Demand Justice For LaVena Johnson

LaVena Johnson was a 19 year old private in the Army, serving in Iraq, when she was raped, murdered, and her body was burned--by someone from her own military base. Despite overwhelming physical evidence, the Army called her death a suicide and has closed the case.

For three years, LaVena's parents have been fighting for answers. At almost every turn, they've been met with closed doors or lies. They've appealed to Congress, the one body that can hold the military accountable. But, as in other cases where female soldiers have been raped and murdered and the Army has called it suicide, Congress has failed to act.

Will you join Mr. and Mrs. Johnson in calling on Congressman Henry Waxman, Chairman of the House Government Oversight Committee, to mount a real investigation into LaVena Johnson's death and the Army's cover-up? Will you ask your friends and family to do the same?

Click Here To Demand Justice For LaVena Johnson

From the beginning, LaVena's death made no sense as a suicide. She was happy and had been talking with friends and family regularly--nothing indicated she could be suicidal. And when the Johnsons received her body, they noticed signs that she had been beaten. That was when they started asking questions.

After two years of being denied answers and hearing explanations that made no sense, the Johnsons received a CD-ROM from someone on the inside. It contained pictures of the crime scene where LaVena died and an autopsy showing that she had suffered bruises, abrasions, a dislocated shoulder, broken teeth, and some type of sexual assault. Her body was partially burned; she had been doused in a flammable liquid, and someone had set her body on fire. A corrosive chemical had been poured in her genital area, perhaps to cover up evidence of rape.

Still the Army sticks by their story. They refuse to explain the overwhelming physical evidence that LaVena was raped and murdered and continue to claim that she killed herself.

For many Black youth, and working class young people of every race, the military is seen as an option for securing a better future. LaVena came from a deeply supportive family, and while the military wasn't her only option, she was attracted by its promise to help her pay for a college education and the opportunity to travel around the world. She also thought that by joining she could continue her lifelong commitment to serving other people in need. She made a decision to serve in the military, with all its risks, and expected respect and dignity in return.

LaVena's death is part of a disturbing pattern of cases where female soldiers have been raped and killed, and where the military has hidden the truth and labeled the deaths suicides. In virtually all cases, Congress has been slow to investigate or hold the military accountable in any way. Unfortunately, most families simply don't have the resources, time, and psychological strength to push back.

We can help the Johnsons, and other families, by holding Congress accountable in the LaVena Johnson case and by demanding it investigate the pattern of cover-ups by the military.

Please take a moment to join those calling on Congressman Waxman to investigate the cover-up of LaVena Johnson's death:

Click Here To Demand Justice For LaVena Johnson

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, Clarissa, Andre, Kai, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
July 28th, 2008

References:

1. "The cover-up of a soldier's death?" LavenaJohnson.com, March 6, 2007
http://www.lavenajohnson.com/2007/03/cover-up-of-soldiers-death.html

2. "Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers?" CommonDreams.org, April 28, 2008
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/28/8564/

3. "Suicide or Murder? Three Years After the Death of Pfc. LaVena Johnson in Iraq, Her Parents Continue Their Call for a Congressional Investigation," Democracy Now!, June 23, 2008.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/7/23/suicide_or_murder_three_years_after

2. "2 Years After Soldier's Death, Family's Battle Is With Army," New York Times, March 21, 2006.
http://tinyurl.com/mzcvh

Other References:

"Justice for Pfc. LaVena Johnson," DailyKos, June 30, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/5bh73v

"Rapists in the Ranks, Los Angeles Times, March 31, 2008
http://tinyurl.com/2z2c8l

Have You Signed A Petition For The People of Darfur?

Have you signed any Darfur petitions? If not, don't worry! I've got you covered. Below I have a few online petitions that are worth signing. I have the organization that created the petition listed. Next to the name of the organization I have the name of the petition. Below each link is a brief description of the petition.
Make A Difference Today. Sign one, some, or even all the petitions. It only take one minute or two. This minute could change and save a person's life. Let's get involved and become active. You may think this issue isn't affecting you today but no one knows what tomorrow may bring. Help bring an end to the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

DARFUR PETITIONS

Save Darfur - The House of Representatives Must Act
Petition urging your representative to support an official Congressional letter to Chinese President Hu telling him that his indifference toward Darfur is unacceptable and China must act immediately

