Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for April 21, 2010

DEFINITELY need another word.

I know she’s a chaplain, but the cross appearing so prominently has to be more than a coincidence. I wonder if GT will comment more directly on the church crisis.

Over-analysis again - the cross is probably merely so that anyone reading this strip who missed previous knows the grey-haired lady is the chaplain.

I don’t think it’s Catholic because the Chaplain is female.

…poor captain Seabrook wil find himself in trouble without knowing why, if this psycho isn’t properly cured..

MST…

A miltary chaplain covers all religions, including Judaism and Islam. She’d have symbols of all religions in her office. If she’s Catholic, she’d likely wear the crucifix.

I think GrimmaTheNome is right.

…and…

hizzoner? Yes, a military chaplain will minister to any service member in the area who asks for it. However, she’s not Catholic. Only an ordained Catholic priest can serve as a (“Catholic”) chaplain in the US Armed Forces - even a Catholic deacon can’t be one. A woman serving as an chaplain would be ordained or consecrated or whathaveyou according to the disciplines and doctrine of whatever particular faith/denomination she represents.

ok, now the chances of her meeting up with Redfern seem very slim.

I’ve got a hunch that Mel is going to find out that Capt. Seabrook is gay. Something about the timing of this series and (potential) over-turning of the Don’t-Ask-Don’t-Tell policy.

albertonencioni: sorry, there’s no “cure” for rape.

the fusion of fear and anger obscure all reasoned responses.

ask the super-macho guys who got raped in prison and came out ready to foist their essential hetero natures on anyone weaker, man, woman, child or pet.

no cure for rape, nor for the shame and fury such violence perpetuates.

9/11 is blowback for America’s “might”

I dieagree that the CPT has shown no reason to move her to OPS. Everyone has said she is one of the best at what she does. As a SPC she in not in a leadrship position therefore moveing her to OPS does not upset the command chain. I am not sure what problem he is looknig to solve but she sounds like a great subject matter expert to move if you need one.

I know a young woman who was raped, who waited too long to talk about it, could do nothing in a legal sense and has carried that effect with her since. Her anger toward her spouses has ruined two relationships and it took a lot of counseling to get her over the rage at being assaulted. “Psycho” is hardly the proper term for Mel’s overreaction, Albert, but you are right about her needing help to cope with it’s aftereffects. And gay isn’t going to help the Cap out much if he’s PERCEIVED as a threat. Though it does sound like the typical Doonesbury “out” :0).

People calling traumatized rape victims “psycho” is exactly why so many rapes go unreported. Even those that do get reported are difficult to get a conviction on because many women are afraid/ashamed to testify. I am so happy that most people on this site are sympathetic and supportive. I know that Mel is a fictional character, but I like to believe that people’s reactions will carry over into their everyday lives. Well, most people anyway.

friscoLou, watch out! The cross is glowing yellow and growing!

babka, there is no cure for rape because that is an event that happened in her past, and we can not change the past. If she had lost a leg to an IED, you’d treat the residual appendage, not the explosion. Likewise, the ongoing problem is her PTSD, which can be treated - though not “cured” in the conventional sense of the word. I don’t like the word “psycho” in A’s post – IMO that’s just trolling for reactions, even though Mel is only fictional. (However, there are some interesting articles if you Google PTSD and psychosis).

Bradwilliams, thanks for your input. I think the one time we saw Seabrook in the strip, he didn’t seem like much of a mentor (used like the chaplain meant it). I think he was just looking for someone who’s very smart and dependable. As to how plausible Mel’s transfer is, I think people here have put more thought into that than GT did when he wrote it into the story!

Chrisnp,

You are probably right in you last statment.

As readers we can add a lot to the story from inside our own point of veiw.

They should just reconsider transferring her. She’s obviously happy being the top mechanic. If she likes the job, let her keep it.

“Success is doing what you love”

Not sure who first said it, but it makes sense.

I feel sorry for birds like albertonencioni – he fails as a father, son, husband, brother, and friend with his use of the word psycho. These jerks are so sure REAL rape doesn’t exist – well, okay, MAYBE it exists in a war zone (the other guys do it but our guys don’t) , or doesn’t exist most of the times these women CLAIM to have been raped. What happens when their daughter or sister or wife or mother or friend CLAIMS to have been raped? Well, if she’s listened to this guy spouting off his theories, for sure she doesn’t tell him what happened.

