Rape on College Campuses by Jaden Medrano

               Have you ever worried about what could happen while you’re away at college? Or should you have to? Rape on college campuses happens more often than not and females should be aware of it and try to prevent it as much as possible. Rape is considered a cause and effect type of situation; researchers show that the women do something in order to allow them to get raped when that shouldn’t be the case (“Rape at college: Why back to school is so dangerous for women”). Rape on college campuses has become a social epidemic that can be decreased through the security of the colleges, the punishment the males should receive, and the caution the females should follow.                          Rape on college campuses has been a reoccurring situation over the years but in the last few years it has become been more like a normal thing. “Sexual assault is any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient” (“Sexual Assault on Campus: Awareness and Prevention”). Campuses are getting more than one report a day. Studies show that someone in the United States is assaulted every 98 seconds (“Sexual Assault on Campus: Awareness and Prevention”). While colleges are getting more than one report a day the rape percentage has been cut in half since 1993. This gives society hope that the percentage will keep going down but without the help of other resources other than drug and alcohol the percentage will not go down but soon could possibly go back up.

            Alcohol and different type of drugs also known as date rape drugs allows rape to happen more often than it should, most people who get raped don’t know that they have been drugged or they don’t think that if they consume too much alcohol it will happen to them.  Although people shouldn’t have to think about these kinds of things, they do. Rape goes both ways whether it be a woman being raped or a man getting raped more than likely it will be a woman considering they are weaker and more vulnerable. Women shouldn’t have to worry about leaving their drinks to go to the bathroom or if their friend gets them a drink, instead they have to hold their drink at all times, take it to the bathroom with them or get the drink themselves just to be able to protect themselves. Unfortunately men should have to do the same thing but they do not, when you tell men about the things women have to do to protect themselves they respond with something like “no one’s going to drink your drink while you are in the restroom”, we understand that but, women being away from their drink gives anyone the opportunity to slip a drug in there with anyone knowing, it is always better to be safe than sorry. Alcohol is a major cause of rape, from the parties to the tailgating, everyone knows college kids drink even if they are underage. College kids shouldn’t be able to drink the way they can, colleges do not enforce drinking laws like they should. Sexual assault on campus happens more at the universities rather than community colleges, not saying that it doesn’t happen. But universities have more parties and the students are there a lot longer to grow more relationships and met new people.

            This is where society comes in and you look at what it has done to the communities. Schools try not to make a big deal out of it, so they don’t lose their students but for two women it made their trauma even worse because they felt as if they didn’t have any type of help because the school did nothing to the suspects. Tasha explains that she was raped on campus and then her rapist showed up to places she would go to intimidate her. She also felt as if she could not talk to anyone because she had heard other students’ horrific stories about telling administration. When Tasha told the people who were the closest to her they felt as if they were responsible because they were not there for her but she made sure to let them know that it was not their faults and not to blame themselves for what had happened (Wilson, Tasha). The schools just went on like nothing happened and this is a perfect example as to why only 70% of the crimes don’t get reported to the police and only about 25% of the rapists is arrested. This makes the victims uncomfortable and does not allow them to feel like they can come out anyone about the situation.

             Now that same sex marriage is legal, more same sex rape has happened in the past recent years. When rape comes into play all barriers are crossed whether it be same sex, female to man or man to female. Hannah was also raped on her college campus, as she tells her story she explains that there was no one to tell, she went to a catholic college and that she was on a scholarship and she did not want the rape to ruin her reputation (Rad, Hannah). She also was a part of the LGBTQ community; she did not tell anyone about the attack except for her friend that was very supportive. Seven years later, she decided she was going to tell her parents about the attack because she noticed that it strained her relationship with them. After she told them about the attack, she finally told them that she was gay, so they wanted to assume that the attack was the reason and they started asking her all these questions, that hurt her feelings but she knew they didn’t understand. She also stated that there was no one to talk on campus even if she did want to talk to someone to spread awareness but she mentioned that the hotline was always available to her and she relied on it. If it wasn’t for RAINN, a national anti-sexual violence program that provides a hotline for victims and allows them to know that it is okay for them to talk about their experience, Hannah would not have had anyone to talk to about her attack.  RAINN researches statistics and other information about sexual assault on the different types of sexual assault. This program allows victims to call and speak with someone about their situation. Rather than having to come face to face with someone about their attack it’s easier to speak to someone who does not know who you might be or your attacker. This allows the situation to remain confidential.

RAINN also found that a college woman is more likely to get raped than robbed. (Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics). This chart explains that for every 5 robberies there is 4 assaults and there are 2 assault for every 1 robbery. For women to have to worry about getting robbed or sexually assaulted while going to school should not be the case.

