JPHiP Forum
General => General Discussion => Topic started by: Guchi_Jnr on February 12, 2008, 03:22:14 AM
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Police in Okinawa Prefecture arrested a 38-year-old U.S. Marine on Monday on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old local girl, sparking stern protest from both central and local government officials against the United States and the U.S. military.
The suspect is identified as Tyrone Hadnott, a staff sergeant who belongs to the Camp Courtney base in the southernmost Japanese prefecture. He has denied raping the girl, saying he only forced her down and kissed her, the police said. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080212a1.html)
Just how many times does this need to happen, before Japan grows some balls and kicks them the fuck out.. :banghead:
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THIS CANNOT STAND! Stupid ass military men think they can do whatever they want and get away with it? Cut off their balls. This and similar incidents is why the world is starting to hate Americans (i'm American, too btw).
soldiers are to protect and serve the country and fight for peace for freedom. NOT COMMIT CRIMES, ESPECIALLY INHUMANE ONES LIKE THIS! WHERE IS THE DISICIPLINE?!
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There is discipline in the military most of the time.
Percent of US military people (including families) compared to the total population of Okinawa in 2000: 3.77%
Percent of police cases involving US military or related people in Okinawa in 2000: 0.85%
Revenues generated by the US bases in Okinawa in 2000: 187.3 billion yen.
This site also dispels some of the more common myths http://www.dprkstudies.org/documents/asia015.html as does this one (although it's from a somewhat biased source): http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=42262&archive=true
Basically, notwithstanding the occasional media circus around isolated cases, a member of the US military is five times less likely to commit a serious crime than a native Okinawan. There are other reasons why the US military maybe shouldn't be there (problems with Okinawa's tourism, etc.) and reasons why it should stay (it's 25% of Okinawa's economy and Okinawa already isn't the richest part of Japan), but crime just isn't one of them.
Personally, I think we should move more of the US military presence in Asia to Korea and the Philippines which (a) generally appreciate our presence more and (b) need the economic stimulus more than Japan does.
A lot of this comes down to plain old fashioned racism too. The US military is disproportionately African-American, and the Japanese media uses that to prey on people's fears.
Not that any of that excuses the individual. If he did it than he should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
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I didn't really mean the US military have no disicipline, I believe they do, no disrespect to our great countrymen protecting our freedom overseas.
It's just some choose to commit crimes and it results in making them look bad. MAKE US AMERICANS LOOK BAD! US military are the strongest miltary in terms of technology and capabilites, they are to be revered and look up to.
but whenever something like this happens anywhere, they then become viewed in such an ugly light and destroys their reputation what everything else they stand for and upheld. how can the general public stand something like this when a soldier that is supposed to upheld justice and freedom commit a crime that goes against the very thing they stand to do?
The USA need to carefully solve this problem, if not they will look like those who abuse their powers.
Sadly, this is not the first, and not just in Japan.
ex. couple of years back, a similar incident happen in South Korea and it enraged the entire nation.
It's just how someone mess could effect the entire group. a soldier mistake end up costing the entire military/govt/nation.
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Yeah, but the trouble is there's going to be a few bad eggs in any group. The military does a pretty good job of screening out most of them. If we're able to finish and get out Iraq soon, then they'll be less need for soldiers. Hopefully then the military can be more selective and have fewer cases like this. The idea that an army of over a million will be completely perfect impossible though.
The 1995 incident got a lot of attention and caused a lot of hard feelings because the military was seen as screening and protecting the criminals. They've changed things since so the local police arrest them (as in this case) and the military stays hands off. Hopefully that will cause people to blame the individual rather than the group.
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LOL... U.S marines.. :bleed eyes:
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You (America) can throw as many statistics* as you please at this, in an effort to make yourselves feel better about being American, but this simply boils down to, if he wasn't stationed here, this poor kid would've been raped.. Which is exactly how the Japanese public and media will see it..
Don't think this case will change anything though, since nothing has really happened after all the other rape cases..
:note: For those of you that don't know about the "1995 incident", 3 marines bashed and raped a 12year old kid..
* they're crap!!
They don't give any figures on the type of crimes Japanese committed, just a total.. So there's no way to tell what % are for what crimes... It should show "Assaults by SOFA" compared to "Assaults Total"..
Also, gotta love the way people copy the stats part that reads "SOFA committed 1.7% of the crimes", and they seem to skip the part that reads "SOFA counted for 5.2% of arrests".
http://www3.pref.okinawa.jp/site/view/contview.jsp?cateid=14&id=666&page=1
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You (America) can throw as many statistics* as you please at this, in an effort to make yourselves feel better about being American, but this simply boils down to, if he wasn't stationed here, this poor kid would've been raped.. Which is exactly how the Japanese public and media will see it..
If the US military hadn't been there in the last 50 years, she'd be saluting the sickle and hammer and might have been raped by Russian soldiers instead. I guess that would be preferable since they're not American? (EDIT: Since people are misreading this, I should point out that I'm part Polish. The Russian occupation of Poland makes the Americans in Japan look like saints.)
It's a silly hypothetical, but it's impossible to know what would happen if the US troops weren't stationed there. What we do know is that they carry far more than their weight economically and are generally extremely well-behaved.
No one is arguing that this case isn't horrible if it happened. The point is that it's silly to draw conclusions from one case or tar 50,000 people because of one individual. When you blame the US military presence for the actions of one person, that's exactly what you're doing. It's the same thing as blaming all Arabs for 9/11 or all Asian-Americans for the Virginia Tech shootings.
http://www3.pref.okinawa.jp/site/view/contview.jsp?cateid=14&id=666&page=1
That 5.2% of arrests you quote goes back to the 1970's. Looking back at the last 15 years, it's less than or about 3% - about on par with their percentage of Okinawa's population, or slightly less. In the most recent statistics (2001) the US military was 3.9% of the population and accounted for 2.2% of the crimes - about half the rate of the native population. The military certainly did seem to be out of control in 1978 and 1979. I'm not sure how much that has to do with the current debate given that most of the soldiers stationed there now weren't even alive at the time.
I agree that it would be more useful if the data showed the percentages for each crime.
