Did anyone hear about a woman named Vanessa Guillen? Well she has been missing since April 22, 2020. Why is it important to know where she is and what happened to her? Her family has been begging for answers and they deserve attention.
But we all need answers because Vanessa is not just another woman missing. She is a soldier in the United States Army who spoke about being sexually harassed and then she went missing.
Did you read that? I said, she said that she was being sexually harassed and THEN she went missing.
It’s the story that her mother would like to get out there. She was scared. She was vulnerable. She was unprotected, and barely anybody is reporting about her.
500 soilders were looking for their fellow comrade and barely any coverage went to that story. They want to find her. She is one of their own, and she will not be forgotten or left behind. The entire Fort Hood area is up and arms. This should be national news because once again the plight of female solders’ is being swept under the rug.
According to the Pentagon there has been a rise of sexual assaults in the military. The statistics are quite dismal for women as well as men. That is unacceptable.
No other workplace in this whole country has the type of blatant overlooking and ignoring of rape, sexual assault or harassment than the U.S. military. It’s been an issue. And the military has done much to change the rape culture in the armed forces. But it’s not enough.
How lonely must it had been to be a victim of constant sexual harassment? And the perpetrator is a Sergeant in your workplace and has more power than you? Who can you trust? Who can you tell?
But Vanessa is no cause to fight for, or a slogan to chant, she is a woman who was victimized. She doesn’t come from a wealthy family. She wasn’t well established in life. At twenty years old, all she wanted to do was serve her country. But for some reason that isn’t enough to make America beat the streets and move heaven earth to find her. She is a hero.
She has signed up to do what most of us won’t do. Serve the United States government and its people. She is a woman deserving of attention. We need to rally behind the family and keep them and Vanessa in our prayers. We need answers and we need them NOW. And most importantly we need to spread the word.
How can you help? The family wants to hire a private investigator. Here is a gofundme link:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/pfc-vanessa-guillen-missing
What are your thoughts?
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References:
https://www.vox.com/world/2019/5/3/18528148/pentagon-military-sexual-assault-report-shanahan
When This Woman Speaks 