           

            Sexual assault happens all over the nation at different universities and community colleges, it’s not just to one area. “…11.2% of all undergraduate and graduate students experience rape or sexual assault…” (“Sexual Assault on Campus: Awareness and Prevention”). That may seem like a small number but that is a huge number when you see what is being talked about. Rape shouldn’t even be a thing parents or the students should have to worry about when going to college to get an education. Students shouldn’t have to be worried about what the consequences are if they want to have fun, but they should also be cautious of others and be aware of their surroundings. Some colleges belittle the victims as if it were their fault for going to the party and drinking but if you look at it the whole situation would put both people at fault. Especially when the college knows who the victim and suspect are. Regardless of the situation before the raping occurred it is still considered rape. Whether it was the victim’s fault because they were intoxicated or the suspects fault for taking advantage of the individual it still is determined on the consent that is being agreed upon. If the consent isn’t validated, then the interaction between the two individuals will still be considered rape.

            Women shouldn’t have to worry about whether they are going to get raped at college.  There have been many solutions to help stop rape on college campuses. Although not all of them work, they are still valuable when it comes to bringing down the rate and preventing it from happening

continuously. Any resources are valuable when it happens as often as it does. The University of Houston just came out with these little robots that bring food to the student’s dorms. “The robots can cross streets, climb curbs, travel at night and operate in both rain and snow” (Stipes, Chris). One of the many reasons the college came up with this idea was to keep the students from having to go out late at night. If the college were to provide more security the crime or assault rates would not be so high. But then the colleges would have to take into consideration having to pay people and having more people stay up all hours of the night. The colleges do not want to have to pay people to “watch” adults. Most of the people in college are adults although they tend to call them kids or children. Sexual Education should be taught from a young age so when they get to college, they are aware of the situations and consequences that could happen. If colleges would also educate the students on sex ed as they start college, they can protect themselves from being put in these types of situations. Another solution that might work is changing colleges from co-ed to just one gender, but when these come into play you must think about rape between the same sex, it happens just as well as heterosexual altercations. All these solutions may bring the rate down by some but will not completely eliminate the problem. As a society we must find a way to stop these things from happening while trying to get our children are trying to better themselves and get an education.

            When you investigate society and look at how Camus viewed absurdity, he defines it well by using suicide as an example. People commit suicide to get away from their problems in life but is that necessary?  Camus explains that people shouldn’t let things bother them so much that they get so overwhelmed that eventually will cause them to commit suicide. (Messerly, John, et al.).  “One’s conduct should follow from one’s beliefs” (Messerly, John, et al.). Messerly states that Camus believed this because people believe in doing the what they will vote for but when it happens to them, they want nothing to do with it. Or people are pro suicide but are still living, how is that fair to the people who committed suicide? (Messerly, John, et al.). When looking at the topic presented, Camus would look at the events that caused it. If you know that alcohol and drugs could have the potential to lead up to rape, then why do it. Camus also explains why put yourself in that type of situation when you know the consequences. He wouldn’t have agreed with the way the schools are handling it either he would have expected them to take the alcohol away from the kids completely or not allow the students to do that. The schools know the kids drink the way that they do because they tailgate at the football games although most of the kids are of age, they still attend the college and are on school grounds.

            When looking over the topic suicide on campuses there is a very high rate all over the United States. Trying to stop this epidemic from continuing to grow would be so much easier if people would be educated on the situation. Although there is a small class of sex ed in some schools that covers the basics like a girl’s menstrual cycle, and puberty for the boys, it doesn’t cover the fact the kids do not know the red flags they should look for. It should be a very important thing for kids to know what is going on at a very young age. If they are educated at a young age and boys know the consequences, the rates would go down. There have been many cases in which the suspect does not get time in jail but will get community service hours. These attackers are taking peoples identity from them. They no longer have the courage to speak up about thing nor do they want too. They no longer feel like themselves or have anything to feel confident about. This needs to be addressed more in schools to make the students feel more comfortable rather feeling like they cannot speak up about their attack. Many of these attacks keep happening because it is not taken seriously. When a student notifies administrators about one of these situations the suspect and the victim should be interrogated if they suspect cannot be identified, the school needs to make sure the victim know they are there for them to provide support. Although this an epidemic that will always be open, as a society it should be lowered, and more people should be educated on it.

Works Cited

Best Schools. “Sexual Assault on Campus: Awareness and Prevention.” TheBestSchools.org, Thebestschools.org, 13 Nov. 2018, thebestschools.org/magazine/sexual-assault-on-campus/.

“Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/statistics/campus-sexual-violence.

Messerly, John, et al. “Albert Camus: The Myth of Sisyphus.” Reason and Meaning, 11 Nov. 2019, reasonandmeaning.com/2014/11/04/albert-camus-the-myth-of-sisyphus/.