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Not to say it's okay, but Japan did a LOT worse to the countries they occupied before WW2. The army had a LARGE amount of sex slaves in China and Korea, that's why ties with these countries today are still not very great, especially considering China. So if Japan wants to get mad at one soldier doing this, then they should issue that formal apology that China has been looking for for over the past 50 years for the thousands and thousands of sexual crimes their soldiers comitted against the Chinese.
This is in no way justifying the soldier's actions. As a woman I can feel the pain she must be going through, and am angered by the man and his actions, and definately agree he should be brought to justice. But you can't blame the whole nation for one bad seed. Like the saying goes "Let he who has not sinned cast the first stone." Every nation has a soldier or two that has done wrong to other people, so no one can claim innocence, every nation is guilty. Humans in general are imperfect, whether they're American, Japanese, Chinese, Iraqi, Mexican, etc.
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No one is arguing that this case isn't horrible if it happened. The point is that it's silly to draw conclusions from one case or tar 50,000 people because of one individual. When you blame the US military presence for the actions of one person, that's exactly what you're doing.
One case?? More like one a month!!
The governor's petition included the information that, according to Okinawan prefectural police records, during the thirty-year period since Okinawa reverted to Japan's administration (1972-2002), American troops, Pentagon civilians, and military dependents committed 5,157 crimes in Okinawa, of which 533 were the "heinous" crimes of murder and rape. This works out to 17.7 heinous crimes per year or 1.5 per month.
http://hnn.us/articles/2867.html
Japan Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda has expressed anger over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl by a US serviceman on the island of Okinawa.
Mr Fukuda says the alleged rape is inexcusable and has vowed to take measures to stop similar cases happening again.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/02/12/2161000.htm
The only personal that is allowed to live of base, are married couples and high ranking officers.. Dare say that is going to be trimmed back to only married couples after this..
@Odango
Was wondering how long it would take to before "but Japan did a LOT worse" was thrown in this topic..
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Whoa, you predicted that your one-sided criticism of US soldiers in Japan would be met with criticism of Japanese soldiers elsewhere. You must be psychic :roll: God forbid anyone try to offer some kind of perspective.
FYI, I don't need anything to make me feel better about being an American. I have no guilty conscience for the crimes of someone I've never even heard of before now. Guchi, you make it sound like we're some kind of criminal culture tainting a utopian paradise with our presence. If I were to say the same about the crimes of non-citizens where I live - of which there are many - I would be laughed at and called a bigot. But since it's the Evil Empire of America we're talking about, those kinds of generalizations are okay, right?
And it's funny how people (not just you, I've seen this on several other forums today) want play this up like doomsday, but when someone talks about the GOOD things that have come about from the US military presence in Okinawa, it gets shoved right to the margins. People want to talk about how the Americans are despoiling Eden but not about the billions we've dumped into developing their economy. How myopic.
And no, I'm not saying that any of this excuses rape, just that your bias is showing ;) This guy is going to be tried just like any other criminal, please stop trying to put entire nation on trial because of a few bad eggs.
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I cannot really comment on this because I don't have much background information on this and everything that's available is most likely biased in a way. I have, however, been to Okinawa as a tourist and my personal experience is that these bases (and that includes the Japanese) seem to be everywhere. They hinder public transportation, they're huge, ugly, noisy as hell and just a general nuisance.
Okinawa is so small, it feels like half of the island is filled up with military installations. No doubt this makes it much harder for people to live there than in other places that have some sort of base(s). The economic factor can hardly make up for that. And who knows how the situation would be today if there were no bases. Of course we can just speculate, but for the people, I doubt there's much that's worse than having an airforce base as your neighbor.
The pilot of the fighter jet might be the nicest guy on earth, he might even have a Japanese wife and be a great contributor to the community but in the end, he and his workplace are still part of a bigger problem.
In a way I was happy that I was only there for a week...
Looking at the current case with this in mind, I can very well understand why emotions are heated up over this.
How I see it:
Japanese politicians need to realize that you can be a partner and an ally without playing the role of a loyal dog because they don't want to lose US support (how much they actually need it nowadays is a different story and for someone else to comment on). Until they can do that, they're secretly happy for sad situations like this one because they can use it to improve their position because they don't have the guts to just ask for a swift relocation.
I read that some troops are moved to Guam but it'll take until 2014, cost Japan a lot of money and it seems to only be a rather small percentage so I can understand why people are (still) unhappy...
Just my 2 cents.
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Whoa, you predicted that your one-sided criticism of US soldiers in Japan would be met with criticism of Japanese soldiers elsewhere. You must be psychic :roll: God forbid anyone try to offer some kind of perspective.
My point being, what in the hell does WWII have to do with this??
Here, let me do some basic maths for you two..
The victim in this case is 14years old..
WWII ended over 60years ago..
Umm..hello!! She wasn't there!! She wasn't apart of the atrocities that the Japanese Army committed during the war, so to even bring it up IS justifying this horrendous crime in a way..
Which is equally as bad as Asmo's comment..
If the US military hadn't been there in the last 50 years, she'd be saluting the sickle and hammer and might have been raped by Russian soldiers instead. I guess that would be preferable since they're not American?
Fuck dude, any respect I had for you, vanished with that..
Just for the record, I don't consider myself as "anti-american".. Yeah, it's true that I don't really like America (welcome to the world there), but comments like these do help..
That being said, I don't think I need to comment anymore on this, since you guys are making my argument for me..
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There's a poor young girl here who has been traumatized. Let's not forget about her. I'd hate her tragedy be used to facilitate a political agenda. This soldier's actions are totally unforgivable! Even if no sexual activity took place, it was still completely irresponsible to put himself in that position to begin with, by even aproaching the child. Regardless of how it effects American's standing in the world, it was wrong on any and all levels and inexcusable. But what I find just as tragic, is the other poor girls who have been forgotten because they were raped by local citizens and not foreign troops. The media doesn't talk about their loss and suffering because it does not sell newspapers.
In truth with our technology and resources, bases in Japan and in other countries are really in fact becoming obsolite. Air craft carriers and new long range bomers and fighters like the raptor, can be deployed in hours and accomplish much the same thing as any land base. I say we should pull out of such territorities and prevent awful crimes like these from happening again.
