8 US Soldiers charged with bullying comrade to death
It would seem that the US military isn’t as completely evolved as we would like them to be:
Fellow soldiers at a base in Georgia teased him about his Chinese name, crying out “Chen!” in an exaggerated Asian accent. They called him “Jackie Chen,” a reference to the Hollywood action star Jackie Chan. People would ask him repeatedly if he was Chinese, even though he was a native New Yorker.
At one point Chen wrote in his diary that he was running out of jokes to respond with.
Then he was sent overseas, and the hazing began: Soldiers dragged him across a floor, pelted him with stones and forced him to hold liquid in his mouth while hanging upside down, according to diary entries and other accounts cited by a community activist.
On Oct. 3, the 19-year-old Chen was found dead in a guardhouse in Afghanistan with what the Army said was apparently a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On Wednesday, the Army announced charges against eight soldiers in his death, saying Chen was a victim of illegal hazing. Five of those accused were charged with involuntary manslaughter and negligent homicide. The alleged offenses also included maltreatment, assault and threats.
The military would not discuss the exact circumstances surrounding Chen’s death. But family members and community activists said they suspect the bullying may have driven him to suicide.
To be clear, there are no public statements that I can find at this point that go to Chen’s sexual orientation at this point. On the surface, his assailants seem to have been completely motivated by race.
Related posts:
- Gay soldiers harassed on ABC’s “What would you do?” My respect for ABC Television just grows by leaps and...
- Jack Daniel’s kicks in $100k to help soldiers make it home for the holidays Nice to be able to put out a story of...
- Senator Says that if DADT is Repealed Straight Soldiers Would Let Gay Ones Die In an interview with American Family Association (AFA) radio yesterday,...
- British Soldiers are Just Completely Bad Ass. Period. A brave British soldier who was shot in the face...
- Seriously Cool: Wounded Soldiers Get Homeless Dogs Ready for Adoption The Washington Humane Society is located just blocks away from...