Rad, Hannah. “Hannah's Story.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/survivor-stories/hannahs-story.

Rape at college: Why back to school is so dangerous for women. (2019, August 26). Retrieved from https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/education/2019/08/26/rape-college-back-to-school-sexual-assault-safety/1930485001/

"Sexual assault on campus." UWIRE Text, 17 Apr. 2014, p. 1. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A365211641/ITOF?u=txshracd2496&sid=ITOF&xid=9c7e7472. Accessed 21 Oct. 2019.

Stipes, Chris. “Starship Autonomous Food Delivery Robots Deployed at University of Houston.” University of Houston, 11 Nov. 2019, www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2019/november-2019/11102019-starship-robots.php.

Wilson, Tasha. “Tasha's Story.” RAINN, www.rainn.org/survivor-stories/tashas-story.

Missing Children Epidemic by Elizabeth Boots

An epidemic, by definition, is a disease that affects many persons at the same time, and spreads from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent (“Epidemic” 1). When referring to the epidemic of missing children, a better definition means the rapid increase or prevalence in something (“Epidemic” 1). Last year, 424,066 children were reported missing in the US (“About NCMEC” 1).  It is a very serious problem when children go missing. They either run away, get abducted (usually by a family member), or they just wandered off or got separated from family. It is estimated that one in seven runaways get caught in sex trafficking (“About NCMEC” 1).  If a child is abducted, it is necessary to act immediately. If an abducted child is not found in the first three hours, they will most likely die (Bilich 1). Imagine if this was your child, would you be devastated? You would want to find ways to keep all children safe, wouldn’t you?

              The missing children epidemic is nothing new; for centuries children have gone missing. However, Charley and Walter Ross were the first documented case of being kidnapped for a ransom in the US. They were kidnapped in early July of 1874 when they were four and six years old (“The story of Charley Ross” 1). After taking the children in their buggy, the captors left Walter in a store with money to buy fire crackers, but they took Charley with them (“The story of Charley Ross” 1). They left ransom notes to his parents. The first said things such as, “You wil hav to pay us,” “no powers on earth can deliver out of or hand,” “ if any aproch is maid to his hidin place that is the signil for his instant anihilation” (“The story of Charley Ross” 1). To this day, no one knows the whereabouts of Charley Ross (“The story of Charley Ross” 1).     

Since the case of Charley Ross, many acts have been passed for the safety and welfare of children. In 1892, the “Children’s Charter” was passed. This allowed the state police to arrest abusive parents (Batty1). This act also restricted child labor and illegalized begging among children (Batty1). In 1894, the act improved and it now allowed children to provide evidence in court, mental cruelty towards children became recognized, denying a sick child medical care also became an offence (Batty1). As time passed, many more regulations were made, and are still being made to protect children from harm.

On March first 1932, the famous Lindbergh family was supposed return to their home, the Morrow Mansion, from the Hopewell Mansion (“Who killed the Lindbergh’s baby?” 1). However, baby Charles Lindbergh Junior was ill, so Anne Lindbergh, his mother, decided it would be unwise for him to travel, so the family decided to stay at the Hopewell Mansion until he recovered. Between 8 and 10 PM that night, a homemade ladder was placed up against baby Charles’s window (“Who killed the Lindbergh’s baby?” 1). The intruder climbed up the ladder, and Charles Lindbergh was never seen alive again. A ransom note requesting $50,000 was placed on his windowsill (“Who killed the Lindbergh’s baby?” 1).The ransom was paid, and directions were given to the Lindbergh’s to lead them to Charles. When they went to go collect their baby, they had found him dead with head trauma (“Who killed the Lindbergh’s baby?” 1). Later, John Hauptman would be arrested for the crime (“Who killed the Lindbergh’s baby?” 1).

Before 1974, the missing children epidemic has been a serious cause for concern. Policemen and law enforcement would assist cases of child abductions and children who have gotten lost (Barnard et al. 5). However, runaway cases, especially those that involved teenagers, were left for the parents, teachers, and other adults in the child’s life to solve (Barnard et al. 5). After Charles Lindbergh’s death, taking a kidnapped person across state lines became punishable by death. This is also known as the Federal Kidnapping Act (Augustyn et al. 1).

