Why Won't Congress Shine Light on Rape-Murder of Pvt. LaVena Johnson?

Villagers may recall that Army Pvt. LaVena L. Johnson is the 19-year-old Missouri woman who died in Iraq after being raped, beaten, shot and set on fire. The Army has ruled Johnson’s death a suicide from a self-inflicted rifle shot. The case is profiled in the forthcoming documentary, "LaVena Johnson — The Silent Truth," due for release in 2010. It examines whether there is an army coverup of the rape and murder of women soldiers. (WARNING: Video contains graphic images of the crime scene)

I hope that LaVena Johnson gets justice. What do you think?

Defense Contractors and Republicans Take Side of Rapists and Sex Abusers

I removed photo of Pfc. LaVena Johnson from my blog's sidebar earlier this month. There didn't see to be much activity online or in Congress to deal with the issue of rape and sexual abuse in the military.

As such, I was glad to learn about Sen. Al Franken's (D-MN) anti-rape amendment in the defense appropriations bill. The amendment would withhold defense funding from companies barring their employees from taking sexual abuse cases to court. Franken's amendment passed the Senate on October 21, 2009 by a voting margin of 68 to 30. All 30 of the votes against the amendment came from Senate Republicans.

I guess it is no surprise that defense contractors are lobbying Sen. Dan Inouye (D-HI) to strip the amendment out of the bill. "The defense contractors have been storming [Inouye's] office," said one source.

SBS Dateline on LaVena Johnson

Drumbeats from Philip Barron let us know that the story of Pfc. LaVena Johnson is being told on Australian network television this month. A news magazine show, SBS Dateline, brings its focus to the controversial death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson and the issue of sexual assault in the US military.

The feature, “Dark Secrets,” is scheduled to air on May 29, but a preview is available now to watch online. The preview shares some heart-wrenching comments from LaVena's parents. Please let me know if you find the complete airing of the segment someplace online.

The prayers of our entire village are with Pfc. Johnson's family.

Electronic Village Milestone: 1,000 Posts!

I had no idea that I would post 1,000 posts when I first started this blog back in January 2007. I didn't have a vision for the blog when I first created it. My sister told me that I could start a blog for free ... and that was pretty much my only motivation.

However, this blog evolved over the past 1,000 posts. We seek to provide information that uplifts people of African descent here in America. Our most favorite topics have been 'Barack Obama', 'Election-2008' and 'Criminal Justice'. It should be interesting to see how we evolve in the coming weeks as the 2008 election cycle comes to an end.

I am very grateful to all the villagers that have supported this blog. Cliff, Danielle, Field, Gattina, Iya, Keith, Kyra, Mike, Mrs. Grapevine, Pam, Purple Zoe, Regina, Sojourner and so many others have shared comments, insights and suggestions.

My hope is that I discover a way to encourage more COMMENTS from those of you that visit. That is going to be a focus for me over the coming weeks.

Anyhow, I decided to go back and find my favorite posts within the ten 100-post intervals since we began this thing. Here is what I came up with.

1. Posts 1 - 100: Manic Monday: Graphic - Manic Monday is a weekly meme that helped introduce me to some remarkable bloggers. I use it to research Black history and Black culture. Anyhow, this post focused on the inhuman legacy of lynching in America. Unfortunately, I find myself referencing this post often ... including just recently when a McCain supporter hung Obama in effigy.


2. Posts 101 - 200: Jena 6, Racism in America - Black bloggers brought this story to the attention of the mainstream media. The result was the largest civil rights march in over a decade on 9/20/2007. I provided villagers with an overview of the Jena 6 case in this post.


3. Posts 201 - 300: Only A Dad - I posted this photo and poem a few days after my father passed away. I miss him everyday.


4. Posts 301 - 400: Iowa Victory Speech - I watched this speech with my Mom. She didn't notice ... but, I cried. I was already an Obama supporter, however, this speech was the first time that I realized deep down in my soul that he had a chance to win. This remains my favorite Obama speech of all-time.


5. Posts 401 - 500: Evolution of the AfroSpear - My blog has grown exponentially since I hooked up with the kinfolk in this alliance of progressive Black bloggers. This post provided an overview of the AfroSpear for my blog readers.


