How do we save prisoners of the cultural war within our military?
Sherman Gillums Jr.
A T-shirt worn by a soldier at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., on April 17, 2020, represents efforts to prevent sexual harassment and assault in today’s Army. (Sgt. Uriah Walker/Army)
“You have one thing that no one can ever take from you. That’s your voice.â€
While it wasn’t obvious to those who heard these words spoken by high school senior Thae Ohu during her Ted Talk on bullying, what was clear is she spoke with a sense of authority. As if she knew it to be true because she’d lived it. What no one in the audience could’ve known is she was a survivor who’d seen her share of hardship, which, like many in search of a stronger self identify, is why she joined the Marine Corps.
Knowing that gives context to why Ohu, an intel school admin specialist, now sits in a military brig in Chesapeake, Virginia. The charge stems from an incident where a mental breakdown she suffered had escalated into an altercation with her boyfriend in the home they shared. Police were called. Ohu was detained and taken to a mental health facility, not to jail. This matters. While her boyfriend was certainly shaken, he suffered no apparent physical injuries, and it was clear to him and the authorities that she was a Marine in crisis, not a criminal.
https://www.militarytimes.com/opinion/commentary/2020/08/21/how-do-we-save-prisoners-of-the-cultural-war-within-our-military/