On a cold February evening in 1957, the body of a two year old child was found in a JC Penny box with an old, plaid blanket in Philadelphia (Moore 51, 62). His body was bruised and malnourished. His nails were clipped short, and his hair was roughly shaved after his death, in order to better conceal his identity. The chilly weather had made it difficult to identify the exact date of his death, as the cold preserved the body (Moore 51, 62). Detectives have created images that would depict what he would have looked like if he was alive, healthy, had longer hair, and if he were clothed to see if anyone would identify him. (Moore 51, 62).They had examined his teeth, finger prints, and mitochondrial DNA to determine his background, and to determine his possible mother (Moore 51, 62). Even though his date of death is unknown, it is estimated that he had died two days to two weeks before he was found. To this day, no one knows who had killed and/or abused him, nor do we know his name (Moore 51, 62).

Modern instances of missing children include the cases of Betsabe Perez and DeOrr Kunz Jr. Born on January 9, 2006, Betsabe Perez had been missing since September 9, 2019 (“Betsabe Perez” 1). She was abducted by nineteen year old Erik Diaz in Del Rio, Texas. Texas Law enforcement said that she is in grave or immediate danger. Her Amber Alert notification was issued on October 7, 2019, and she was found October 9, 2019 (“Betsabe Perez” 1). On Thursday July 9, 2015, a family was camping in Leadore, Idaho with two year old DeOrr Kunz Jr. (Bowerman 1). They decided to stop at the creek near the camp ground for a few minutes. The boy was with his great grandfather when he went missing. The parents, who were a short ways upstream, went to go get DeOrr, to show him some fish; they then realized he wasn’t with his great grandfather. His great grandfather had noticed him missing, and he had assumed that he had went back up to his parents who were only 150 feet away (Bowerman 1). When they couldn’t find him, they called the police. The sheriff of Lemhi County notes that there were bears and wolves running in the camp grounds and park during his searches. He notes that “They had taken out some of the wolves to eliminate the problem” (Bowerman 1). However, the sheriff also says that there was an older man at the creek that had been watching DeOrr. The sheriff also says they brought canines to help sniff out the boy. While the dogs were tracking, the sheriff claims that someone unknowingly dumped the remains of a deceased loved one in the creek where the boy had gone missing, and this had attracted the dogs’ attention. (Bowerman 1). Despite modern technology and the best efforts to locate missing children, leads can be dead ended and cover ups may be too good to continue searches.

 “Each year over 200,000 children are abducted by family members” (“Preventing Family Abductions” 1). There are multiple reason why a child can be abducted by a family member. Usually, that family member is the parent of the missing child. The parent may want more custody over the child, the parent believes that the child is in danger from the other parent or legal guardians, or to anger the other parent” (“Preventing Family Abductions” 1). Another type of abduction is an acquaintance abduction; this is done by a person in a child’s life, but not a family member. The victims of these adductions are usually female adolescents. The victims of acquaintance abductions will often be injured and assaulted (“What You Should Know about Child Abductions” 1). Lastly, the final type of abduction is the stranger abduction, neither the child nor the family will know the abductor. Primarily, these abductors take school aged children. The criminals will try to take the children while they are going to and from school activities events, or while they socialize outside (“Nonfamily Abduction and Attempts” 1). They will use treats, money, animals, and other offers to tempt the children. This type of abduction is only 1% of the reasons why children go missing (“Nonfamily Abduction and Attempts” 1).

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of children to several million children go missing globally each year (“Missing Children’s Statistics” 1). This is very large, because not all countries keep accurate, or any records at all regarding to missing children, incorrect information is spread, or information is deleted when a case closes (“Missing Children’s Statistics” 1). However, in the US it is estimated that over 400,000 children go missing annually (“About NCMEC” 1). There are many reasons why children go missing, these include running away, family abductions, nonfamily abductions, getting lost, kidnapped, separated, or wandering (toddlers and young children). “An ‘Endangered runaway’ is a child that is under 18 years old who has run away from a parent, guardian, or state care facility. According to the National Runaway Safeline, between 1.6 and 2.8 million youth run away each year in the U.S” (1800Runaways 1). The difference between a kidnapping and an abduction is when the perpetrator expresses a reason for their offence, and they transport the person across state lines (“Difference between Abduction and Kidnapping” 1). Children that go missing have a very high rate of being found, a 97% chance, however, that 3% chance of never being found is too large (Missing Kids 1). We cannot stop looking for missing children until they have a 100% success rate of being found.

Every forty seconds a child goes missing (Bilich 1). According to the National center for missing and exploited children, this tallies up to about 424,066 missing children a year (“About NCMEC” 1). It is important to end the epidemic of missing children. Not only can a child’s life be ruined when he or she goes missing, but it also causes grief, anxiety, distraught, and pain to the parents and family of that child. Several organizations exist to bring missing children home, and there are many well-known solutions to prevent children from going missing.

