Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: December 13, 2021 02:11PM
Today our federal Defence Minister and the Commander of the Armed Services issued a formal apology on behalf of the Government of Canada for decades of widespread sexual abuse and misconduct in all branches of our military.
It's beyond distasteful and tragic and disappointing and disillusioning to Canadians that this reality existed within our esteemed military ranks, made worse by the prolonged nature of the abuse and the delayed apology and restitution to those most personally affected.
I would have marked this thread "off topic", except is sexual abuse ever off topic in any organization or system, sad to say?
It goes without saying that Mormonism has provided fertile ground for abuse of a sexual nature since its inception, through the practice of polygamy, of course, and the fact that its founders normalized it within their ranks. Of course, this aberration exists to our day within the confines of the fundamentalist Mormon world.
The Mormon practice of male bishops questioning female and male members, including minors, and even potential converts, about their intimate lives is also coercive and abusive as members must submit or be denied good standing in the church or at least face negative consequences, for example the loss of a TR or other "privileges" such as passing the sacrament, which are marks of public dishonour in the church.
We can only wish that one day soon church leaders will see the light on this aspect of their faith practices and put a stop to it at last.
Acknowledgement and apology are ways in which offenders and/or their reps can start to try and make amends in any available ways.
This same process is ongoing between the Government of Canada and the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Peoples of Canada with acknowledgement of wrongdoing re the enforced residential schooling of their children, which led to numerous deaths and disappearances of children as well as generational trauma that remains a towering challenge in innumerable ways as we speak. The responsibility goes as high as the Pope (for the negative role - understatement - of the Catholic Church in the residential school system) from whom Indigenous leaders request and await a formal apology.
Of course apologies don't give people their lives back or lessen the overwhelming pain of countless survivors. But the acknowledgement of wrongdoing offers recompense of an important sort. Survivors want acknowledgement that their pain and loss matter. It can help somewhat in their healing process.
Here's an article about the Canadian government's apology to current and former military members. I think the acknowledgement of the issues and the regret and other sentiments expressed equally apply to other situations of institutional abuse.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/military-sexual-misconduct-anand-eyre-apology-1.6281762Excerpts:
“Canada's defence minister, top military commander and senior defence bureaucrat today delivered a long-awaited and history-making apology to the women and men whose lives were scarred by sexual assault, misconduct and discrimination within the military.
“The official apology — presented by Defence Minister Anita Anand, Gen. Wayne Eyre and deputy defence minister Jody Thomas on the government's behalf — was livestreamed within the Department of National Defence and on Facebook.
"This misconduct and abuse of power led to a crisis of broken trust" in the leadership of the Department of National Defence, said Anand.
"I am apologizing to you on behalf of the Government of Canada. We must acknowledge the pain and trauma that so many have endured because the very institution charged with protecting and defending our country has not always protected and defended its own members."
“Anand said she was also apologizing on behalf of "those elected officials who throughout the history of the Canadian Armed Forces had the responsibility to protect you and who failed to do so."
“Anand said the government's regrets extend to the thousands of Canadians "who were harmed because your government did not protect you, nor did we ensure that the right systems were in place to ensure justice and accountability."
“As of Friday, 18,943 serving and retired members of the military, along with civilian defence workers, have submitted settlement claims as part of a class-action lawsuit against the federal government over sexual misconduct.
“Roughly 60 per cent of the survivors are women. Claims have been approved in 5,355 cases and some initial payments have been made.
“Anand said that countless lives have been irrevocably harmed because of "inaction and systemic failure." She addressed her regrets to current and former members of the military, the defence department, the staff of the non-public funds that support the military and members of the class-action lawsuit, as well as their families.
“The apology is meant to be a small but significant step toward formally acknowledging the violence, pain, anger and frustration experienced over a generation by thousands of soldiers, sailors and aircrew, and by the civilians who work with them.”
Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2021 02:16PM by Nightingale.