Military must get its wiring straight
After reading Gen. Tom Lawson’s comments on sexual abuse in the military, a generous observer might say something like: “What we have here is failure to communicate.”
The problem, however, wasn’t his “awkward” remarks about how some men are “biologically wired” to sexually harass women. The fact is the advance of western civilization has struggled and still struggles to control male behaviour with regard to women.
The problem wasn’t what Gen. Lawson said. It’s what he did not say. Even when he had the opportunity to correct himself, the general merely said biology is no excuse for maledominated groups to act like wild dogs around women. No kidding. The Canadian Armed Forces has had policies against sexual harassment since 1988, the same year a ruling by a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal forced the military to “fully integrate women into regular and reserve Forces (with the exception of submarines, which came later); remove all employment restrictions and implement new occupational personnel-selection standards; and devise a plan to steadily, regularly and consistently achieve complete integration within 10 years.”
It’s been a rocky road since, and the military has updated its policies on harassment several times without much success in rewiring male biology, to use the general’s terminology. In fact, it seems as the number of women in the Forces has risen (to roughly 15 per cent), the incidence of harassment has gone up in lockstep.
A road map to meaningful change was offered earlier this year in a report by former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps, who described the military as a cesspool of primitive macho culture, where women and members of the LGBTQ community are subjected to abuse, demeaning comments and sexual assault.
Justice Deschamps said conditions had not improved since the last internal examination of the problem 20 years ago. And that study was preceded by “no less than five studies ... on harassment.”
In response, Gen. Lawson refused to commit to implementing her report, including a critical recommendation for independent investigations of complaints.
Women said they did not trust the military process, and many victims were afraid to come forward with complaints.
If he needed inspiration, he could have looked up the words of Australian army chief Lt.-Gen. David Morrison.
“I will be ruthless in ridding the Australian army of people who cannot live up to its values, and I need every one of you to support me in achieving this,” he said.
“If that does not suit you, then get out. ... There is no place for you among this band of brothers and sisters.”
Now, there’s a man whose biological handicaps aren’t interfering with his judgment.
The Canadian Armed Forces, unfortunately, has had trouble getting its wiring straight.
Gen. Lawson retires this summer, replaced by Lt.-Gen. Jonathan Vance, who distinguished himself in Afghanistan as a gifted thinker and strategist, a leader who didn’t accept excuses.
Let’s hope that extends to getting real about sexual abuse in the military.