 There are some things a parent can do to keep their child from going missing. Parents should include a flexible plan for when they cannot be with their child on an outing, or while a child is unattended. Parents should know who the child is with, where they will go, when they should check in, and arrive home if the child leaves the home by themselves. Parents need to make sure children know safe areas and homes to go to if they sense danger. Making sure a child is understanding of common tricks a perpetrator may use to lure the child will greatly reduce stranger abductions. Informing children of internet safety before letting them explore the web and other social media sites is necessary for their protection. Parents also need to make sure they know not to state real names, home addresses, and other pieces of vital information (Jones 1).

An ID bracelet is a strategy that is used in case someone finds a missing child (“Road ID Kids Collection” 1). An ID bracelet is like a normal bracelet, but it provides a child’s name and the parent’s phone number. The child’s information can be printed on metal, and put on a metal chain, or it can be simple beaded bracelet with lettered beads. When someone finds your child, they can call your phone number.

Not only can we prevent children from going missing, there are multiple organizations that work to bring missing children home. Code Adam, or Automated Delivery of Alerts on Missing Children, was developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children after the abduction and murder of six year old Adam Walsh (“Code Adam” 1). Code Adam searches for children that went missing in a public building by blocking exits and entrances until the child is found. If the child is not found under ten minutes then law enforcement is notified (“Code Adam” 1). Code Adam was created in 1994, and since then it has helped bring over 180 children home (“Code Adam” 1). Amber Alert is a governmental organization that is used in all fifty US states, every US territory, and twenty seven other countries (“Amber Alert” 1). Originally, it was developed to locate a missing girl in the Dallas and Fort Worth area (“Amber Alert History” 1). Now Amber Alerts are sent on cellphones and files are published on Facebook if it is confirmed that the missing child in question is seventeen years old or younger, was abducted, that there is descriptive information of the child, captor, and the captor’s vehicle, along with other information if present ( “Amber Alert” 1). If a child’s case is put on Amber Alert, then an FBI case will be published for that child (“Amber Alert” 1).

Despite all the measures a parent will make to keep their child safe, they will still go missing. To combat this, there are multiple steps that can be taken in order to bring a missing child home. When a child is first noticed missing, it is vital that local law enforcement is notified immediately by the people that the child is with (Jones, 1). Information about the appearance of the child (age, gender, height, weight, hair and eye color, clothes and accessories they were wearing, and any scars or birthmarks they have), and the location where the child was last seen should be provided (“What To Do If Your Child Goes Missing: Parents, Know These Facts”, 1). Next, thoroughly look for the child in areas that they can easily crawl into and hide. It is important to not move far from the area your child last saw you, in case they come back looking for you (“What To Do If Your Child Goes Missing: Parents, Know These Facts” 1). Moving anything that a child has touched in their home can contaminate evidence. It is also helpful if a parent can organize search parties to help search for the child (“What to Do If Your Child Goes Missing: Parents, Know These Facts”, 1).

It is estimated that around 400,000 children go missing in the United States each year (“About NCMEC” 1). It is also estimated that over 800,000 children go missing globally each year (Lehnardt 1). In contradiction, Evansdale, Iowa reports that 800,000 children go missing in the US alone (Wilde 1). However, depending on which children’s organization that is viewed, statistics may contradict each other. Different organizations have different ways on keeping track of missing children. According to the FBI, 765,000 children go missing a year (“FBI and the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children” 1). On top of that, many countries have different or no policies on keeping track of missing children, this also leads to an inaccurate number (“Missing Children’s Statistics” 1). In order to keep proper track of missing children, a global organization could be developed and any and all cases of missing children be kept there. Children’s agencies can talk about and make plans for keeping children safe.

According to Albert Camus, “life is absurd”, however, the epidemic of missing children is not absurd (“Albert Camus Quotes” 1). Absurdity is the quality or state of being ridiculous or wildly unreasonable (“Absurdity” 1). When children go missing, there is some pattern or reasoning as to why they go missing. A child may want to escape a home that they think does not provide for their needs, a stranger may take a child to gain monetary leverage over a family, a parent may make noncustodial charge over their child in order to make the other parent jealous (“Runaways” 1; “What You Should Know about Child Abductions” 1; “Preventing Family Abductions” 1). There are statistics and records that show definite rates and types of abductions, kidnappings, runaways, and wanderings. There are successful and repetitive solutions that recover missing children. There are many techniques for keeping children safe in unfamiliar areas, perceptive of their surroundings and people, and maintaining a safety plan in the instance that the child becomes lost.