She may suffer – if it keeps her from getting help – but for sure HE has lost the confidence and community and even love that used to exist between him and that person he can’t hear.

Given the statistics about rape in the U.S., a woman who has been raped is in everyone’s life. If you don’t know who that woman is, it’s because she doesn’t trust you enough to share.

Same with abortion.

The best way to cope with PTSD is to talk about it. But finding the right person to talk to is very hard. Even trained professionals can lack the center it takes to listen and guide a person into control of the event that traumatized. Clergy often focus to much on dogma. and physiologist are not eclectic enough. It is all up to Mel to move forward, she needs to ask for help but the work will be done by herself….

No S**t. Devonshade!

Seems you’re both contemptuous and afraid of an anger you don’t think is justified. Your dismissive attitude and selfish worries about weapons is beyond strange.

Your “Seventh Seal” “death” avatar is interesting. The movie was profound. Your comments don’t seem so.

Ah FriscoLou:

You are cryptic beyond compare.

Your post yesterday:

Tu es mon poney préféré, même si vous n’avez jamais gagner une course.

Translated from the French

You are my favorite pony, even if you never have to win a race.

Since it followed my post, there seems to be an fairly good chance it was directed at me.

My question is: “What does it mean ? Of what use is such a comment to anyone? Does it sufficiently sooth your ego?”

Furthermore, many of your posts seem to imply that the rest of us are rabble in need of your correction and grudging care. What makes you think you are any use to this forum?

davers12 said,

“I know she’s a chaplain, but the cross appearing so prominently has to be more than a coincidence. I wonder if GT will comment more directly on the church crisis.”

Wow! Aren’t you reading a whole lot of stuff into this that just isn’t there. She is a Chaplain. She would have religious symbols in her office. What do you expect, a black velvet painting of Elvis?

Whether of not GT attempts to comment on the current problems of the RCC will be seen later, but this is not the story line here.

HEY what do you have against velvet painting of Elvis?

Man, I wouldn’t mind if someone MENTORED the perp who MENTORED Mel…

bradwilliams, not a single thing against a velvet painting of Elvis, if it was in the Holy Church of Elvis. in fact, then it woudl be de rigeur. But I’m pretty sure that’s not the chaplain’s denomination. (Although that hairstyle does suggest sideburns…)

I’m glad she may be finding an appropriate outlet for her rage – beats “going postal.” Whether or not every woman who cries rape is telling the truth, I think we know it was the truth in this case and Mel has suffered plenty. I also find it hard to believe that a woman would put herself in the position of taking the s–t she will surely be subjected to by crying rape if it isn’t true – it’s bad enough if it is true. I sometimes wonder if I would even bother to report if it happened to me because of the lousy treatment and difficulty in convicting.

Susan001 said, about 17 hours ago

I don’t think that’s a Catholic cross anyway. No sculpture of Jesus on it.

That is called a crucifix, not a catholic cross, and a generic cross usually symbolizes Christianity. Plenty of catholic iconography contain crosses without a crucified Christ.

stebon said, 26 minutes ago

Ho-hum, GT; are you ever going to try to be relevant again?

Yikes, do you pay attention to what’s going on in the world?

Trudeau really nailed the bi-polar eyes in the last two frames. I wonder what his inspiration is?

A lot of this fury/vegence talk here reminds me of the emotional state of a company of the “Americal” at My Lai. Anger at the trauma of friends, and the frustration of the inability to address it, leads to some mighty irrational responses, compounding the tragedy,

Can you imagine the grotesque/distorted image of women the “Son of Diggitt” must have? Somewhere in Heaven an Angel’s halo dims every time she posts.

I swear the crucifix is weaponized. I don’t trust it. But if there’s any doubt about the “Voice of God” click the link.

http://bit.ly/67meM

Uxolo

Doty, the Episcopals are in crisis. I should know, my brother is a gay Episcopal priest.

Growing up brothers at my house was like Duke/Rev Sloan. Fortunately I maintained “Big Brother Superiority”, so he could never play the “virtue/morality” card on me.