Sharing the city of Denver with the Democratic National Convention this week is a gathering of activists, delegates and elected leaders from across the country, sponsored by The Progressive Democrats of America and The Nation. Progressive Central – the Central Presbyterian Church at 1660 Sherman Street – has already been the site of great conversation about progressive issues, with more scheduled over the coming days. Monday saw PDA panel discussions on “Healthcare NOT Warfare”; that afternoon, the “NOT Warfare” discussion featured Ann Wright – retired United States Army colonel and retired official of the U.S. State Department; and a representative from Iraq Veterans Against the War – talking about the sexual abuse of women soldiers. As regular readers of this site know, Col. Wright has been an invaluable ally of the parents of PFC LaVena Johnson in their fight to have the case of their daughter’s death in Iraq reopened. A video of Col. Wright’s portion of the discussion is available:

Also on the “NOT Warfare” panel were Rep. Lynn Woolsey, Co-chair CPC and PDA Advisory Board member; Norman Solomon, author of Made Love, Got War: Close Encounters with America’s Warfare State; and Kathleen Snyder, Gold Star Mom.

The full schedule of Progressive Central events is available online, and the Progressive Central flyer can be downloaded.

I attended Wednesday’s panel discussion on LaVena Johnson at Legacy Books & Cafe – the Black & Green Wednesday event sponsored by the Gateway Greens Alliance and the Universal African Peoples Organization – but readers would doubtless be better served by video on the event. That content is on the way; I hope to get the raw footage in a couple of days, and will format a portion to share online. Until then, some brief notes:

Forty-odd people attended, with the diversity you would expect from an intersection of the Greens and the pan-African USOP. There were also members of Veterans for Peace in attendance, including good-guy Chuc Smith who has been so helpful and diligent in his efforts on behalf of LaVena’s family.

Michael McPherson, Gulf War I vet and Executive Director of Veterans for Peace, led off the discussion with remarks on the larger issue of sexual harassment and assault in the military. He drew upon sobering statistics from such sources as “The Private War of Women Soldiers,” the Helen Benedict article published in Salon in March 2007. He stressed that the military does not exist in a vacuum – that the pathologies of the larger society are mirrored in military life. McPherson – an African-American – also spent some time talking about the problematic ways in men (and Black men in particular) approach violence, power, and relationships with women.

Redditt Hudson, Racial Justice Manager for the ACLU Eastern Division and former police officer, spoke from a personal standpoint. While his organization has not involved itself in the LaVena Johnson matter, Hudson found himself moved to assist LaVena’s father, Dr. John Johnson. He struggled at times when describing having viewed the photographs of LaVena’s body taken by the Army in its initial investigation, but his emotions lent a force to his words. His demands that legislators take action on behalf of the Johnson family were echoed by everyone in attendance.

Dr. Johnson spoke in conclusion, describing for the audience some of the difficulties he has encountered in trying to bring LaVena’s story to official attention, and also describing welcome and vital assistance from such people as activist and retired Army Colonel Ann Wright. It was Col. Wright who helped open doors in Congress for the Johnsons when they recently traveled to Washington, including direct access to Rep. Ike Skelton, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

The session concluded with some statements and questions from people in attendance. VFP announced that the home page of their website would provide contact information for Rep. Skelton and his assistant, Kyle Wilkins, and implored everyone to contact them to request official action on LaVena’s case.

Brief personal note: It was at once both heartening and humbling to see firsthand the way in which people have been moved by LaVena Johnson. The petition to the two Armed Services Committees is a part of the effort, but only one part. There are other people and other forces at work here. Realizing that puts you in your place a little bit. It’s also a comfort.

Apologies for the day’s delay in putting this post together. I hope to provide some video from the event soon. Many, many thanks to moderator Lionel Nixon of the African Newsletter, to the Gateway Greens and the Universal African Peoples Organization, and to the good folks at Legacy Books & Cafe. As always, thanks for your attention, and your own efforts.

The Gateway Greens Alliance and the Universal African Peoples Organization sponsor a panel discussion on the matter of PFC LaVena Johnson. The event, free and open to the public, takes place on Wednesday, June 4, at 7 pm at Legacy Books & Cafe, 5249 Delmar (near Union) in St. Louis.