Albert Camus says, “Children will still die unjustly even in a perfect society. Even by his greatest effort, man can only propose to diminish, arithmetically, the sufferings of the world” (“Albert Camus Quotes about Children” 1). This means that no matter what we do to keep our children safe, people will find ways to harm them. Camus often writes about finding a purpose in life, and I believe that reuniting children with their families is a purpose that Camus will strive for in life. Camus also says, “Against eternal injustice, man must assert justice, and to protest against the universe of grief, he must create happiness (“Good Quotes” 1). According to Camus, we must find a way to end grief and bring about happiness. A simple way to do this is to bring missing children home.
            Overall, there are many ways to solve the epidemic of missing children. There are proven methods of keeping children safe, and it is vital that parents take advantage of these methods in order to keep their children safe. There are organizations that are dedicated to bringing home missing children. Currently, we may not be able to recover every child unaccounted for, however, ninety seven percent of all children that go missing are recovered (“About NCMEC” 1). With the resources available to parents and communities, modern technology, and further research we can turn that two digit number recovery rate into a solid 100% recovery rate.

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Binge Drinking in the Military by Amy Smith

It is 2019, and you are in your living room following your favorite television series when suddenly the regular programming is interrupted. The news anchor apologizes for the interruption. It is a piece of breaking news. The conventional red BREAKING NEWS label flashes at the bottom of the screen. “…Police have reported a grisly accident along the Interstate-90 freeway. The victims of the accident… an active duty member of the United States Navy and a couple of other unidentified male adults. Our reporter at the scene has more details. Before we go live to the scene, viewer discretion is advised. The details of the scene are graphic. Over to my colleague at the scene for more details and eye witness accounts…” You quickly reach for the remote and switch of the television, knowing that you will not bear the live coverage of the scene. Another service member fell victim to the abuse of alcohol. Why do service members feel the need to excessively drink?

You remember your ex-soldier neighbor and many of your active-duty coworkers and colleagues that have made their family's life a living hell because of heavy drinking. You mumble a few cursing words, pick up your phone, go straight to your favorite browser and key in words "Binge drinking in the military." What you learn reveals to you the extent to which the statistics on military drinking is such an ignored public health issue and a threat to national security.

The issue of binge drinking among the civilian population has been the subject of many research studies, with many multidisciplinary efforts yielding some recommendations that have been practically implemented. However, binge drinking in the military has been ignored by researchers and the government. According to official statistics, about 30 percent of all active-duty military personnel are heavy drinkers (Meadows et al. 1). Contextually, the term heavy drinking refers to a situation where a person serving in the army drinks 14 or more drinks per week in the case of males and seven or more bottles for females. Thirty percent is a statistic sufficiently significant to warrant more research and the quest for policy-based solutions to the issue, which has manifested as a not only critical threat to national security and public safety, but also a public health risk.

The historical timeline of alcohol use in the military can be traced back to many centuries ago and is projected to go on into the foreseeable future. Some of the most significant world militaries, including the British Army, The Greek Armies, the Romans, the Russian army, have an alcohol-tainted history. The British East Indian Company was highly connected to the use of gin and tonic. Initially, the gin and tonic were meant for medicinal purposes, being part of the concoction that included quinine to fight malaria. In 1775, Winston Churchill would acknowledge the centrality of alcohol use in the military, arguing that the drink had saved more lives than all the medical Practitioners in the entire empire (Haydn 125). During the First World War, research studies indicated that the effects of military drinking had spilled over to the civilian population, noting that more civilian women than men were visiting bars and clubs. In 1915, Lloyd George would say, Britain is fighting Germans, Austrians, and Drink, and as far as I can see, the greatest of these foes is Drink (Haydn 125). It shows that drinking has been a public health and national security problem for centuries; it is nothing new.

             In the American civil war, whiskey was a primary ingredient. Initially used as a stimulant by the military personnel, the drink would later gain popularity as some sort of pain reliever when injuries occurred (Wheeler and Lorri Glover 288). There are numerous accounts of hospitals relying on the bottle as a stimulant for the people in the in-patient department.

Writing about her experiences as a matron serving military personnel in the American Civil War, Phoebe Yates Pember of Chimborazo, a nurse from Richmond Virginia says, if it is necessary to have a hero for this matter-of-fact narrative, the whiskey barrel will have to step forward and make his bow (Wheeler and Lorri Glover 303). She shows the centrality of alcohol in the American Civil War, as both a stimulant and a pain-reliever.

            History has it that the Roman Army was heavily reliant on the vinegary drink is known as Posca. Initially used for medicinal purposes, the drink was a concoction of sour wine and an assortment of flavoring herbs to enhance the taste. The alcohol that was intimately associated with the Roman military forced its way into the Byzantine period. The relationship between the vinegary drink and the Roman military is comparable to the connection between the Russian army and vodka, a drink that would be known as Russian water during the Second World War.

  

From the brief history above, it is clear that the use of alcohol in the military has many roots, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the need for a stimulant and a pain reliever, and social and medicinal reasons (Ross et al. 55). Studies also indicate that the fact that a drinking environment surrounds the military establishments explains the epidemic.