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Guchi, I'd ask you to justify the obvious straw man in that post, but you're not commenting anymore so...:roll:
Suffice it to say that (a) no one here has tried justify what this guy did in any way, (b) calling you out about letting your obvious predisposition toward Americans inhibit your ability to be rational about this does not constitute "making your argument for you", and (c) saying "I'm not anti-American but I don't like America" is something of a contradiction. With regard to the first point, I have to wonder if we're even reading the same topic. It must be nice to say silly things like that and then run out of the thread without ever having to answer for them, very convenient.
If it helps make thing clear, my entire post was in response to this kind of stuff:
You (America) can throw as many statistics* as you please at this, in an effort to make yourselves feel better about being American
This is the point went this topic nose-dived into logical fallacy, and you changed from 'concerned citizen' to 'blind crusader'. Since you're so keenly against misappropriation of blame, let me remind that of all the marines you'd like to boot, 99%+ of them weren't around when this girl was raped, and I'm willing to bet that they are appalled by it. The one person that may have been responsible is facing prosecution. Trying to shift the blame onto America in general, which is what it looks like you're trying to do up there, makes it seem as though you're exploiting the situation to soap-box your own personal diatribe.
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I know this is a divisive issue, but let's keep the discussion civil, please.
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I can definitely write more, no problems with that!!
The "you (america)" part was original "you", but that seemed like a personal attack against Asmo for the statistics, so I added "america" since the sites that posted those stats is called "Stars and Stripes"..
But what I find just as tragic, is the other poor girls who have been forgotten because they were raped by local citizens and not foreign troops. The media doesn't talk about their loss and suffering because it does not sell newspapers.
If you read Japanese newspapers and watched Japanese news programs, you would see such stories (a few months ago, a lady was raped in a train, and that was a huge story here), so to say it's because it doesn't sell newspapers just isn't correct.. It just doesn't happen as often..
Food for thought: There's about an equal amount of foreigner teachers as there are of US armed forces here, and how often do you read about foreigner teachers raping people?? Answer.....Never.. And you know that would definitely be a big news story here..
More details of the case
A U.S. Marine Corps staff sergeant who is in custody over the alleged rape of a 14-year-old girl in Okinawa Prefecture persistently attempted to get the girl's cell phone number and e-mail address while driving her around in his car, The Yomiuri Shimbun learned Wednesday.
Police suspect that Tyrone Hadnott, a 38-year-old staff sergeant at Camp Courtney in Uruma, tried to contact the girl even after the crime.
According to the police, Hadnott offered the middle school student a ride on his motorbike in central Okinawa city at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. He later forced her into his house in Kita-Nakagusukuson.
The girl left the house after he kissed her and tried to molest her, the police said. But Hadnott caught up with her in his car, and offered her a ride home. He then took her to a park in Chatancho, where the alleged rape took place.
While driving to the park, Hadnott repeatedly asked the girl to give him her cell phone number and e-mail address, according to the police.
Before raping her, he allegedly again sought her number and address.
After the alleged crime, the girl jumped out of the car. However, Hadnott ran after her to give her back her cap, which she had left in the car. He then followed her in his car to a nearby convenience store, where he got out and talked to her, the police said.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080214TDY02307.htm
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I can definitely write more, no problems with that!!
The "you (america)" part was original "you", but that seemed like a personal attack against Asmo for the statistics, so I added "america" since the sites that posted those stats is called "Stars and Stripes"..
To be fair, I did mention that it was a biased source, I can't read enough Japanese dig up the original statistics on my own unfortunately. Don't worry, I didn't take it as a personal attack. We just interpret the data differently. Googling trying to find more information revealed that our disagreement is one of the more polite ones on the 'net on this topic. ;)
But what I find just as tragic, is the other poor girls who have been forgotten because they were raped by local citizens and not foreign troops. The media doesn't talk about their loss and suffering because it does not sell newspapers.
If you read Japanese newspapers and watched Japanese news programs, you would see such stories (a few months ago, a lady was raped in a train, and that was a huge story here), so to say it's because it doesn't sell newspapers just isn't correct.. It just doesn't happen as often..
Food for thought: There's about an equal amount of foreigner teachers as there are of US armed forces here, and how often do you read about foreigner teachers raping people?? Answer.....Never.. And you know that would definitely be a big news story here..
Part of the trouble is that most rapes in Japan (as everywhere else) aren't reported. That makes it considerably harder to get an idea of what's really going on. This article has some good analysis about why the reported incidence of rape in Japan is so low: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/02/world/main571280.shtml
I do know that most teaching programs in Japan are very strict in their training about not having inappropriate contact with students. Most kick you out if they learn of a relationship. I recall at least one training manual states (basically) that you should expect your students to flirt with you, but you're an idiot if you take it for serious interest. Most are also pretty strict about kicking you out if they do discover a relationship. That suggests that maybe there needs to be better training for the soldiers to make them more aware of the consequences - not that it would have made a difference in this particular case based on this facts that we know. For what it's worth, I agree with you that living off base should be restricted to married couples and perhaps flag officers.
In you're original post you editorialized: "Just how many times does this need to happen, before Japan grows some balls and kicks them the fuck out.. " I think it's valid to point out that this happens extremely rarely and that kicking them out, putting tens of thousands of Okinawans whose jobs stem from the US presence out of work and creating a security vacuum in the region at a time that Russian is aggressively asserting control over the northern islands, North Korea is test firing missiles across Japan, and China is developing a bigger amphibious invasion capacity than the allies had on D-Day (aimed at Taiwan, but nonetheless), isn't the best idea for Japan or the US. You may disagree with those risks or decide that the prevention of a few crimes is worth condemning thousands to joblessness and poverty. That's your right, and since it's all speculative there's no perfect answer, only best guesses and opinion.
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If the US military hadn't been there in the last 50 years, she'd be saluting the sickle and hammer and might have been raped by Russian soldiers instead. I guess that would be preferable since they're not American?
Wow you managed to offend Russians, too...
Not cool guys, not cool...
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I do know that most teaching programs in Japan are very strict in their training about not having inappropriate contact with students. Most kick you out if they learn of a relationship. I recall at least one training manual states (basically) that you should expect your students to flirt with you, but you're an idiot if you take it for serious interest. Most are also pretty strict about kicking you out if they do discover a relationship. That suggests that maybe there needs to be better training for the soldiers to make them more aware of the consequences - not that it would have made a difference in this particular case based on this facts that we know.
