American Morning
Report: Sailors hogtied, fed dog treats
Just the thought of it is shocking: U.S. military personnel tying up and ridiculing a young man, hosing him down, forcing him to simulate a sex act with another man, and then throwing him into a feces-filled dog's cage at the canine unit – all while being videotaped.
The alleged victims are American servicemen – and it describes the hazing and abuse allegedly inflicted on sailors at the military canine unit in Bahrain in 2005 and 2006. One of them, former dog handler Joseph Rocha, says the abuse occurred daily during his two-year deployment.
“I could not wrap my head around the degradation and the barbarity of it,” says Rocha, who was 18 when he joined the Navy’s Military Working Dog Division in Bahrain in 2005. Because he is gay, he followed the military's rules and kept his homosexuality under wraps. But although, he says, no one in his unit knew he was gay, he still suffered.
Rocha says others, including his chief, suspected he was gay when he showed no interest in sexual escapades with women. He became a prime target, he says. “It was everyday for 28 months, for 16 hours a day. Nothing I did was good enough; all of my achievements were overshadowed by ridicule of my sexuality.”
He describes being ordered by his chief “to get on my knees pretend to have oral sex with another service member. … I was instructed ... to act more queen, more queer, more homosexual, more believable.” Rocha and several others from the Bahrain unit who spoke to CNN say the hazing was widespread – gays, straights, and women in his unit were targets, too.
Gay rights activists march in D.C.
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Judy Shepard stood before a massive crowd at the Capitol on Sunday for a single, painful reason.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/US/10/11/U.S.gay.rights.rally/art.gay.rights.rally.cnn.jpg caption="Sunday's National Equality March in Washington coincided with National Coming Out Day."]
"I'm here today because I lost my son to hate."
Her gay son, Matthew Shepard, was kidnapped and severely beaten in October 1998. He died five days later in a hospital.
More than 10 years later, Judy Shepard addressed the thousands of gay rights activists in Washington who wrapped up Sunday's National Equality March with a rousing rally at the Capitol.
"No one has the right to tell my son whether or not he can work anywhere. Whether or not he can live wherever he wants to live and whether or not he can be with the one person he loves - no one has that right," Judy Shepard told the crowd. "We are all Americans. We are all equal Americans, gay, straight or whatever."
The activists marched through Washington, calling for an end to the "don't ask, don't tell" policy and equality in marriage.
We Listen – Your comments 10/9/2009
Editor's Note: American Morning's Friday audience responded to breaking news of President Obama’s win for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. The majority offered praise for the president’s efforts for “consistently trying to open the doors of communication and peace between the nations of our global community.” Those questioning the Nobel Committee’s choice considered the win “an affront to President Bush plain and simple,” and asked “just what did he actually do?”
Approve
- Linda: Congratulations to President Obama for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. He has been consistently trying to open the doors of communication and peace between the nations of our global community. He has demonstrated the peaceful means we hope to open honest, peaceful resolution to that community. He has brought Hope to world leaders, respect for American principles, and is very deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize. Shame on the cynics...Hurray for our President and the honor he has brought back to the United States in the global community.
- Dr. Sam: Most deserving! Peace is the ever present challenge; without it, nothing else matters. While holding up the offensive arm as a superpower leader, Obama has also freely extended the opportunity for peace for all peoples throughout the world. Republican will say no to everything, including this one. I am most disappointed about Ed Rollin's comments.
- Ronald: Barack Obama wins Nobel Prize for Peace. Why? Because the world itself envisions the US President far more than the run of the mill media giants. Because, the world knows if any person is capable of bringing peace between Israel and Palestine, it will be Barack Obama. What the media channels should project is the dream for peace is closer than the knuckleheads of the past. To question the abilities for peace to become materialized is to question yourself whether you are a winner or a loser. Mr. Obama is a winner and the world knows it. He may have been in office merely 9 months, but just wait how the pages of history shall become written by those achievements he shall perform. Lastly, the world is abundant of politicians, but how many of them are truly statesmen? Now, you understand why!
- Rose: YAY! President Obama! He totally deserves this. He has made major strides for this country and for different races in America. We have hope that if you are a person of color you can have the same opportunity as a white person and we love the fact he is reaching out to other cultures and countries. We acknowledge that he is the one who ended the long war in Iraq. He acknowledges that America has not always been right, unlike in the past, we were sometimes starting fights and conflicts just because we are the USA and we can.
- Ken: I am delighted that President Obama has been awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. If nothing else, it is recognition of his defeating the Republican War Criminals!
Disapprove
- Alex: The Peace Prize? THIS WAS NOT GIVEN TO PRESIDENT OBAMA FOR HIS BODY OF WORK!!! THIS IS AN AFFRONT TO PRESIDENT BUSH PLAIN AND SIMPLE!!! THIS AWARD WAS GIVEN TO TRY AND EMBARASS GEORGE BUSH!!! I don’t know why but this just doesn’t seem right! It seems offensive. THIS IS NOT RIGHT!
- Greg: The world now knows just how big a joke the Nobel booby prize is! Why are your reporters not reporting he was nominated just two weeks after being sworn in. Just what did he actually do!
- James: This award is no doubt a surprise to the international community, let alone citizens of the United States. As of yesterday, many believed Barack Obama's policies were creating a first term worthy of the Peace Prize. Now, both supporters and detractors of the President cannot help but wonder why he was awarded so early. Unfortunately, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has rewarded a peaceful-minded leader who strives for disarmament, via a timeframe that leaves much to be desired, and leaves even more room for criticism.
How do you feel about the president’s win of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize?
Video: Obama accepts Nobel as 'call to action'
(CNN) - President Obama on Friday said he was "surprised and deeply humbled" by winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
"I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership," Obama said from the White House Rose Garden.
"I will accept this award as a call to action."
Obama said he did not feel he deserves "to be in the company" of past winners.
The Nobel announcement was a stunning decision that comes just eight months into Obama's presidency.
Rollins: Obama must now 'earn' Nobel Peace Prize
President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, a stunning decision that comes just eight months into his presidency.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/09/rollins.ed.art.jpg caption="Ed Rollins questions what President Obama will do to "earn" the Nobel Peace Prize."]
The decision appeared to catch most observers by surprise. Ed Rollins, CNN political contributor and Republican strategist, says the question now is what does he do with it?
Rollins joined John Roberts and Kiran Chetry on CNN’s “American Morning” Friday. Below is an edited transcript of the interview.
John Roberts: The president has given three significant speeches talking about peace – in Germany, in Cairo, and at the United Nations. He's traveled the world very extensively in the first nine months of his presidency. Could that not be said – and considering too the change in tone – to be worthy of being recognized with the Nobel peace prize?
Ed Rollins: You usually get recognized at the end of some major accomplishment. I think three speeches are a start from his perspective. And I want to congratulate him. I'm always for Americans winning, whether it’s golf, tennis, or the international stage. And it's a lot better Friday than last Friday, when he woke up saying, “We came in fourth.”
I think at this point, the thing I'm curious about is, this is a storybook made-for-TV story. A young senator basically gets elected president after a very short period of time. Nine months into his administration, when the world is still at war – he’s sitting down at a war council today – he gets the Nobel Peace Prize. I mean, if you presented that as a made-for-TV, you probably would get the script rejected.
The key thing I think today is how does he think of himself now? … I'm now a Nobel Peace Prize winner. I've got to go out and make sure I create peace in the world. Not a bad objective. Except, are you as commander in chief basically going to abdicate some of your duties?
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