First of all, I want to express my admiration for the strength and courage, not to mention the tenacity, exhibited by Jamie Leigh Jones. Miss Jones is the young woman who was raped by KBR employees in Iraq, locked in a shipping container, drugged, and kept under armed guard so she could not leave. She is one of several young women who have been raped by government contractors in Iraq, most of whom have remained silent. KBR has a clause that does not allow for prosecution but demands binding arbitration for their employees. Because of the silence of the other victims, the young Ms. Jones had no idea the danger she was in when she decided to work in Iraq. Her rape was so severe that she had to undergo reconstructive surgery. She had to endure four years of litigation in order to bring her case to trial, and then it was only a civil trial. She refused to remain silent despite taking on one of the biggest corporate bullies in the nation. She had to fight the injustice that kept the other young rape victims in Iraq in silence. Senator Al Franken proposed an amendment that future government contracts not be allowed to include binding arbitration in such criminal matters. Thirty senator voted against the amendment. Here is a list of those men who voted to protect the right to rape and denies protection to the citizens of this country:
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