The panelists include:

• Lionel Nixon, African Newsworld newspaper [moderator]
• Dr. John Johnson, father of LaVena Johnson
• Redditt Hudson, American Civil Liberties Union
• Michael McPhearson, Veterans For Peace

More information is available at the Gateway Greens Alliance website.

In the accompanying video, Gold Star Mother Elaine Johnson speaks about the death in Iraq of her son, Spc. Darius T. Jennings, and issues a challenge to President George Bush – and to the Democrats. Her remarks took place in St. Louis at the 22nd national convention of Veterans for Peace. (Elaine is no relation to Dr. John Johnson – father to Pfc. LaVena Johnson – who spoke at the same VFP event.)

The father of Pfc. LaVena Lynn Johnson, Dr. John Johnson of Florissant, Missouri.

Dr. Johnson spoke in August 2007 at the Veterans for Peace speakout on sexual assault in the military outside the Robert A. Young Federal Building in downtown St. Louis. This was just one of many events and workshops comprising the 22nd annual national convention of VFP.

In the video embedded here, Dr. Johnson talks about learning of LaVena’s death, his suspicions about how she died, and the family’s attempts to get the Army to reopen its investigation. He is introduced by antiwar activist and retired Army colonel Ann Wright.

I ask you to help the Johnson family by signing the ColorofChange petition to Rep. Henry Waxman of the House Oversight Committee.

Just returned from the Veterans for Peace addresses on sexual assault in the military. I’ll be posting on the remarks made by LaVena Johnson’s father, Dr. John Johnson – as well as some other material – over the weekend.

Incidentally: Today marked my first face-to-face meeting with Dr. Johnson. We chatted for a brief while before the speeches began. Issues of the day aside, he and the family are doing well. More to come.

As part of its 22nd annual national convention taking place in St. Louis, Veterans for Peace will hold a press conference on sexual assault in the military on Friday, August 17, 12:30 – 1:45 pm Central. The event will be held outside the Robert A. Young Federal Building, 1222 Spruce Street. Among the participants will be Dr. John Johnson, father of PFC LaVena Johnson, the area soldier who died under clouded circumstances in Iraq two years ago. Other scheduled participants include:

• Sara Rich, mother of Suzanne Swift, victim of rape while in the US military in Iraq
• Maricella Guzman, victim of sexual assault while in the US military
• Michael McPherson, Executive Director of Veterans for Peace and veteran of the US Army and Gulf War I
• Sharon Kufeldt, Veteran of Vietnam War and Vice-President of Veterans for Peace
• Ellen Barfield, served in Korea and former Vice-President of Veterans for Peace
• Ann Wright, Colonel, Retired, US Army Reserves

From the VFP press release on the press conference:

Sexual assault and rape of women and men in the US military increased so dramatically during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that in 2005 then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld formed a task force on sexual assault.

Nearly one-third of a nationwide sample of women veterans who sought health care through the Veterans Administration said they experience rape or attempted rape during their service. Of that group, 37 percent said they were raped multiple times and 14 percent reported they were gang-raped. Department of Defense has been reluctant to release statistics on sexual assault of men in the military, but anecdotal evidence indicates that the statistics are alarmingly high.

Over the past 10 years, more than 700 US Army Recruiters have been accused of sexual misconduct or rape.

60 years of US military studies and task forces since women began entering the military in larger numbers have not lessened the incidents of assault and rape.

We call on the Department of Defense and the US Military Recruiting Commands and the Military Entrance Processing Stations to formally notify women and men of the statistics on the incidence of the criminal acts of sexual assault and rape of women and men in the military committed by fellow members of the military, many in their chain of command.

Links to additional information on sexual assault in the military may be found at the VFP National Convention media page (scroll down to ‘References for Sexual Assault Press Conference’).

Chuc Smith of the St. Louis chapter of Veterans for Peace will be handing out flyers regarding the case of LaVena Johnson at today’s Make Hip Hop, Not War concert. The music event is one of a series making its way around the country.

Make Hip Hop, Not War Concert Arrives in St. Louis
Free Concert Featuring DJ Chela
Thursday, April 5
4-6 PM
Gateway Classic Sports Complex
20th St. and Martin Luther King Dr.
Sponsored by the Hip Hop Caucus, Military Families Speak Out, Veterans for Peace and the Instead of War Coalition.