Save Darfur - Federal Contracts Ban
Petition asking President Bush to implement the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act and make sure U.S. tax dollars do not reward foreign companies that help fund genocide

Save Darfur – Helicopters for Darfur
Petition urging President Bush to work to secure the 24 helicopters necessary for the UNAMID to make the peacekeeping mission for Darfur a successful one

Amnesty International USA - InstantKarma
Petition urging heads of state, including President Bush, to live up to their own promises on Darfur by creating a timeline and benchmarks to get U.N. peacekeepers on the ground and to provide financial support for the mission and humanitarian operations - Funds and visibility generated from the Instant Karma CD and related material will allow Amnesty to respond even more effectively to the changing situation in Darfur, helping the organization push for decisive action to end the violence. More than 50 musical artists, including U2, Green Day, Ben Harper, and Aerosmith, have joined this international effort that combines John Lennon music, technology, and human rights activism

Globe for Darfur – Don’t Look Away
Petition urging authorities to demand that the Sudanese government, armed groups, and the Janjawid militia halt attacks against civilians and humanitarian agencies; also to ensure that UN peacekeepers are deployed expeditiously and fully

Human Rights First - Act to End Chinese Arms Transfers to Sudan
Petition urging the government of China to immediately halt all arms sales to Sudan and support the extension of the United Nations Security Council arms embargo on Darfur to all of Sudan

Physicians for Human Rights - Protect Women and Girls from Sexual Violence in Darfur
Petition asking President Bush to help protect the women and girls of Darfur from sexual violence

Investors Against Genocide –Take Action against Problem Investment Companies
Petition sending a message to companies that have largei nvestments in PetroChina, the worst of the major oil companies funding genocide in Darfur

Darfur Genocide - Demand Peace and Justice in Darfur - "A New Sudan"
Petition lobbying national governments, the African Union and the UN, and raise the call for "A New Sudan" in the media

Darfur Consortium – China’s Role in the Darfur Crisis
Petition that criticizes China’s role in the Darfur crisis to date - By signing the petition one encourages “all non-governmental, intergovernmental, citizens’ and grassroots organizations seized with the Darfur matter continue to make their voices heard and act in concert to assist the people of Darfur to quickly realize their dream of hope and peace

Our Pledge - SECURE JUSTICE for Darfur
Petition requesting that President Bush supports the International Criminal Court's case on Darfur by providing important declassified intelligence to the ICC's prosecutors

Human Rights First - Urge China to Help Darfur's Displaced People
Petition asking China to pressure Khartoum to immediately stop forcibly displacing the people of Darfur, and allow aid workers to help these internally displaced persons, or IDPs, wherever they are located

Please Help Save The People Of Darfur, Sudan

The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, has led to some of the worst human rights abuses imaginable, including systematic and widespread murder, rape, abduction and displacement. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed by both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks, and over 2.5 million civilians have been displaced. Though violence persists, the UN Security Council has mandated what may be an effective peacekeeping operation to guarantee security for the people of Darfur.

The conflict raging in Darfur continues to take its largest toll on civilians in the region. Over 250,000 Darfuris have become refugees in Chad, and more than 2 million are internally displaced in Sudan. Humanitarian aid agencies have a difficult time assisting both groups due to ongoing insecurity that endangers their personnel and prevents them access to the people who need help. The spread of the conflict into Chad has also uprooted over 170,000 Chadians who remain vulnerable to attacks by armed groups, prompting the need for an effective security presence in Eastern Chad, as well as Darfur.

Since February 2003, armed actors in Darfur, including Sudanese government forces, the pro-government Janjawid militia and rebel groups have used rape, displacement, and mass murder as weapons of war. Women and girls, especially those who have been displaced from their communities, have been subject to acts of sexual violence and other brutal assaults. Many women and girls that survive this violence suffer long-term mental and physical illness, social stigmatization and significant economic hardship.

Did you know the first and most powerful step you can take is signing online petitions? The stroke of one key is just as powerful as a stroke of a pen. You now have the power and technology to save someone's life. It doesn't take long. Please take the time to click on the links below and sign these online petitions! Forward these petitions to your friends and their friends. It's not SPAMMING . It's called CARING!

Petition #1:
Save Darfur

Petition #2:
Globe For Darfur

Here's a video made by Physicians For Human Rights:
Darfur: Destroyed Livelihoods