<p>Here's an interesting article on Lamar Owens and by the way, I agree with the author. <a href="http://www.wnd.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51213%5B/url%5D">http://www.wnd.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51213</a></p>
<p>An important research skill is to consider the legitimacy of your sources. This man's opinion is downright bizarre and extremely reactionary--like something a cave man would conjure up on a blog. For example: </p>
<p>"Wouldn't a separate dormitory or, better still, a separate armed forces officers' candidate school for women remove the absolutely terrible price of boys-and-girls-together-in-Bancroft?"</p>
<p>Does he know that USNA is a leadership laboratory for the US Navy? Notwithstanding subs, men and women are aboard US Navy ships and on Navy bases...</p>
<p>My question is whether he was born brain-damaged, or was it self-inflicted.</p>
<p>I saw this article earlier and I agree as well.</p>
<p>I found just about everything he said to be offensive. He'd better hope I never catch him in a dark alley. Too bad he doesn't post his email address. Troll.</p>
<p>If you want to know more about the bizarre worldview of Lester Kingsolving- simply read or listen to the White House Press Conferences...I love Tony Snow, so I've been taking to listening to them as background noise while I'm at the computer. Kingsolving is an embarassment to me, a devout Evangelical Anglican Christian...even though some of the time I do agree with him on the huge moral questions. But even Tony Snow - can't stomach this guy's wierd ideas and frequently resorts to humor to try to get this guy to THINK straight....which clearly he doesn't a good deal of the time.</p>
<p>this is a total mess, for the academy and everyone involved.</p>
<p>Sadly, I have witnessed far too many cases of rape, date and otherwise, and even more cases of false accusations. No one comes out clean.</p>
<p>I feel terrible for this young man's parents, first and foremost. And for hers.
I feel terrible for him if he is innocent. The court said he is. His career is most likely over.<br>
I feel terrible for her if she is innocent. Rape is a terrible thing. I feel worse if she is guilty. She has done more harm than she can ever imagine.</p>
<p>In the end, two careers have been destroyed; lets hope something good can be salvaged from all of this. I am at a loss as to what that might be.</p>
<p>Seperate dorms?? Wings??? Floors??? A lot of colleges do it. My daughter went to a Catholic University- no way those Jesuits would cohort men and women on the same floor. Maybe they are on to something......</p>
<p>You can find the author's e-mail address at the end of the article, just click on his name. I agree with Les that men and women should have seperate dorms, wings or floors. It's a great idea!</p>
<p>Yea this man is truly bizarre.... this is nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to get rid of all women at the academies.....(lets have a separate academy for women???!)............ oh Yea lets go back 30 years....</p>
<p>I have already sent 2 daughters to college, one graduate from a Catholic college with men and women in the same dorm... separate floors. No problems there... I also have a daughter who has lived in a year with men and women on the same floor.... even sharing the same bathroom... her school has not had one reported rape in over 5 years. </p>
<p>All Parents should know that kids who party it up in high school will continue to party it up in college.... even if they go to an academy. I have met so many parents who think if they let their kids party in high school... they will somehow get it out of their system before they get to college.... this is not true.</p>
<p>As a parent who has now sent 5 off to colleges directly from college and into coed college dorms....I have NO illusions about what goes on in them. I myself was in the first co-ed dorm (we're talking 1971 folks) at my university......and yes, I lived the party lifestyle for the 1st part of my freshman year until I - as they say - 'got religion' and turned my life around. But that didn't stop me from still living in that environment for another 1 1/2 years and 'seeing it all' and I mean ALL.</p>
<p>My point? Well - as I told some of my close friends and family who freaked out over these USNA rape charges and the fact that I will be sending a daughter to this ( unsaid but meant <strong><em>awful</em></strong> environment) ..."Hey guys, every weekend night guys and girls at hundreds of university college dorms across the country are doing what these 2 at the academy did. I don't condone it. I don't approve of it. I don't want my kids to do it. I don't want my kid's roommates to do it. However - the ONLY reason we are hearing about what went on at USNA is that USNA actually has STANDARDS that they actually EXPECT their students to adhere to! At all other 4 colleges my others attended this would not even have gone reported because it was so common, especially on weekends after partying. So in my opinion, the fact that we're getting so much news about this at USNA tells me it's actually a SAFER place to send my last child and a girl at that - than a less safe place for her to be." </p>