I have personally done the teacher training in Japan, and yes the company I taught at, did tell us we couldn't "fraternize with students", which meant we weren't even allowed to talk to them outside the classroom.. Other schools actually encourage friendship between students and teachers, and having a relationship is perfectly fine.. But they didn't say "oh, and by the way, don't rape anyone.", which is a part of the "education program" the military wants to do to stop this from happening again..
For the life of me, I just can't get my head around that.. That people need to be told that rape is bad..
And it's not going to make any difference at all, because they are marines.. Just a bunch of knuckleheads with guns who believing they are bigger than god..
Ok, that was a bit harsh.. I do have a few close friends in the forces and they aren't so bad, but I've also met a bunch that have less maturity than a 6year old, so generally speaking...knuckleheads..
[off-topic]
I consider marines the same as jocks..
When I was in Australia, I lived in a place called St.Kilda in Melbourne.. People considered St.Kilda as the most dangerous/violent area, due to all the prostitution and drugs, and the bars there, a big no go.. Now I was always in those bars, and they were packed with druggies, hookers, pimps, bikers, skinheads, punks..the works, and I never once saw a fight..
The "safe" places on the other hand were "sport bars" in the city.. These places were full of footballers, rugby players, etc., and there were always fights.. Just a bunch of macho he-men knuckle draggers, acting all tough and shit... Which is exactly what I think of most marines.. They are the same as these guys, but were crap at sport..
[/off-topic]
I think it's valid to point out that this happens extremely rarely
The last reported rape by a marine was in October, so I would hardly call it extremely rare.. And as you pointed out, a lot of rape cases aren't reported, and if anything, even less would report one against a marine, since it would be so much harder to prove..
No-one knows how Okinawa would go without the military presence, but I don't think it would be that bad..
America is using 75% of the land, which means 1.2million Japanese live in 25%.. With that 75% cleared for Japanese, the population could increase to around 5million, and with that, there would be a lot more work.. Not to mention the tourism there would boom, since people would believe it to be safer..
It's true that Japan relies on the US military for protection, but they don't have a choice since their American written constitution states ARTICLE 9
Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. (2) In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.
So with this, North Korea could say something like "Tomorrow at noon, we are going to fire these missiles from these bunkers and bomb the hell out of you." and Japan aren't allowed to do anything to protect itself.. But America could fly over, bomb the bunkers and save the day.. So yeah, America is needed...they made it that way..
:sidenote: You gained some respect with that post..
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I know there's strong movement towards revisiting/rewriting Article 9. The sooner that happens the better. Japan has been skirting the edges of it by helping with refueling and patrols in the Gulf and stuff like that. I'm trying to remember how they managed to skirt the law and send some unofficial troops to Vietnam (it was described in the Apocalypse Meow manga, but I can't remember the details). Anyway, it's a crazy provision today, especially when America is struggling to get its other allies to pull their own weight in terms of defence.
The jocks analogy is probably pretty accurate. Most of them are good people, but the machismo thing covers up for the jerks and criminals. The soldiers I've spent time with (Army mostly) were all great people, but they're mostly JAGs and either Captains or Majors, so the culture is probably a little different.
I'm not sure how long it would take Okinawa's economy to recover. I'm sure there's been studies, but they elude Google for the moment at least. I don't think the recovery would be as seamless as you suggest, but I don't think it's knowable either way.
I do think 'extremely rare' is accurate from the figures I've seen. The rates are still lower than the general population. It's just that there's 50,000 American personnel and families there. That's about twice the size of the town I grew up in, and there seems to be a lower crime rate.
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I have relatives in Okinawa (Not military, but by Japanese descent), so I take frequent visits a few times a year. I also have relatives in the US Navy, so I pretty much have a small perspective on both views, American / Japanese.
Every few years there's a report of a sex crime near the American base in Okinawa. Many of the locals hate the fact that there's a base there and it brings the whole American/Japanese relationship into question. Generally there are three main anti-western groups in Japan. People who remember the war and the Tokyo fire bombings, the far right and those who have become disillusioned by the effects of the Okinawa base.
That being said, there are negotiations to end the Navy / Marine base on Okinawa and move it to Guam. The cost of moving the base is expected to be about $10 billion dollars. The Japanese have pledged $3 billion with another $3 billion in loans.
The final details haven't been worked out as yet. But, the earliest any move could happen is 2011. It will take that long to build the new bases in Guam. And the Japanese government is questioning the high cost of doing so.
Frankly, there is no real need for us to be there, but we are still obligated to defend them until the treaty is ended.
In any case, I think Guam is probably more suitable as a base of operations in the Pacific, particularly as Indonesia is a heavily-populated muslim country- and Australia might need the help of the US, if there is a confrontation or invasion.
But my question is- why did a 14 year old school girl get on the back of a 38 year old strangers motorcycle for a ride home, then go into his house, and then get into his Van? Common sense wields that you don't do these types of things. Eye for an eye, blade for a blade anyone? Sounds fishy, which leads me to wonder Is there a lot more to this story?
Now please excuse me as I have an ill-fated appointment at the local sports bar to fight and act all tough an shit since I'm good at track & field and never joined the military. Apparently I'm more dangerous than your average druggie, hooker, pimp, biker, skinhead, and punk. Thank god for steroids!
(http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/9528/thumbsupkameibc5.jpg)
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But my question is- why did a 14 year old school girl get on the back of a 38 year old strangers motorcycle for a ride home, then go into his house, and then get into his Van?
A promise of Playstation?
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But my question is- why did a 14 year old school girl get on the back of a 38 year old strangers motorcycle for a ride home, then go into his house, and then get into his Van?
Wth? :?
That´s not the question. She is a minor (and a kid). The question should be:
why did a 38 year old man get on the back a 14 year old school girl on his motorcycle for a ride home, then get into his house, and the get into his Van?
Well. We already know the answer...
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I just wanna point out that I am, by all means against rape- and I hope the best for the girl involved in this incident, not to mention putting that disgrace of an American in jail.
It's hard to get the right representation for our country. The right representation being a person/soldier who upholds high standards, dignity and morale. But given the nature of the work that the military does, it's hard to get the right people in. So like all nations, we have our chumps and bums, but please don't let their image detour of what we really are...
But my question is- why did a 14 year old school girl get on the back of a 38 year old strangers motorcycle for a ride home, then go into his house, and then get into his Van?
That´s not the question. She is a minor (and a kid).