6. Posts 501 - 600: Al Sharpton & NAACP Are Wrong - It felt good to be part of the online activism that supported the woman terrorized by the gang of rapists in Dunbar Village. We forced Al Sharpton and NAACP to revisit their approach to the situation down in Florida.


7. Posts 601 - 700: Justice for LaVena Johnson - I introduced the late Pfc. LaVena Johnson to my blog readers with this post. We still have work to do. We need to get Congress to investigate her wrongful death while serving in Iraq.


8. Posts 701 - 800: Blogging While Brown Conference - This was the first time in history that bloggers of color gathered together under one roof to learn and motivate one another in a serious way. This post gave my review of the BWB Conference to my blog readers.


9. Posts 801 - 900: African Americans & Sarah Palin - The hits on my blog have increased almost three-fold since I published this post on what African Americans in Alaska thought about Sarah Palin. I will miss Gov. Palin when she goes back to obscurity after November 4.


10. Posts 901 - 1,000: NAACP's Ben Jealous Meets With Black Bloggers - My relationship with the NAACP evolved over the past year. My first NAACP post was entitled, "Is the NAACP Relevant?". Now, I find myself with other Black bloggers talking to the NAACP president. Only in America!

Let's turn this into an OPEN THREAD until our next milestone post. Feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, memories and anything else on your mind as it relates to the Electronic Village blog. What's on your mind?

LaVena Johnson's Parents Interviewed on Jim Bohannon Show

Drumbeats from Philip Barron inform us that the parents of PFC LaVena Johnson, John and Linda Johnson, are scheduled to be interviewed on The Jim Bohannon Show on Monday night, September 8, during the 11 pm hour.

Also scheduled, during the second half of the hour, is Coz Carson of US Talk Network, who interviewed John and Linda in August. Carson will speak about media coverage on LaVena’s story, particularly the role of alternative media outlets.

You can find an affiliate near you that carries The Jim Bohannon Show by using the Bohannon site’s station finder. Alternatively, the program is available as a podcast; the URL and instructions are also posted at the website.

Memories from LaVena Johnson's Dad

Over 50,000 signed LaVena Johnson petition asking Congress to look into this suspicious case of murder masquerading as suicide.

Soulclap to Philip Barron for pointing us to a profile of LaVena provided by her father, Dr. John H. Johnson. Dr. Johnson provides a little more background on the kind of person she was as a daughter, a student, and a soldier.

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PROFILE OF AN UNFORGETABLE, YOUNG BLACK WOMAN
On July 27, 1985, a very special little girl was born. Her name was LaVena Lynn Johnson. She was the fourth child born into the closely knit Johnson family, but the first of two girls. She was a good, quiet baby, very friendly and seemed to enjoy her family time. She spent most of her playing time listening to and playing with her three older brothers and her father. Other than family time, her next favorite past time was swinging in her swing while she watched television of wanted to take her afternoon nap. The thing her parents remember was how she swung so much she wore out her swing. But that didn’t mater to her, because her mother and father got a chuckle out of watching her take one hand and swing the swing back and forth in lieu of her being fast asleep.

As a four month old baby, she received her first honors when she was named Baby of the Year at Walnut Park Church, where the Johnson family worshiped. When she was four years old, she started to sing in the church choir. When there were holiday programs at church such as Christmas and Easter, she would practice her part every night until she memorized every word. Therefore she would always shire as one of the most prepared students by making her program speeches without mistakes.

At an early age she started to show a cooperate and leadership spirit in the family by insisting that the entire family got up early enough on Sunday to attend Sunday School. Early every Sunday morning, she would get up early, then made sure that every family member was awake and up with plenty of time to get ready and attend church early. She immediately showed her leadership by taking the role of big sister seriously. Everywhere the family went, she would volunteered to take charge of her baby sister, who was two years her junior, by leading her every where they went by the hand. As a result of that she

When she was five years old, she started to attend Keeven Elementary School. The moment she started school, she showed signs of being a good student. When she was in the first grade, she made the honor role and did so the rest of her time at Keeven. When she was in the fourth grade, she started to practice playing the violin. She practiced every night because she always wanted to be good at everything she did. By the time she reached the eight grade, she had played in several school concerts. When she was in the firth grade, her Science project won honors all the way to the State level. She also started to run track. She didn’t join to compete, she just like to run to stay in shape She took an active part in a number of school activities to include helping to host a number of after school ones.