<p>The other thing? I discussed this with my then-almost-Plebe young lady and she shuddered at the fact that a woman mid would allow herself to be that into alchohol drinking while still a midshipman and told me that this is something she simply will not do herself. Her committments to her country, her God and her morality will help her make better choices. Yes my daughter, like the rest of us are humans. And yes, she'll make horrible mistakes in her life. But both parties in this terrible tragedy of this USNA case are responsible for the choices they themselves made. As a mother my heart aches for the young people who forever will have a reputation, a very public reputation that they will have to carry....and for the families of these young people, who certainly never dreamed this was in the future of their children when they lived through I-Day and Plebe Summer as many of us newbie Plebe parents currently are.</p>
<p>I doubt that Lamar Owens and the female mid started their school years with the thought "this year I will get drunk, get raped, go to trial, be courtmartialed and have to face the end of my Navy career"....</p>
<p>Let's continue to hold up these vulnerable young people and all the current Plebes and mids there at USNA that they make good, healthy, and moral choices for their lives.</p>
<p>Peskemom:
Amen.</p>
<p>Ah, yes. WorldNetDaily. The site even Conservatives like me tend to look askew at.</p>
<p>While I can see his point on the apparent double-standard (and one heck of an argument can be had on that point, BTW, both pro and con), the rest of it sounds just a bit unhinged.</p>
<p>I'd like to paraphrase something that was said above. This wouldn't have been national news if the Naval Academy wasn't such a safe place to send our daughters (and sons.) I've talked this over with my daughter, and like Peskemom's daughter she knows she wont put herself in this situation.</p>
<p>Incidently, I also see a double-standard.</p>
<p>This article from the baltimore sun pretty well sums it up.......</p>
<p>I pretty much agree with the author of the op-ed piece in the Baltimore Sun. It's like getting in a car accident when the driver is under the influence. Simple cause and effect. I also believe in most rape cases if the attacker isn't holding a gun/knife on the victim they fight like a wild animal to get away from the attacker.</p>
<p>Separate dorms/wings/floors will be almost no impediment to those who are determined to hook up. </p>
<p>You're supposed to be able to respect and trust your shipmates.</p>
<p>When I was in (4 million years ago) and went aboard the Kitty Hawk, Constellation, Lexington (yeah, that old!), and Ranger, I was housed in a women only compartment with a Marine guard posted outside. I thought it was silly then to let the potential actions of a few cause that I. I think it's silly now. A simplistic solution that makes some people feel better. </p>
<p>Now I'm going to look for a thread that's discussing underwear and/or merlot :)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Now I'm going to look for a thread that's discussing underwear and/or merlot
[/quote]
</p>
<p>That's probably how this whole incident got started. ;)</p>
<p>Oh, and amen to the editorial in the Baltimore Sun. Finally that rag prints something worth reading.</p>
<p>spidermom,
I like the part about the marine guard...any good stories to share?</p>
<p>I am a LEO (Law Enforcement Officer) and have worked a variety of assignments in my 17 year career. I have worked in the jails, patrol, traffic, SWAT (fun),gangs, training, narcotics, (undercover lots of fun) and investigations. I investigate sex crimes and that last few months have been hectic. What happened at the Naval Academy would be a routine case for me to investigate. Do I believe she was raped? My opinion is no. She put herself in a tempting situation. Does that mean that a man should take advantage of the situation? Absoulutely not and he should have walked out of that room or his buddies should have done dragged him out. You don't let friends drive drunk and you don't let friends have sex when drunk. It appears to me that they had consensual sex and they are guilty of that sin. When it comes to housing you don't put males in the same area with females. The temptation is too great for either sex and sex will happen. When I worked the jails, we always kept the homosexual inmates away from the general population because sex will happen. This included female inmates too! I can tell you some crazy stories. </p>
<p>By the way, when a women tells me she was raped, I will investigate it fully and treat her word as gold.</p>
<p>Quote:
"Ah, yes. WorldNetDaily. The site even Conservatives like me tend to look askew"</p>
<p>C'mom Zaphod, Joseph Farah is a nice guy, he does go off track once in a while. The website is informative so chill bro!</p>
<p>"Separate dorms/wings/floors will be almost no impediment to those who are determined to hook up."</p>
<p>That is true but it sure makes it difficult! :-)</p>