                 Describing the effect of vodka in a 2002 letter, Russian writer Victor Erofeyev says, It seems to punch a hole directly into the subconscious, setting off a range of odd gestures and facial expressions. Some people wring their hands; some grin idiotically or snap their fingers; others sink into sullen silence. But no one, high or low, is left indifferent. More than by any political system, we are all held hostage by vodka. (Ross et al. 56) This goes a long way to explain the importance of the drink to the Russian soldier, not only to withstand the extreme weather conditions of Moscow but also to unite them as a force. It subjects the citizenry to some slavery due to dependency (Haydn 125).

                 Another social effect of binge drinking in the military is rampant deaths among the military personnel due to such cases as accidents attributed to drinking under the influence (DUI). The DUI cases involving active-duty military personnel make up a worrying statistic. Other causes of death associated with such drinking include instances of homicide, broken families, and incarceration. Incarceration has severe consequences, including fatherless or motherless children in single-parent families. In addition to the overwhelming numbers of deaths connected to military drinking, other health-related outcomes include the diseases that are directly related to binge drinking.

                 Drinking in the military creates a massive compromise of our preparedness for external aggression. Basic knowledge has it that a person under the influence is not as competent as a sober mind in terms of decision making and discretion. A military establishment full of drunken men and women may not be sufficiently prepared for an attack. This leaves the country's borders vulnerable and creates a loophole for external aggression, something that may come with devastating socio-economic and political repercussions. The innermost circles affected by this pandemic are the soldiers themselves, their families, and friends, as

well as the entire sphere of the defense forces. However, because their role is to protect and defend the Homeland, it is an issue that affects the whole nation.

Example 1.

As discussed above, one of the social effects of military drinking is that it could get people facing incarceration and some legal consequences, including fines. Following the implementation of the No Treating Order, one of the earliest legislative efforts against military drinking, many people faced different consequences. On the 14th day of March 1916, The Morning Post reported.

At Southampton yesterday, Robert Andrew Smith was fined for treating his wife to a glass of wine in a local public-house (Haydn 125). He said his wife gave him sixpence to pay for her drink. Mrs. Smith was also fined one pound for consuming, and Dorothy Brown, the barmaid, five pounds for selling the intoxicant, contrary to the regulations of the Liquor Control Board. (Haydn 124).

Example 2. On the 4th day of February 2019, the Navy Times reported a story where an American navy sailor, Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Williams, drunken-walked into the home of a Japanese couple and went on to the bathroom to take a shower (Simkins 2). The homeowner, shocked and ready to defend his home, used violence against the officer (Simkins 1). Such stories indicate some of the social effects of military drinking on society. Solutions

The CDC report indicated a worrying trend in the issue, with a third of the troops being addicted to drinking. The detailed report also revealed a connection between age and the tendency to indulge in drinking. People aged below 26 years, the groups that make up about

46.7 percent of the entire active-duty workforce made up two thirds or 67.1 percent of all

binge episodes (Stahre 208). 25.1 percent of the binging episodes were reported by underage troops (17 to 20 years). Heavy drinkers, a category that made up 19.8 percent of the respondents, accounted for 71.5 of the binge cases and exhibited the highest yearly per capita at 112.6 binge episodes (Stahre 211). The report also indicated that binge drinkers were more susceptible to drinking-related harms than their non-binge drinking colleagues. The main adverse effects of the pandemic include poor performance at work, DUI cases, and other problems with the criminal justice system. The problem is prevalent across the forces, the army, the airfare, the marines, the navy, and the coast guard as seen in figure 1 below.

Figure 1: Prevalence of alcohol-related disorders among the active-duty component (CDC). To understand the answers to the pandemic, we must appreciate the causes. First, the most significant cause of military drinking is PTSD, which is considered a consequence of exposure to extreme violence and death. The graph (Attachment A) shows that over a third of veterans diagnosed with alcohol dependency disorder has been diagnosed with PTSD. To address such rising cases of PTSD, the government and other stakeholder communities should invest in a multidisciplinary strategy to find a lasting solution to the pandemic. It is worth noting that PTSD is a multidimensional mental disorder that would require a

multi-pronged approach to solve (Stahre 217). Regarding PTSD, counseling and life coaching would help in rehabilitating the veterans, at least in the psychological sense. Counseling has been offered to affected people, especially in the post-war period, but the emphasis has not been put on the multidisciplinary aspect.

