Still No Justice for LaVena Johnson

A year and half ago, back in August 2007 I posted a blog entry entitled Who Was Lavena Lynn Johnson and Why Should You Care?.

LaVena Johnson, in case you don't recall, died in Iraq in 2005 and her death was ruled a "suicide". By military investigators. Who were on the scene and presumably were in a position to know better. Despite the fact that the right-handed Johnson apparently managed to shoot herself in the left side of her head, a straight-on head wound, using her left hand both to balance her M16 and pull the trigger. Despite the fact that the autopsy photos showed that she had been beaten and her body mutilated perimortem. Despite the fact that lye had been poured into/onto her vaginal area...

This death, incredibly, is still listed in official records as a "suicide".

This official story, like most of them, is of course arrant bullshit. She was murdered, and someone has gotten away with it, and someone else -- probably a whole bunch of someones else -- is guilty of covering it up.

But this a story that needs to be repeated, a story that demands justice, a story that insists on an independent congressional investigation into the incident and the subsequent coverups.

Please join me in contacting your congressional representatives and senators to demand justice for LaVena Johnson, as well as all of the other unknown victims of rape and murder in our armed forces.

And it's not too late to sign the petition over at Color of Change -- those signatures will be sent to Rep Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and it can't hurt to have a veritable avalanche of names going out to him, but I think it's always better -- and gets more personal attention -- to send your own personalized request to your representative and senators as well.

BTW, back in July '07 I noted that there weren't any news stories on LaVena Johnson in any of the media formerly known as the MSM. Sadly, that is still the case. Only AlterNet has a new story on this tragedy, but hopefully, with the help of all of us out here who still care, this story will not die until there is justice for LaVena.

See also the LaVena Johnson website for the latest news on the fight for justice.