Unworthy

In both June and October of this year I wrote posts about the rape of US Merchant Marine cadets while aboard merchant ships for "practical exercise" training.  On October 9th I wrote my congressman about this issue, saying in part:

As a West Point graduate I’m sensitive to any mistreatment of our cadets, midshipmen, and military members.  As a man I’m sensitive to the mistreatment of women.  As a human I’m sickened by the mistreatment of some of our Merchant Marine cadets while they’re at sea and, for the most part, unable to protect themselves.  My hope is that you will be as angry and disgusted as I am when you read about what some of them have allegedly suffered.

It seems clear that the Merchant Marine Academy needs to do a better job of vetting the placement of cadets, especially women cadets, on sea voyages.  It seems equally clear that the US Coast Guard needs to be more aggressive when investigating such allegations.  And the only way these two events will happen is if Congress exercises a bit more painful oversight.

Thus, I’m asking you to consider if and how Congress might influence the Merchant Marine Academy to do a better job of preventing the types of attacks I’ve described, and how Congress might influence the Coast Guard to be more pugnacious when investigating these types of attacks.  Lastly, I’m asking you to lead this fight.  

Our Merchant Marine cadets deserve better than the treatment they’re currently receiving.

It's now been two months since I sent this letter to Washington, with no response.  So, Congressman Ami Bera, I'm calling you out publicly.  You send franked letters to your constituents a few times a year asking what you can do for them; I bring you a serious problem and don't even get a response.  To say I'm disappointed in you would be an understatement.  To be honest, I expected better from you.

When my grandfather died 25 years ago, the Veterans Administration was in turmoil and told my grandmother it would be 6 months until grandpa would get a headstone for his grave.  I wrote my congressman at the time, Vic Fazio, and asked for his assistance.  His local office responded to me, agreeing that 6 months was a ridiculous time to wait for a headstone.  They got some information from me and a few weeks later called me to let me know a headstone would be in place in a couple weeks.  After I wrote a thank-you note to the congressman and his staff, I got another call from the local office--no one ever thanks the congressman (or his staff) for their work, they said; rather, people get what they want then go about their lives, and mine was the first thank-you note they could remember receiving.  Vic Fazio is not someone my grandfather or I would ever have voted for, but the congressman and I didn't see a need to treat each other as enemies--we just had different political views, is all.   We treated each other with respect and decency, my situation was resolved, and both of us came out better for it.  Whenever I see signs for the Vic Fazio Yolo Wildlife Area, I can spare a kind thought for the congressman and what he did for my family.

Ami Bera, on the other hand, from whom I've received more franked letters than all the other congressmen I've had in my lifetime combined, can't share a letter or a phone call regarding the rape of Merchant Marine cadets.  What are your priorities, congressman?