At home her interests and holiday spirit continued well into her adulthood. Immediately after the Thanks Giving holiday, she would insist to her father that he, she and her sister put up and decorate the Christmas tree, while her mother made out the gilt tags. She and her sister would then decorate the entire house to include the fireplace, the stairwell and their rooms. On the mornings of her parents Wedding Anniversaries, Christmas and Thanks Giving, she and her sister would cook breakfast for their parents and sat a festive table to include napkins, hot chocolate and candles. Once her sister had learned to play the flute, it became a family tradition for the two of them to serenade their parents with an approriate song as their parents ate. she playing the violin while her sister played her flute. To further show her willing and love she had for her family, she started another family tradition by getting up early every Saturday morning cooking a huge breakfast for the entire Johnson family and her Aunt.

LaVena seemed to have a love for everything and everyone she came in contact with. When she was in the fifth grade she seemed to enjoy taking a role in political issues. Since she loved animals, and didn’t like hearing about them being killed, she heard of and joined People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA. She became a dues paying member at the age of 11 years old.

To further know her commitment to the cause, she also became a member of Vegetarian Economy and Green Agriculture, or VEGA, which advocate alternative means of meat other than farm animals. To further support the cause, she became a Vegetarian and stayed that way all her young life.

From there she attended Hazelwood Junior High School. During her two years, she was evolved in a number school activities. They included receiving the DARE certificate of Achievement Award, Student Volunteer Group Award, and Student Citizenship club member, which earned her certificate recognition from Congressman William Lacy Clay. There she also obtained the reputation of being a dependable student, which got her a number of praise in the form of certificates from most of her teachers. By that time, she had learned to play the violin real well and participated in a number of school junior high concerts. In lieu of being well liked by students and teacher, she was on the honor role both years there and was named to The Hawks Sigma Cum Laude club.

By the time LaVena attended high school, she had a good reputation among students of being friendly and having only good things to say about everybody she knew. People who knew her knew she came from a real close family because all of her siblings attended the same high school. She always seen attending high school sporting events with her father and all the other school activities with her mother, father and younger sister. She had also matured to the point of knowing what she wanted to do with her life. She wanted to attend college, and prepared herself by being on the honor role the entire time she was in high school. She also sat three major goals for her life.

1. To attend college and major in Performing Arts, to become a Movie Producer. He father has written several Friction novels and her goal was to one day see to it that his books are made into movies. She even talked about being behind the camera when that happened.


2. Her oldest brother, John, has written over 30 songs. Her brother Jermaine is attempting to from a music company. She and her younger sister, LaKesha, had talked about them graduating from college then forming a family music and movie company to showcase the talents of thier family to the entire world.


3. LaVena was a pure patriot and sincerely wanted to make a difference in the world, so she started by participating in a number of community activities. She was recognized for being involved in a number of community service projects, such as:
   


• Feeding the hungry during a number of church holiday “Feed the Needy” programs.
• Run/Walk for Cancer Research.
• Collected can goods for the homeless and the Boy Scouts.
• Contributed to the environment: Recycling paper and plastics.
• Donated clothing and money for the privileged people.
• Donated blood to the Red Cross.

To accomplish her goals, she realized she would most likely have to attend college on the West Coast. Since she realized her parent would have to pay for she and her sister to attend college at the same time, and since she wanted to go to another state, she made a decision that was to change her and her family’s life for ever. Instead of going to college like she had talking about all her life, she decided to forgo college and enter into the US. Army, in lieu of her family’s objection to the idea. However she convinced them that she would be doing something good for her country while traveling and earning her own money for college. The one thing her family knew about her and that she was known was accomplishing what she sat out to do. So, they apprehensively supported her decision to enter into the Army.

