Family of slain soldier marches to White House скачать в хорошем качестве

Family of slain soldier marches to White House

(30 Jul 2020) Family, friends, and supports of a slain Texas soldier held a march between the US Capitol and the White House to raise awareness around the #IamVanessaGuillen bill. The group is calling for justice in the case of Spc. Vanessa Guillen, whose remains were found July 2 following her disappearance in April from Fort Hood, and for changes in the way the military handles sexual abuse and harassment. Natalie Khawam, the legal representation for the Guillen family, said the #IamVanessaGuillen bill would create an independent agency outside of the military where service members could report harassment instead of confronting their unit or command about the issue. Khawam likened the new agency to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. "They should have the same rights that we have. Just because they put on a uniform doesn't mean they're worse, they're less," Khawam said. "They're not second class citizens, they're Americans like us. They deserve it, and we will fight for it. We will not let this go. And shame on anyone that does not vote for this. And we will call them out. Everyone." Numerous members of the Guillen family addressed the group of marches during a few press conferences in front of Washington DC landmarks 16-year-old Lupe Guillen wore a pair of high heels that her sister Vanessa gave her and admitted to not getting any sleep for the last three months because she is constantly reminded of her sister's story when seeing her picture of social media. "This could have been prevented. It annoys me, and it frustrates me because my sister never reported it. Why? Because she was afraid to. She was afraid of retaliation, of being judged every day, of being ashamed of herself," Lupe Guillen said. Investigators have not revealed a motive for Guillen's death. They said in a complaint that she was bludgeoned to death in the armory room of the Army base near Killeen. Fellow Fort Hood soldier Spc. Aaron Robinson, 20, is suspected to have killed and dismembered Guillen. Robinson killed himself after being confronted by police on July 1. A civilian suspect, 22-year-old Cecily Aguilar, is in custody on three counts of conspiracy to destroy evidence for helping Robinson hide Guillen's remains and attempting to flee. Lupe Guillen called on Congress to launch their own investigation into Vanessa's death and to support the #IamVanessaGuillen bill. "My sister deserves to make history, to be remembered, and to be honored by the bill," Lupe Guillen said. "She died for this to come out to light. I did not know what was going on at Fort Hood. No one did until my sister went disappearing." Some notable guest speakers who contributed to the DC demonstration included musician Becky G and Fatima Goss Graves, the president & CEO of the National Women's Law Center which helped sparked the Me Too and Times Up movements. "The military must confront this problem. The problem of harassment and violence in its ranks. It must create a culture of accountability that protects all of its members," Graves said during a video call. "And one important and necessary step towards accountability is providing answers about the circumstances that led to Vanessa's death." After the march President Donald Trump met with members of the Guillen family inside the Oval Office. Trump told Lupe Guillen that he would support a bill and she expressed hope and perseverance that some action will be taken on the issue. A funeral has not been held for Guillen because relatives are still waiting for her remains, Khawam told Trump. They hope to have a service soon in Houston. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...