The second answer to binge drinking in the military would be a military-civilian partnership to sponsor and support economic interventions. The prices of alcoholic beverages sold at a military retail store range from 9 percent to 27 percent less than the prices of the same

product in a State-operated store (Ahmed 221). Increases in alcohol prices and the elimination of the traditional government subsidies on the drink have been proven to work. Economic behaviorism explains that the pain associated with a loss is more than proportionate compared to the pleasure in a gain of the same magnitude. For instance, to increase the price of alcohol by X dollars would evoke a negative response more impactful than the pleasure in reducing the cost by X dollars. As such, price increases and withdrawal of subsidies is one of the critical solutions to binge military drinking.

In her dissertation, Sparks explains that there is a connection between the proximity of military establishments to alcohol establishments and the rates of binge drinking. The research found out that just like colleges, military bases have quite several alcohol selling establishments in their neighborhoods. The convenience with which the alcohol establishments are located motivates military drinking. Policymakers should partner with the military and the public to challenge the construction of such establishments around military bases and facilities. This would be a part of reducing the alcohol outlets' density, which would play a critical role in lowering military and civilian binge drinking. This solution works because it denies people the convenience of accessing alcohol. The conceptual model (Attachment B) shows that military personnel alcohol consumption rates are higher than civilian rates (Stahre et al. 28). This could be partially thanks to the price difference and availability for military members.

Stress and boredom also rank as factors contributing to high rates of military drinking. Such is deeply rooted in military culture and lifestyle. A modification of the ordinary,

routine-based life of the military personnel would be one of the most effective approaches to changing the alcohol drinking status quo (Stahre et al. 22). The top military personnel should work hand in hand with multidisciplinary teams from the civilian population towards creating a lifestyle and culture that would discourage drinking for both the active duty and veteran military personnel. Finding ways of entertaining the troops and keeping them busy would be a good goal for the multidisciplinary team working in partnership with the civilian population.

Command disapproval of the abuse of alcohol would be the most effective solution because going against the military code comes with severe consequences. It is part of the systemic approach that would encourage non-alcoholism in the military. Going against the military order is one of the things that any member of the forces dreads. The main reason why this approach works is that its consequences are practical deterrent tools. The graph (Attachment

C) displays a correlation between binge lower drinking rates corresponding with higher command discouragement of alcohol use (Meadows et al. 1).

Despite these measures, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that the problem of binge drinking continues to increase in the present times, and if no measures are put in place, the problem will continue to rise in the coming years. With one in every three members of the defense forces being a binge drinker, there is sufficient reason to worry (Meadows et al. 1). The graph (Attachment D) shows that active duty service members’ use of alcohol and binge drinking has substantially increased over the years (Valeriia 1). The present gaps in the academic underpinnings around the topic of binge drinking are an indication of the need for further research into the core causes of the problem and to come up with recommendations on how policy changes could introduce systemic solutions to the current issue.

Camus's view is one that tried to examine the human experience from an objective point. The anarchist and atheist French poet and philosopher known for his theory of absurdity, which suggests that it is pointless trying to pursue happiness through the order and the quest to understand the meaning of life. He argues that it is pointless trying to make the meaning of a universe that does not allow you to understand it. The world, in his view, is an unpredictable natural order and that ‘whatever will happen will happen' (a translation of his slogan, Que sera sera) (Ahmed 111). He argues that the natural order has a way of establishing humans as equals. In his writings, such as The Plague, he explores the issue of some natural phenomena that render all men equal. For instance, the plague of the Black Death killed millions of people in medieval England. He finds no sense in trying to blame such happenings on a god he believes does not exist.

About the social pandemic of binge drinking in the military, Camus, who is opposed to the idea of order and regulations, would disapprove of the efforts to have the drinking regulations instituted. For he believes in Que sera sera, the French philosopher would not have been bothered by the idea that drinking among the military personnel would significantly compromise the country's preparedness for such disasters as external aggression. He would maintain that there is no necessity in trying to reduce the amount of drinking. Being an anarchist, Camus would expectedly support a free social environment where people live and let live, for whatever will happen will happen. The pandemic of binge drinking in the US military would lead to disastrous events such as the deaths of the people involved. For Camus, such deaths could not be blamed on the binge drinking, for the natural world has its way of causing things to happen, and that the human experience is a brief journey through an incomprehensible universe.

In conclusion, the severity of the problem of binge drinking in the military is a gap significant enough to warrant research, mainly because it is an issue that poses as a threat to the security 

of the nation and also a public health concern. In reality, binge drinking has a multiplicity of adverse social effects, including death, broken families, poor health, and compromised national safety. Some of the suggested and practical solutions include guidance and counseling, policy modifications, command prohibiting measures, and legal actions. Even with such measures being implemented, the problem persists. A mission to find valid answers and policy-based systemic solutions will be the beginning of the journey to save thousands of lives, improve the overall public health standing, and enhance our readiness for external aggression.

Works Cited

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