In May of 2004, she graduated from Hazelwood Senior High school a honor role student, with only two Bs and the rest all As her senior year. In September instead of enrolling in college, she enlisted into the US Army. She attended Basic Training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina for eight weeks. At her Graduation exercise, her parents were told by her Drill Sergeants they could tell she was raised in a disciplined home because she was mentally tough she was often used a role model to both female and male soldiers.

In May of 2005. LaVena was assigned to the 129 Corp Support Battalion and deployed to service a tour in Balad Iraq. On July 19, 2005, eight weeks after being deployed to Iraq, she was mysteriously murdered at the age of 19, eight days shy of her twentieth birthday. She was the first woman soldier and the first Black woman soldier to die while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. To this date, the cause of her death is still being questioned. News and the questions surrounding the cause of her death reached The United Kingdom in June of 2006. In lieu of it being over two and a half years since her death, her story is still heart felt by Missourians and other Americans all over this country, and is still news worthy and is now just reaching the national level.

She has received a number of military honors since her death. They are:

1. The Iraq Liberation Medal.
2. 82nd Air Borne Special Citation.
3. The Army Good Conduct Medal.
4. The Army Commendation Medal.
5. Posthumous Certificate of Promotion to PFC.
6. The Purple Fallen Comrade Medal.
7. Honored at the Memorial Wall of Dead Hero Soldiers, Alexander, VA.

Other honors she has received:

1. Awarded Special Congressional Recognition Resolution for Community Service. Congressman William Lacy Clay, July 27, 2005.


2. Acknowledgement by 61st District naming July 27, as LaVena Lynn Johnson Day.


3. Awarded Missouri House of Representative Resolution for Community Services, adopted July 28, 2005.


4. Missouri House Of Representatives Courtesy Resolution, adopted February 24, 2008, State Representative David Pearce, 121.

LaVena Lynn Johnson leaves behind her loving close family. They were:

• Her father whom she admired, John H. Johnson, Ph.D.


• Her mother Linda D. Johnson, whom she confided in because they were lovely close.


• Her brother, JayVince, whom she respected because of his calm mannerism.


• Her brother, Jermaine, whose fire and fight she liked.


• Her baby sister, LaKesha because of their closeness and her ability to be resourceful.


• Her aunt, LaVerne Carter, who always sat an example for all to follow.

To this day LaVena Lynn Johnson is known for having an unlimited source of energy, interest, caring and love. She is sincerely missed by all who knew her and respected by those who have heard of her, but never had the honor of meeting her.

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I encourage all Villagers to share information about LaVena Johnson with those who may not yet know. We need to bring justice for this young heroine!

Will LaVena Johnson Case Be Re-Opened by Congress?

UPDATE: LaVena Johnson's case did not come up during the July 31st hearing [source] other than a brief mention by Rep. Elijah Cummings [source]

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Drumbeats from What About Our Daughters blog points us to a potential opportunity for movement on the LaVena Johnson case.

On Thursday, July 31 at 10:00 am, the Subcommittee will hold a hearing entitled, “Oversight Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military.” The hearing will take place in room 2154 of the Rayburn House Office Building and is open to the public. This is a subcommittee of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The full committee is chaired by Congressman Waxman. Our understanding is that the hearing will be webcast.

We've shared information on the subcommittee's report in the past. Momentum continues to grow in efforts to have LaVena's case re-opened by Congress!

LaVena Johnson (In Memorial) by Luke Easter

Drumbeats from Modern Musings pointed us to Luke Easter, a very creative poet who created the following poem in honor of Pfc. LaVena Johnson:

LaVena Johnson (In Memorial)© Luke Easter 2008
Just when you think you’ve heard it all,
Another name is slammed into a brick wall,
LaVena Johnson an Army Private First Class,
Is she the first? Certainly this PFC isn’t the last.

Is it any wonder Osama Bin Laden can’t be found?
With a criminal loose in our camp running around,
Destroying evidence, burning bodies, again & again,
Calling themselves soldiers, claiming they are men.

What a shame when the real enemy is on the same side,
Behind the color of camaraderie these cowards hide,
Punched in the face, loose teeth, she was only 5 feet 1,
The Army claims its suicide, that’s all, over and done.

How many before shooting themselves bust their own lip,
Severe enough to the point it needs more than one stitch,
Surprisingly they didn’t say she tried to saw herself in half,
Which lie would be easier to swallow? You do the math.