Japan has one of the lowest age of consent laws in the world. The Article 177 of the Penal Code puts the age of consent for sexual activity at thirteen (13) years. However, prefecture law usually overrides federal law, raising the age up to 18. So it varies. Believe it or not, most young Japanese girls are having sex- if not by firsthand experience, but being influenced by it via the huge porn industry. Ever walk through the red light district in Japan? It's unbelievable. And people seem to be fine with it. They even treat porn stars as part of the norm. As idols.
Anyway, at 14 years old, the girl took a chance. Okinawa is one of the poorer parts of Japan where rape is common, and a 38 year old comes up and asks you to come with him? Shouldn't that be a huge red flag? I've had experiences myself, when older men would try to play the seduce game. I don't think I have to point out how obvious it is when a man you don't know whom is old enough to be your father, offers you a ride home. Like how I said before, common sense wields that you don't. She could be really naive... Or really twisted.
Which brings me back to my questioning is there more to this story?
No doubt that sex was on this guys mind. However, in light of the girl (whom I feel very sorry for, no one deserves to be raped), I'm speculating on her logic behind her actions (If any).
She got into this guys car (red flag?), they drove around a bit, they went into his house (wow, red flag anyone?), she left the house and as she did, the guy kissed her and tried to molest her (uh... red flag anyone?), she left, the guy caught up to her (whoa! red flag!?), and offered her a ride home and she agreed (after he tried to molest her, uh red flag anyone?), he than took her to a park where the actual rape took place....
I've come to believe that a lot of these girls think that by having a sexual partner older then they are; it makes them appear older also and more mature.
In this case, a 38 year old western foreigner. With a motorcycle. A car. And his own house.
Did this girl know what she was getting into, despite all the red flag warnings? No one can ever know, I guess- but as a girl myself, whose been in this situation before- one would undoubtedly take in the consideration of rape. After all, just look at all the hit & misses this guy did.
In conclusion, Japan is one big porno/pachinko parlor. I've seen porn on regular TV. It is not unheard of for teenage girls to turn tricks for older businessman so that they can get fancy stuff they want. Though one would might question the naivitivity there, I believe it's just, summed up in one word that's simple enough: twisted.
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That's your "red flag!?" interpretation of the events, here's mine from the news stories I've read..
The victim and 2 of her friends were out on Sunday night (Monday was a public holiday), and this black dude rides up on his bike and starts talking to them.. He comments on how he likes her baggy pants (he's mostly likely acting all hip-hop and shit), so she complements his bike.. He asks if she would like to go for a ride, and she thought "Why not... I'll be back in a few minutes", but he doesn't take her back, and instead takes her to his house and drags her inside..
Meanwhile, her friends are still there waiting and they start to worry.. They call her cell phone a bunch of times, but she doesn't answer.. Finally she answers the phone and says "help me!! I've been abducted...."phone stops.. The friends call parents, and the parents call the police..
He leaves her alone for a minute and she makes a break for it.. She's out the door and off running.. He comes out, jumps in his car, and goes off looking for her.. Eventually he finds her, and somehow persuades her to get in the car.. I'm guessing she was balling her eyes out, and he was all apologetic like "I'm sorry...I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to scary you.. I'm not a bad guy!".. She gets in, he drives to a quite spot and rapes her..
She then manages to escape once again and makes a dash for a convenience store.. He quickly follows her there, but can't do anything because they are now not alone, so he leaves.. She then telephones the police, and they find him sitting in his car at home..
What she thought was going to be a 2min joyride on the back of a bike, ended up being 2hrs of terrifying hell..
This poor girl is going to be mentally scared for life because she trusted an America marine, and you someone swing it, like she's part to blame..
And in other news today..
Four marines accused of gang rape may be court-martialed
U.S. military authorities held preliminary hearings Friday to determine whether four Marines who had been charged with raping a Japanese woman last year should be court-martialed.
The four U.S. Marines - accused of an attack on a 19-year-old woman in October - were charged by the military in December, said Master Gunnery Sgt. John Cordero of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station in Iwakuni in southern Japan.
The hearings, the military equivalent of civilian grand jury proceedings, began Thursday to decide whether the men would face court-martial, he said. Two of the Marines were also accused of stealing money from the woman.
The hearings, originally set to last three days through Saturday, ended after the second day, Kyodo News agency said without giving reasons. Phone calls to U.S. military officials at Iwakuni were not answered late Friday. (http://www.examiner.com/a-1222875~4_Marines_in_Japan_Investigated_for_Rape.html)
And for the record, this is a completely different rape case to the October one I mentioned a few posts back..
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and you someone swing it, like she's part to blame..
You misunderstood me. By any means, I never said she's at full or partly at fault for being raped.
Let me make this clear: No matter what the circumstances, rape is not the victims fault. It doesn't matter if the girl was walking the street buck naked- she is not responsible for the actions of that "man".
However, she, and everyone in general, shoulder a measure of responsibility for their actions.
To put it in a non-gender perspective:
Suppose you park in the fire lane in front of a store. There's a fire, the fire department comes along and can't get around the car. So, with precious time wasting, they break the windows, and run the fire hose through it. Now, did you ask to have your car damaged? Of course not. But we must admit, you shouldered a measure of responsibility inasmuch as you parked in a fire lane.
Again, she's not at fault for the rape, but she is at fault for putting herself in not just one, but various- I repeat, various, high risk situations one after another, in a single incident.
Which warrants the outcome in the other news story:
In the Iwakuni case, media reports say the woman met the servicemen at a restaurant in Hiroshima, and the men drove her to a nearby parking lot where they allegedly raped and robbed her....
...Kyodo reported that the woman said she had agreed to have sex with one of the men, but then the three others joined the pair and all four raped her.
The rape is tragic, but the logic of her actions which lead to it?
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I'm not getting into the blame game or whether the base should be there or not. It's really too big a matter to just say "it's okay for them to be there" or "it's not okay." Humans are like that, nothing can be that simple.
What I'm wondering now is why Japanese prosecuters dropped the case of the four men raping the woman. When you're accused of rape, I think you should be tried through the full extent of the law. I find something really wrong with this.
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What I'm wondering now is why Japanese prosecuters dropped the case of the four men raping the woman. When you're accused of rape, I think you should be tried through the full extent of the law. I find something really wrong with this.
