Essay Kirby Dicks Film The Invisible War - 699 Words

Sixty-five years after President Truman signs the Women’s Armed Services Integration Act more than 200,000 women are serving in the military. These women are engaged in real combat and experience the physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion like every soldier out there. But what’s more is that in the first three quarters of the fiscal year of 2013 3,553 sexual assault complaints were reported to the Defense Department. Of these, only one hundred and seventy-five of the alleged attackers were criminally charged. All of these numbers have been complied and given meaning through Kirby Dicks’ film The Invisible War. As a director Dick has been nominated for both the Academy and Emmy Awards for best documentary director. Like most of his†¦show more content†¦She left the service two months before her completed two years of service and is now unable to claim disability from the Department of Veteran Affairs office. Her story ends just like the other personal testimonies; barely anyone helped or sought justice. In each case the victim was ostracized and made out to be a liar after speaking out about the rape. According to the film only 2% of rape accusations are criminally prosecuted and brought to light. Slated against the backdrop of personal experiences, the director adds an element of statistics. Dick pulls from an interview between himself and Dr. Kaye Whitley, the Director of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office. In doing so he illustrates just how uneducated the military is about sexual assault. Dr. Whitely is unable to answer questions about the attacker instead she makes it clear that her data is only about what the victim can do better to â€Å"prevent† sexual assault. A recent court ruling over the case that Cioca and four other victims were involved called rape an â€Å"occupational hazard.† Meaning that rape is just a risk you run if you are a women entering the military. Around this point in the docu mentary the discussions that occur in the classroom about rape culture echoed in my ears. These actions are being swept under the rug and covered for by citing that sexual assault is just a part of the job. We live in a society where rape victims are often blamed and rapists are excused for