So, how did that chemical burn get on her private parts?
Oh yeah, maybe a tattoo, some kind of new wave art,
Why would someone waste time getting rid of DNA?
Just maybe without detection they’re free to get away.

The U.S. Army actually tried lying, hooray for her dad,
He gave that crap the smell test and oh did it smell bad,
7/19/05 her dead body found in a contractor’s tent, HBR,
Broken nose, black eye, shot in the head and body scars.

Military personnel or civilians aren’t we on the same side?
Who is the American Government protecting, why that lie?
Had to be someone with pull to get her alone, you’d think,
I don’t have to be standing next to skunk to know it stinks.

Where’s Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, the infamous NAACP?
She could not have been more violated, do you not agree?
A 19-year-old honor student should be shown more respect,
But, this is how she’s being treated. Hey! What the heck?

Can’t call it racial because all women are treated the same,
Even academies and bases in the states there is this claim,
We are truly near the end of days soon God will work it out,
Vengeance will certainly be more than a punch in the mouth.

The Uniform Code Of Military Justice aka the U.C.M.J.,
But, where is this promise for LaVena, her assailant got away,
Judging by the condition of her remains, she put up a fight,
Now John and Linda Johnson are paving the road to right.

Funny thing though, seems they have a roadblock in Iraq,
It’s from the U.S. Army, who supposedly has their back,
The saying, “with friends like these who needs enemies? ”
Guess the Army thinks first the perpetrator said, “please? ”

Here's a little something to me that is simply down right scary,
The hole in her head was from a pistol, which she did not carry,
Oh yeah, if you think that's something how does this fact sound?
The fatal bullet that went through her head was never even found.

If there ever was this kind of incompetence in World War II,
Adolf Hitler or his off spring would be telling us what to do,
Oops, I don't mean us because there'd be no Blacks or Jews,
And only if the Furor liked Mexican food maybe a Hispanic or 2.

Whomever, wherever, whatever, an injustice did occur,
We can’t make it right for others without justice for her,
Hey, White House, the most powerful office in the world,
Do you have the gonads to speak out for this Johnson girl?

A petition was signed that is over twelve thousand strong,
The Army closed the case anyway saying nothing’s wrong,
Nothing like U.S. Intelligence, it’s the reason for the attack,
If they hadn’t been storing WMD’s we wouldn’t be in Iraq.

I saw something on the Internet much sadder than sad,
Her mom distraught, shedding tears, clutching her dad,
Soldiers carrying LaVena’s body almost made me mad,
Draped over her lifeless casket was an American flag.

Apparently the stars and stripes blows in two directions,
There is one for neglect, another for promised protection,
As it laid over her body on that particular sun filled day,
Was it 1 of protection or 1 allowing a killer to get away?

Beware this incident is not about colors, Black or White,
Remember it’s a statement in the arena of wrong vs. right,
I wonder if her recruiter bothered to make LaVena aware,
The same injustice suffered here is also allowed over there.

And here’s a timeless saying, which is entering my mind,
There’s even a movie with the title, “Behind Enemy Lines,”
Now that the light is shining on a lie that 3 years rang true,
Who will step in & accomplish what the enemy refused to do?

For every ranking Army official who signed off on this case,
Nothing less than a court martial is what each 1 should face,
Upon their conviction exactly where should they have to go?
What about life in a cell behind barb wire fences at Gitmo.

Poems By Luke Easter

Online Activism for LaVena Johnson Gaining Momentum

Momentum is building in our efforts to gain Justice for LaVena Johnson!

The love and persistence of her family in the three years since LaVena was killed has been remarkable. The online activism of Philip Barron of Wave Flux, Shakesville has been equally remarkable. In fact, it was Bro. Barron's LaVena Johnson Petition that created the first call to action as he collected 12,000 signatures to be delivered to the Armed Services Committee.

'Original Villager' Danielle Vyas created an online petition calling on Congress and the President to re-open her case. She plans to close out her online petition when it reaches 3000 signatures. Currently, 1837 signatures have been collected. Have you signed it yet?