Oh, you mean that when a woman accuses a man of rape, everyone automatically thinks he is guilty? What about all the men being released form serving decades in prison due to false accusations of rape?
Though your reasoning may be a bit too generalized, I agree that the guilty should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. But this the Japan system we're talking about.
Some of my Japanese friends are notoriously insensitive. I learned that much from their treatment of foreigners and peoples of different races- not to mention some of the treatment I get, just for being a second generation Japanese (born and raised in America).
As for the male view on the female population, they see women more as liabilities than people, pretty funny for such an 'advanced' country.
Which leads me wondering: Does Japan care about rape victims?
Not too long ago, I remember watching a news segment about a foreigner suing Japanese police:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Aussie-rape-victim-sues-Japan-police/2007/12/04/1196530679353.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22872274-5013404,00.html
The Japanese 'system' (for lack of a better word) is very much like how it was here in the bad old days.
(if no one knows what I'm talking about, look up how rape victims were treated in the pre-feminist era here in the states.)
Which brings me to another point: Odango's observation regarding the way Japan refuses to acknowledge the sufferings of 'comfort women' during WWII is true. Japanese society is seriously patriarchal and women stand really low on the totem pole there.
As for the prosecution itself: Think about it from a victim or even officers' point of view. Police are, mostly, concerned for the survivor, but are also very focused on just getting the evidence and moving on. The medical examination on the survivor can be horrific (doctors can be imcompassionate and distant) - the examination can also hurt the person. Also, in remote areas - the person cannot shower until the doctor arrives (this can take hours).
Then, the entire rape prosecution process can be just as humiliating (including the survivor having to give evidence in front of the rapist). It is also very common that the rape survivor's past sexual history will be discussed during the trial and their moral behaviour will be questioned.
Only 10/100 rapes are reported and only 1/10 that are reported is the rapist found guilty.
No wonder the reporting incidence is low, not just in Japan, but rather the world.
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There are 3 things that always lead to a debate or argument. Religion, Politics, and Race (We'll include nationality in this case). Everyone will have their own views and opinions. So if everyone is trying to come to one conclusion, it's a waste of time. It seems some of us have already made up our minds on this topic anyways. But there is one thing we can all agree on. The person who is responsible for this crime should be prosecuted. It just so happens he is a Marine. Let me reiterate (View). I can imagine if i were this girl's father, I'd probably want all the Marines outta Japan. But you can't categorize an entire group of people because of one individual. Asmodai said it best. "It's the same thing as blaming all Arabs for 9/11 or all Asian-Americans for the Virginia Tech shootings." . And kicking all the Marines out of Japan wouldn't solve the problem. Let's say that there were know Marines in Japan. Maybe this guy commits this crime somewhere else.
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It's the same thing as blaming all Arabs for 9/11
I think Guam is probably more suitable as a base of operations in the Pacific, particularly as Indonesia is a heavily-populated muslim country
:roll:
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:roll:
This is the 2nd time you've taken my posts out of context.
Let me clear it up for you: I don't hate Muslims or Islam.
I do, however, despise the extreme elements within Islam, and I am angry that, as other people put it, the good Muslims, don't stand up to the bad ones. I am angry that the Muslim nations are not taking control of their substantial extreme elements.
There are those who believe that the extremist element in Islam is small. Yet the numbers are staggering. There are 1.2 billion Muslims in this world. Lets take a very liberal view that only a very small percentage of Muslims are exterme, while the rest of the Muslim world is very peaceful. So if only 10% of Muslims have extreme point of views, and may be a threat, and must be dealt with, meaning dealing with 120 million Muslims.
How about 1%? Then you must deal with 12 million Muslims. How about 1/10 of a percent? Then you must deal with 1.2 million Muslims. The numbers are staggering. How do you propose dealing with even the "very low" figures of 1.2 million Muslim extremists?
I am sick and tired of hearing over and over and over again from Muslims that Islam is such a "peaceful religion."
Well, thank goodness Allah Islam is such a "peaceful religion", can you imagine if it weren't?
It is time for the Muslim world to take some accountability and handle its extreme element that is numbered in the millions of people.
it's true that I don't really like America
Typical American stereotypes:
- rude
- self-absorbed as a nation
- are money hungry
- "If it's not my way, it's wrong" mentality
- have little knowledge about things outside the USA
- "OMG! Like, He's so hot! and, like, what she thinking that she could even, like, talk to him? She's sooo way below his league!"
- gullible
I have yet to meet an American who actually embodies all of these stereotypes, but I do see elements of them appear in some, time to time.
Going to a well known international university and conversing with my non-american friends on their views of Americans- I've come to a conclusion that they (not all) think that when 9/11 happened, a lot of statements were said on the media that all Muslims are terrorist, all sorts of bad things about Islam, and they are still doing it today.
Their bottom line: If they show it on TV, Americans will buy into it.
I never heard any media source say ALL Muslims are terrorists after 9/11. In fact, all I can recall hearing is that we should not pre-judge all Muslims and to go out of our way not to profile air travelers at security checkpoints. They must get different channels than I do.
I consider marines the same as jocks..
First, let me get this across: To say that stereotypes are bad is an over generalization in itself. Point taken- I avoid all snakes because some of them are poisonous.
However, your American/marine/jock philosophy is a narrow minded way of jumping to conclusions. Its the lazy mans way of deciding something about someone, or in your case, an entire nation, and it can cost you alot.
I've also met a bunch that have less maturity than a 6year old, so generally speaking...knuckleheads..
Oh? How ironic :)
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I want to clear some stereotypes for Guchi. I'm a Military brat. My mother is Japanese from Okinawa, Japan. My father is an African-American Retired Marine. He's also fluent in Japanese and has thought English to Japanese students. He Doesn't go around beating his chest looking for barfights, nor does he act Hip-Hopish or thugish just because he's black. He's not a jock, or muscle-head either. I grew up in Iwakuni, Japan and Okinawa, Japan half my life. Japan and Japanese in general are very friendly. In fact, if you are a foreigner and you went to Japan, a lot of Japanese would probably try to conversate with you and practice their English. Don't let this unfortunate crime commited by this one individual change your perception and make you think Japanese hate foreigners because they don't.
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This is the 2nd time you've taken my posts out of context.
I'm not doing that on purpose, it's just they way they read to me..
