especially.

I love this country, but sometimes the legal system that allows these monsters to go free just really PISSES ME OFF!

Whew - sorry...getting off the soapbox.

If any of you don't know what I'm talking about...just move to Texas for a while. You'll learn!

That what I love about Texans, they are so passionate in their beliefs.

 

[raphy]

I do find it repulsive but I don't know why.

Either the guy is getting away with rape and that would be repulsive

OR

A woman is getting away with making a phony and unfounded acccusation and that would also be repulsive.

I think that's the problem.

We just don't know.

 

[lucky-E-leven]

CM is right. The article deals with two separate offenders and two separate incidents, entirely.

Dealing with the first, where the Commandant of the Academy made remarks dealing with how much the woman had to drink and that she'd participated in a game of strip poker prior, is absolutely the wrong answer. There is not a single thing that a woman can do, short of throwing herself at a man and raping him that would ever suggest that she 'had it coming'. I am repulsed and infuriated that this is always the first response and it just goes to show you that if a man who has reached the upper echelon of military rank and responsibility by heading up an elite military academy can spout such imbecilic bullshit and immediately point the finger at the accused, that there is no feasible reason to believe any victimized cadet will get a fair shake.

I'm not naive enough to look past what BlackSnake has pointed out, but if anyone has had first hand experience with an elite military academy they would know that the simple fact that she said anything means she's not fucking around or carrying out a personal vendetta. It is almost always a long-standing dream of each cadet to attend such an academy and it takes a hell of a lot of hard work and perseverence to be accepted. Hell, you even have to petition and receive a Congressional Nomination from your home state's representative!

There has been a recent rash of women coming forward with similar tales and each one of them has been essentially 'made' to leave. All of their hopes and dreams shattered with none to back them up, because they had previously commited the next 10+ years of their life to that branch of the military. (4 in college and at the very least, 6 serving Active Duty)

My brother-in-law is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and I can guarantee you, it is no small feat. It is also not a place where going against the grain gets you very far. I think I'm angriest about the method of review that seems to be in place. As it is a government funded and run facility, it operates under the same, chain of command, method of handling such things. Court martials, military trials and the like. The complaints and accusations made by victims rarely ever even make it this far and in my opinion that is truly disgraceful.

Back to my major beef. No woman, under ANY circumstances, deserves to be assaulted. The fact that attending a University of such a high caliber still does not guarantee you any safety or protection, turns my stomach. This does not bode well for any woman wishing to serve in the military later, either.

It might interest some to know the Air Force Academy's Core Values:

Integrity First - Service Before Self - Excellence in All We Do

Does this sound like a creedo being lived up to when raping a fellow cadet?

~lucky

 

[GodBlessTexas]

You're right Lucky. Adding on to the end of my last post...whoever DOES pull that trigger should be castrated and executed! Long live Texas!

 

[lucky-E-leven]

I'm saying that getting wasted with (presumably) a bunch of military men, engaging in a game of strip poker, and then wondering how and why this horrible thing happened to you is a bunch of B.S. If you don't like the outcome of the situation, don't put yourself in the situation. Have some f'n self-control and just a little bit of foresight.

Honest mistakes, true accidents, and totally unprovoked/unencouraged crimes are one thing. But if you load the bullet and spin the chamber, don't be surprised when somebody pulls the trigger and the thing goes off.

This attitude will not get you very far here, I'm afraid. At least not with me. If it were your sister out having a good time with people she thought she could trust (AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO), would you still have the same opinion? Or would you be hauling out the baseball bats and the noose?

You say, "If you don't like the outcome of a situation, don't put yourself in the situation."

Wouldn't you think that if you were among the nation's elite students, attending one of the nation's elite military academies that you would NEVER be in a threatening situation?

I think it's damned convenient to say, "Look before you leap." But how realistic is it? And most of the cases coming out of our fine military academies these days, have much more to do with group attacks on newbies who were not drinking or playing strip poker. But in my mind it doesn't make a damn bit of difference. I have every right to streak the neighborhood without a stitch of clothing on and the only person who has any right to accost me are the authorities. Not you, not any other horny young guy that sees my naked body and equates it with opportunity, has any right to lay a finger on me.

~lucky

 

[BlackSnake]

...

Back to my major beef. No woman, under ANY circumstances, deserves to be assaulted. The fact that attending a University of such a high caliber still does not guarantee you any safety or protection, turns my stomach. This does not bode well for any woman wishing to serve in the military later, either.
...

~lucky

I feel that a woman should be able to run around after midnight in dental flause without fear of being harmed. It's very shameful that these things has happened in that place. I have to agree that women do not ever deserve such treatment. The article just doesn't give enough information to throw rocks at the lad.

 

[GodBlessTexas]

I wouldn't mind seeing me a fine looking woman running down the street in nothing but dental floss. Rawr! But I'd watch her through my living room window. I wouldn't run out and have my way with her.

Don't think that I don't agree that people should be able to feel free of being harmed, because they should. But there are plenty of people out there who obviously can't control themselves and will go after the floss lady. In the words of Metallica, it's "sad but true."

All I'm saying is that just because I have every right to run around in dental floss doesn't mean I'm going to. "Permissible" does not equal "wise." I don't ever want to be raped, so I'm going to try my best to avoid it. Some of these things that people do are not avoiding it; they're encouraging it.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

A man who becomes an officer is commisioned by congress as an officer AND a gentleman. A man, in whom the court martial on base had so little confidence in as to drum out of the service strikes me as being hardly officer material.

From the article it appears to me he was ejected from the service, then appealed and was reinstated. In effect he avoided having the case adjudicated at all. Rather convienient.

-Colly

 

[GodBlessTexas]

That's the part that pisses me off the most. The people involved with the situation obviously thought it was enough to kick the guy out. So some bureaucrat in D.C. knows better? Bullshit! That right there tells me that the lady is probably telling the truth. That Air Force chairman dude ought to be hogtied and dragged through the streets (how Texan is that?).