The brothers and sisters from Color of Change created the newest petition calling for answers in this case directed to Congressman Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Gabriel Rey-Goodlatte and his crew at Color of Change are well-known for their work on Jena Six. It is a good sign that they are on board with this fight to re-open LaVena Johnson's case.

LaVena's family conducted an interview on Amy Goodman’s radio and television show Democracy Now! I encourage all villagers to check out video coverage of the story.

You can help the momentum. I encourage you to contact your representatives directly on behalf of Justice for LaVena Johnson. This additional step may make all the difference.

I'm interested in hearing your take on the efforts to re-open the LaVena Johnson case. What say u?

Gov't Report Seeks Truth for LaVena Johnson's Family

Drumbeats from Philip Barron tell us that the House Oversight and Governmental Reform Committee issued a report titled, 'Misleading Information from the Battlefield: The Tillman and Lynch Episodes'. The main subjects of the report are Patrick Tillman (former NFL football player killed by friendly fire) and Jessica Lynch (captured POW). LaVena's case is mentioned in Section IX: Other Cases Brought to the Committee's Attention:

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"The Committee’s majority staff was also contacted by the family and friends of Private First Class LaVena Johnson, a weapons supply manager from Florissant, Missouri, who died, family members say, in a suspicious non-combat incident near Balad, Iraq, on July 19, 2005. According to news reports, the Army ruled the death a suicide, and a medical examiner concurred with this finding. But Private Johnson’s family believes Army investigators ignored physical evidence inconsistent with a finding of suicide. They also believe that the Army has additional information about the circumstances of Private Johnson’s death that it has not shared with the family.

While the names of these soldiers are not as well-known as Pat Tillman and Jessica Lynch, their sacrifices were just as great and their families are just as deserving of the truth."

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Now is the time for all villagers to urge further Congressional action.

You do so by contacting both of your US Senators and your member in the House of Respresentatives. You ask them for renewed and transparent investigations into the LaVena Johnson death.

Justice for LaVena Johnson * We Must Contact Congress!

The 3-year anniversary of LaVena Johnson's murder occurs this week. LaVena was only 19-years old when she died in Iraq on July 19, 2005. The Army first ruled her cause of death as self-inflicted, non-combat wounds that were not from a suicide.

That first ruling made sense as the bullet wound to her head did not match her M-16 and was on the wrong side of her head for someone that was right handed. Her additional injuries included a broken nose, a busted lip that covered two loose teeth and acid burns to her genital region (perhaps to cover-up DNA evidence from a rape?).

A few days later the Army changed the official cause of death to 'suicide'. You can see the full story here.

Danielle Vyas launched a new petition, Justice for LaVena Johnson is addressed to both houses of Congress and President Bush. The count is up to 607 with a goal of 1,000 signatures.

Villagers, I encourage you to do more than just sign the online petition. The only people that can make this right are the members of Congress. What About Our Daughters blog provides some excellent advice that I share with you: You and I need to reach out to both of our U.S. Senators and our House of Representatives member:

1. Go to the website of all three congressional representative
   
2. Click on constituent services and have them open a case for you.
   
3. Fill out a privacy release form giving permission for your congressional representative to make inquiries on your behalf.

Villagers, make the inquiry to all three of your elected congressional representatives! When you make your official request for assistance, you should give some background of the LaVena Johnson story.

Tell them that you are concerned about LaVena. You may also want to ask about allegations that a disproportionate number of servicewomen who are raped and subsequently murdered are being classified as having committed suicide. If these allegations are true, you want to know. If these allegations are false, you want to know. If they don't know whether the allegations are true or false, you want to know why they don't know.

I pledge to contact each of my three congressional represenatives (Sherrod Brown, George Voinovich and Jean Schmidt)!

Will you join me in making this pledge to support LaVena Johnson and her family?

Pfc. LaVena Johnson: Was this 19-Year Old Soldier Murdered?

I learned about the troubling story of a 19-year old Black female soldier who the United States Army claims died from her own hands ... suicide. War is hell... Shyt happens. That might be the first thought when the Army opinion is made public.

However, it begins to look more and more like this nubian sister was raped and murdered. Take a moment to review the following news video for details:





I am interested in your thoughts on the death of LaVena Johnson. What say u?