Typical American stereotypes:
- rude
- self-absorbed as a nation
- are money hungry
- "If it's not my way, it's wrong" mentality
- have little knowledge about things outside the USA
- "OMG! Like, He's so hot! and, like, what she thinking that she could even, like, talk to him? She's sooo way below his league!"
- gullible
Honestly speaking, the only Americans I've met are the ones I've met here in Japan.. Some were fine, most were not..
One of my buddies who's from Boston, told me "Don't think the Americans here are the same as the ones back home, because they are not." meaning that the ones who travel overseas, act a lot differently to the ones back home.. He ended up being so ashamed, he said he was going to introduce himself as a Canadian from then on..
Another buddy, a black guy from San Francisco, said his friends back home would probably beat his ass if they saw him act the way he was in Japan.. He said, being a black guy with dreds, he really stood out here and felt he was now special, so acted larger than life.. Whereas, back home he would just be another guy..
I want to clear some stereotypes for Guchi. I'm a Military brat. My mother is Japanese from Okinawa, Japan. My father is an African-American Retired Marine. He's also fluent in Japanese and has thought English to Japanese students. He Doesn't go around beating his chest looking for barfights, nor does he act Hip-Hopish or thugish just because he's black. He's not a jock, or muscle-head either. I grew up in Iwakuni, Japan and Okinawa, Japan half my life. Japan and Japanese in general are very friendly. In fact, if you are a foreigner and you went to Japan, a lot of Japanese would probably try to conversate with you and practice their English. Don't let this unfortunate crime commited by this one individual change your perception and make you think Japanese hate foreigners because they don't.
Oh yeah, I totally agree.. I've been living here for the last 7 out of 9years, and I also teach.. I'm actually writing this at high school now, because I have a free period..
I guess one of the reason why this news story has pissed me off, is because I teach 2nd year junior high school (and 3rd year senior) at an all girl school, and the victim was a 2nd year junior, so it feels like one of my kids..
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Instead of starting a new thread, I'm just gonna bump this everytime a US marine in Japan breaks the law..
Another marine is held by U.S., this time for alleged counterfeiting
A marine in Okinawa Prefecture is suspected of counterfeiting U.S. currency, investigative sources said Tuesday, as the government meanwhile stepped up calls for the United States to toughen discipline on its military personnel.
U.S. military authorities have detained the marine, described as being in his 20s, on suspicion of making dozens of fake $20 bills and attempting to spend some of them in Uruma, southern Okinawa, the sources said.
On Monday, a 21-year-old marine was arrested on suspicion of trespassing after he was found passed out on a sofa in a private Nago residence.
Another marine, 22, was arrested Sunday for driving drunk in the city of Okinawa. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080220f3.html)
Seems like I'll be bumping this everyweek... at least..
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I really don't think weekly updates are needed... :lol:
That's like me posting every crime done by people around here...
wait... that stuff usually isn't "big" enough news to be reported -___-
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Update..
U.S. imposes curfew on Okinawa forces
The U.S. military imposed a curfew on all its personnel in Okinawa beginning at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, following a recent series of troubling incidents, including the alleged rape of a teenage Japanese girl by a marine.
The length of the curfew, which has been designated as a period of reflection, has not been set. The measure covers not only army, navy, air force and marine corps personnel living on and off bases but also their relatives and nonmilitary staff. They will be restricted to their bases, residences or workplaces, whichever applies.
The measure also applies to U.S. military personnel stationed at the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture, as well as Camp Fuji in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Military personnel living on base are not allowed to leave for any activity other than those related to church, school, medical care or official duty.
Personnel living off base can, in principle, only move between the installations and their homes by private car, taxi or military transport. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080221a2.html)
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Found this on an Okinawan English blog:
Fri, 22 Feb 2008
A Message from the Women of Okinawa to All US GIs in Okinawa. Once again, American GIs have raped an Okinawan girl.
This one is from junior high. We are angry.
We do not believe that all of you are rapists. But given the long history of similar crimes over the sixty years from the Battle of Okinawa continuing to today, one could be forgiven for thinking so. If you are a female GI, can you trust these male GIs ?
We know that this incident is only the tip of the iceberg. There have been so many rape victims who have told no one and wept silently in their beds, that you are probably confident that you could get away with it, aren't you. But those days are now over.
We are not going to let us and our mothers, our sisters and our daughters be humiliated any longer. Whatever you do, wherever you go, we'll be watching you.
You have been turned into killing machines. The military organization has sought to teach you to see people not as people, but as something to kill. It is that same training that has taught you see us as someone you can rape casually. Go back to your hometown, where your mother is, and try to get yourself back to being a decent human being.
We do not hate you as individuals. But as members of the US military organization, you are unwelcome here. Maybe you imagine you are protecting Okinawa. But because you are here, we never feel safe. Because you are here, we feel constant fear.
You think that because the US military shed blood to seize Okinawa in World War II, the place belongs to you and you can do anything you want here, don't you.
But whatever countries or governments may have won or lost whatever wars, we have our dignity, our honor, and our freedom, and these are our islands, our land, our sky, our sea. It is here that we maintain the chain of life, giving birth to children, and raising them to be adults. This is the women of Okinawa. And this is what we are proud of. We will not allow you to continue to insult the pride, the honor, the dignity of us and our mothers, sisters and daughters. Go back to America. Now.
Okiinawan women are handing this statement to US military personnel. Contact address: ushiibaakami@yahoo.co.jp
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"Okiinawan women are handing this statement to US military personnel."
Hope they can run fast!!
And in the news today..
U.S. Army soldier held for alleged sexual assault at hotel in Okinawa
A U.S. Army serviceman is under investigation for allegedly sexually assaulting a Filipino woman in Okinawa this week, the U.S. military and Japanese officials said Thursday.
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U.S. military authorities took the unidentified suspect into custody shortly after the incident.
Okinawa Prefectural Police plan to seek an arrest warrant on suspicion of rape, based on an accusation filed by the Filipino woman.
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The woman, also unidentified, was taken to a hospital after the alleged attack, said Takashi Ariyoshi of the Foreign Ministry. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080222a7.html)
Does "Extremely Rare" still sound correct?!?!
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Relative to the number of military personnel in the region? Yes, very much so.
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You actually make it sound like you expect it to be higher, which brings me back to something I was going to say, but forgot to..
