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    weebleswobbleRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:11pm

    By all means, please accept mentally unstable men and women with criminal histories into the military and then train them to kill. That’s a super great idea that has no chance of backfiring.

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      Dick Burnsweebleswobble
      3/21/16 11:43pm

      This kid is a shit bag but I’d prefer to see this country give kids a second chance through military service. Before we became a country that loved our prisons judges used to give kids the option of military or jail.

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      Annaweebleswobble
      3/21/16 11:50pm

      x1000

      Criminal histories are one thing – even violent criminal histories might not be a huge drawback from their perspective, especially if the person will be serving in a combat role – but sexual violence should be a giant bright red flag.

      Even from a purely logistical perspective, having sexual predators in their ranks is absolutely detrimental to their precious “cohesion.”

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    randilynisFINDILYNRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:25pm

    Hard to imagine someone who met his victims through social media would be able to stay off the grid for any amount of time. Was he using a false identity?

    What were the circumstances under which he declared himself a sex addict?

    I had the impression (from movies probably) that the military was relentless going after AWOLs and running them to ground. In the movies, even 80 year old men face Court Martials and imprisonment once they’re caught. I guess the resources aren’t there for a “we always get our man” approach, but I can’t see the military looking soft on deserters?

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      BrightEyesrandilynisFINDILYN
      3/21/16 11:37pm

      One does wonder. From living in a military town throughout my childhood, they are more than willing to ignore those who don’t meet their “standards”. In other words, “AWOL” only means absent without leave if they are worthwhile. A multiple times sex offender is someone they would pray to distance themselves from, regardless if they covered it up.

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      ReasorrandilynisFINDILYN
      3/21/16 11:39pm

      When I was enlisted, I worked in my Battalion’s personnel office, where the paperwork is done up when somebody goes AWOL. I don’t recall an instance when we had to write up a sheet on a deserter who was actually pending charges for other criminal conduct, but it was always my impression that the guys who go AWOL effectively turn themselves in the first time they try to use an ATM machine. It’s actually very hard to hide in the modern age unless you’re actually going off the grid entirely. Of course, that does nothing to explain why a real manhunt wasn’t called for the rapey piece of trash in the article above.

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    I'm Fart and I'm SmunnyRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:12pm
    GIF
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      deerlady83I'm Fart and I'm Smunny
      3/21/16 11:18pm
      GIF

      Goodnight. Time for bed.

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      I'm Fart and I'm Smunnydeerlady83
      3/21/16 11:19pm

      I have never felt so spiritually connected to a gif in my entire life.

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    HesaidwesaidRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:16pm

    Good god, when will this country take sexual assault seriously. It happened three damn times that we know of. Three!!

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      BrightEyes
      3/21/16 11:29pm

      I’d like to tack on to that. The United States military holds itself to a high standard, at least on paper, and cannot wait to tell the public how they run a tight ship and have control over the people who enlist and on and on. If they refuse, or otherwise cannot take sexual assault seriously, then it really flies in the face of this farce they have perpetrated for decades.

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      jinni
      3/21/16 11:30pm

      that we know of

      Underline.

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    NkrRachel Vorona Cote
    3/22/16 12:27am

    Real question - how did you choose that photo? For the record that’s a photo of a group of Civil War reenactors who were marching in the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day parade. One of whom I know. A bit disturbing to see his photo under that headline with the tag Violence Against Women. Is there no caption necessary beyond Image via Getty?

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      Rachel Vorona CoteNkr
      3/22/16 1:03am

      My mistake — the photo has been changed.

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      NkrRachel Vorona Cote
      3/22/16 1:07am

      I really appreciate that, thanks.

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    BrightEyesRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:17pm

    “Seemingly lax” is the biggest understatement of the century.

    Just remember, the GOP wants the military to have more rights, more power and more decision making, with impunity. One has even stated he will order them to break every global treaty made. The other says it’s okay as long as it’s done in the name of God.

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      jpomonkeyBrightEyes
      3/22/16 12:13am

      OMG. The Ted Cruz one. So. Fucking. On. Point.

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      Cestrumnocturn1jpomonkey
      3/22/16 10:28am

      ;) It is perfect.

      GIF
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    MargieBonzRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:17pm

    How exactly should be not be held fully accountable for his acts? Like he just wants halfsies?

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      VelopsMargieBonz
      3/21/16 11:46pm

      I’m surprised he thinks that his argument will work with a military court. Military courts have more in common with Judge Judy than your typical civilian courts. Any theatrics are quickly shut down.

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      MargieBonzVelops
      3/22/16 12:00am

      I like to hope that because the crimes involved civilian minors that this wouldn't be something brushed under the rug. Sad to think that way, but based on sexual assaults are prosecuted within the military it's the way I have to think of it.

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    Sheng-Long-LivesRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:57pm

    Speaking from experience (total of 6 people went AOL during my post boot camp training), it’s unexplainable to me that they weren’t “actively searching” for his ass. The military never gives up and devotes a big budget to these investigations. But they do take their sweet time. The earliest I saw someone being brought in was 4 months, picked up in Tijuana, MX.

    The longest? About 2 1/2 years (just happened to be back at the facility for a specialized training when I saw the guy being escorted around the chow hall by military police.

    And rape of a minor? They don’t show any leniency to that. Sounds like a case of some terrible leadership who maybe didn’t want to deal with it.

    Glad the scumbag will get whats coming to him.

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      Stephan ZielinskiSheng-Long-Lives
      3/22/16 12:23am

      The AP article notes that once they got their hands on him, they sentenced him to fifty (50) years.

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      IvanDrago'sSaltShakerSheng-Long-Lives
      3/22/16 4:39am

      Had a guy in our unit go AWOL right before a deployment to Iraq: They caught him about 2 years later. Often times Soldiers feel like its the unit’s responsibility to go search for this scumbag, but truth be told, that’s not their job. The unit doesn’t have the time or resources to go looking. They transfer that responsibility to CID and the MP’s. They work with law enforcement and provide information about him/her. So troops don’t see their immediate leadership actively trying to track this kid down, so they think they’re being hands off about it. They’re not.

      Its akin to expecting the cashier at Target to go chasing a thief out of the store. There are people specifically hired for that job.

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    Cylontater: Luke Skywalker's Baby MamaRachel Vorona Cote
    3/21/16 11:56pm
    GIF
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      crouching tigerRachel Vorona Cote
      3/21/16 11:34pm

      Jameson T. Hazelbower

      Any novelist who named a character this would be asked to tone it down.

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        shelwoodcrouching tiger
        3/22/16 2:52am

        Thank you! How is that real!

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