It's just that there's 50,000 American personnel and families there. That's about twice the size of the town I grew up in, and there seems to be a lower crime rate.
In comparison, I grew up in a town of 12,000 and never even heard of someone being raped...
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He got released today after the parents dropped charges
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The Naha District Public Prosecutors Office said Friday night it had decided not to indict a U.S. Marine Corps sergeant arrested on Feb. 11 on suspicion of raping a 14-year-old middle school girl, adding that it had released him.
The prosecutors decision came after the girl dropped the accusation against him earlier on Friday evening.
According to the prosecutors, the girl said to them, "That's enough, leave me alone."
"We must give maximum respect to the will of the victim," Yaichiro Yamashiki, chief prosecutor at the prosecutors office, said at a press conference. "In keeping with legal procedure, we dealt with the case in this way [by not indicting him] because the accusation was retracted."
"We've determined that it isn't appropriate to indict the suspect by applying charges...out of consideration for the victim's feelings," Yamashiki added. (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080301TDY01306.htm)
Another rapist walks free..
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Another rapist walks free..
So much for the presumption of innocence.
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Glad to see that America hopefully won't let him walk as easily..
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer told Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on Saturday that the U.S. military will continue its investigation into the alleged rape of a local junior high school girl by a U.S. Marine in February in Okinawa Prefecture.
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Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnott, 38, was arrested Feb. 11. He was released to U.S. base authorities Friday after his accuser dropped all charges against him.
Schieffer was quoted as telling Fukuda that the investigation will keep going despite Hadnott's release.
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In Washington on Friday, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the U.S. military will continue to probe the case despite the charges being dropped.
The probe will be carried out "to see what may or may not be done in terms of future legal action against this individual" because he, as a U.S. service member, has an obligation to follow U.S. law as well as Japanese law, Casey said. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080302a3.html)
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I'm sure this guy will get court martialed. You can always get the catch-all Article 15. With the size of this case he's probably going to get a dishonorable discharge.
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"We do not hate you as individuals. But as members of the US military organization, you are unwelcome here. Maybe you imagine you are protecting Okinawa. But because you are here, we never feel safe. Because you are here, we feel constant fear." -Okinawan English blog
After reading this paragraph, if this group think it can promote the idea of kicking US military out, they better think again.
As for my own insights, I think kicking the US military out is probably a last resort measure. As one can observe, they are still currently there, thus there is an agenda of goals we do not know or do know. I believe this is the reason why they have not been kicked out yet.
It also surprises me how this case has become so sensational. Rape is rape whether you're 50 years old or 14. I've heard of rape done to a baby before (search it up in Google's news section). The point is this case has been made sensational beyond what it's suppose to be. If you want to talk about how "shocked" or "appalled" you are of rape done to certain a person of x age then feel free but this is off topic of what a rape case is.
With all due respect, I hope this little girl is well. I hope she did not contract any STD. I also hope she was scolded well enough to understand to be cautious but to also receive the same amount of care and support (I would go with more care and support here because rape can be traumatizing to one's self psychology at this age).
For the soldier, I hope he did not do it in the first place, but if he did, then only justice can be served for him. Innocent until proven guilty.
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U.S. sailor tied to taxi driver's death after credit card found in cab
A U.S. Navy sailor who went AWOL may have been involved in the slaying of a taxi driver here, according to police who found the serviceman's credit card in the cab.
According to police, Masaaki Takahashi, 61, was found fatally stabbed in his taxi with the engine still running around 9:20 p.m. Wednesday.
The incident apparently occurred in the Shioiricho district, which lies less than 1 kilometer from the sprawling Yokosuka Naval Base.
A knife with a blade about 20 centimeters long was embedded in his neck.
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Residents living near the crime scene reported hearing shouts. One reported hearing sounds in English.
A 61-year-old man said he heard what he thought was a loud "No" on Wednesday night. (http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200803210376.html)
The U.S. Navy has taken into custody a sailor whose credit card was found in the taxi of a driver found murdered in his cab in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.
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Update.
A U.S. Navy serviceman has admitted to fatally stabbing a taxi driver on March 19 near the Yokosuka Naval Base and could be handed over to Japanese authorities soon, police sources said Wednesday. (http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200804020255.html)
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:bump:
The Japanese lawyer representing a 22-year-old U.S. Navy seaman who was arrested Thursday for the murder of a taxi driver last month in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, said Friday that his client told him he heard voices ordering him to stab someone. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080405a3.html)
Claimed he was innocent for the first 10 days, and now he's trying to be declared mentally incompetent.. :thumbdown:
In other news..
Sons of U.S. GIs arrested over holdup
Two sons of U.S. servicemen have been arrested by Japanese police over a taxi holdup in Okinawa Prefecture.
The two suspects, both 19, allegedly assaulted a 55-year-old taxi driver in the city of Okinawa on March 16 and robbed him of some ¥8,000, the police said.
They have admitted to the allegations, according to investigative sources.
Two other boys, aged 15 and 16, also sons of U.S. servicemen, were served fresh arrest warrants Friday over the alleged assault, following their initial arrest in March for another taxi holdup. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080406a5.html)
Guess it's true that apples don't fall far from the trees.
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Update for the original topic..
The U.S. Marine arrested in February for allegedly raping a junior high school girl in Okinawa Prefecture will be court-martialed, the U.S. Marine Corps said Friday.
The marine, Tyrone Hadnott, 38, was released after the victim withdrew the accusation.
Hadnott has been charged with several violations of military law, including raping a child under 16 and kidnapping. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080426a6.html)
Glad someone is making him pay for his crimes..
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Note, the sailor that killed the taxi driver was a Nigerian citizen. Not an American.
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Marine gets four years for sexually abusing girl, 14
The U.S. Marine Corps in Japan found a staff sergeant guilty Friday of sexual abuse of a teenage girl in Okinawa in February and sentenced him to four years in the brig, with one year suspended.
But Staff Sgt. Tyrone Hadnott, 38, was cleared of rape and other charges, including kidnapping through luring, Lt. Col. David S. Oliver, the presiding judge, said during a general court-martial at Camp Foster, convicting the accused of violating the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Hadnott had waived his right to a pretrial investigative hearing, which effectively reduced his term to three years in prison, counting the suspended year. Prosecutors had recommended an eight-year term. (http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080517a2.html)
Better than nothing!!