--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed…" description: "\"“In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed piece, “Violence from comrades a fact of life for military women.” ABC News 20/ 20 did a segment on rape in the ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/diane-chamberlain-8652_abuse-of-authority_in-1996-dorothy-mackey-wrote-an-op-ed-pi_1802076.png" --- # In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed piece, “Violence… ![“In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed piece, “Violence from comrades a fact of life for military women.” ABC News 20/ 20 did a segment on rape in the military. By November four women came forward at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland, about a pattern of rape by drill sergeants. In 1997 the…” quote by Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/diane-chamberlain-8652_abuse-of-authority_in-1996-dorothy-mackey-wrote-an-op-ed-pi_1802076.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/diane-chamberlain-8652_abuse-of-authority_in-1996-dorothy-mackey-wrote-an-op-ed-pi_1802076.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d48/diane-chamberlain-8652_abuse-of-authority_in-1996-dorothy-mackey-wrote-an-op-ed-pi_1802076.png) > ““In 1996 Dorothy Mackey wrote an Op-ed piece, “Violence from comrades a fact of life for military women.” ABC News 20/ 20 did a segment on rape in the military. By November four women came forward at Aberdeen Proving Ground, in Maryland, about a pattern of rape by drill sergeants. In 1997 the military finds three black drill sergeants to scapegoat. They were sent to prison and this left the commanding generals and colonels untouched to retire quietly. The Army appointed a panel to investigate sexual harassment. One of the panelists was the sergeant Major of the Army, Eugene McKinney. On hearing his nomination, former associates and one officer came forward with charges of sexual coercion and misconduct. In 1998 he was acquitted of all charges after women spoke (of how they were being stigmatized, their careers stopped, and their characters questioned. A Congressional panel studied military investigative practices. In 1998, the Court of Appeals ruled against Dorothy Mackay. She had been outspoken on media and highly visible. There is an old Arabic saying “When the hen crows cut off her head.”“This court finds that Col. Milam and Lt. Col. Elmore were acting in the scope of their duties” in 1991-1992 when Capt. Mackey alleged they harassed, intimidated and assaulted her. A legislative remedy was asked for and she appealed to the Supreme Court. Of course the Supreme Court refused to hear the case in 1999, as it always has under the feres doctrine. Her case was cited to block the suit of one of the Aberdeen survivors as well!”” [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A whistleblower’s fight against military sexual assault faced systemic resistance and legal setbacks, highlighting institutional inertia. **In simple terms:** Whistleblower faced obstacles in exposing military sexual assault. Key Takeaway Persist despite institutional pushback. Themes justice gender military whistleblowing Mood somber determined Type social legal When to use this quote - military investigations - legal appeals - policy reform - support for survivors Key Concepts institutional bias legal barriers culture of silence Questions to Reflect On - What reforms could protect whistleblowers? - How can institutions change entrenched cultures? A Different Perspective Legal doctrines can shield perpetrators and silence victims. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abuse of power](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse-of-power/) [Abuse-of-authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abuse-of-authority-2636/) [Air force](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/air-force/) [Army](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/army/) [Colonels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/colonels/) [Comrades](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comrades/) [Congress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/congress/) [Court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/court/) [Coverup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/coverup/) [Drill sergeant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drill-sergeant/) [Feres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feres-63213/) [Feres-doctrine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feres-doctrine-63214/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Legislation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/legislation/) [Mackey Alleged](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mackey-alleged-2041021/) [Mackey Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mackey-wrote-2041023/) [Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military/) [Military women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-women/) [Military-sexual-assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/military-sexual-assault-122334/) [Racism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/racism/) [Rape](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rape/) [Rape Military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rape-military-2041022/) [Rape-culture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rape-culture/) [Sergeants Scapegoat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sergeants-scapegoat-2041024/) [Sexism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexism/) [Sexual assault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-assault/) [Sexual-harassment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-harassment-168193/) [Soldiers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soldiers/) [Supreme court](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/supreme-court/) [United states](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/united-states/) [Women-in-the-military](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-in-the-military-208106/) ## Related quotes > [“FORGET FERES DOCTRINE And the military has immunity! Yes! The feres doctrine! It states “the Government is not liable under the Federal Tort Claims…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/forget-feres-doctrine-and-the-military-has-immunity-yes-the-feres/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“The hostility and venomous response the topic of sexual trauma and rape in the military brings up, especially with men from my Era, is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/the-hostility-and-venomous-response-the-topic-of-sexual-trauma-and/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) ## More by Diane Chamberlain > [“They're threatened by you,' she said. 'You chose to do something they'd never have the gumption to choose for themselves. Being their own person.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/they-re-threatened-by-you-she-said-you-chose-to-do-something-they-d/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“Maybe if I’d never set foot in the chapel, everything would have turned out okay. I would have learned to be satisfied with what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/maybe-if-i-d-never-set-foot-in-the-chapel-everything-would-have/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“We can’t always have what we want in life. I should know that by now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/we-can-t-always-have-what-we-want-in-life-i-should-know-that-by-now/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“Two decades had passed, yet she still saw her parents' bloodied bodies in every shooting victim she treated.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/two-decades-had-passed-yet-she-still-saw-her-parents-bloodied-bodies/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“...justice comes in many forms.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/justice-comes-in-many-forms/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“It's not my mind that's sick... It's my soul. ...and there aren't any drugs that are gonna fix that.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/it-s-not-my-mind-that-s-sick-it-s-my-soul-and-there-aren-t-any-drugs/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“But he had a story. I guess everybody did. People walked around with this thick dark film sticking to them and until you scratched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/but-he-had-a-story-i-guess-everybody-did-people-walked-around-with/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [I'd been a terrific student. I hadn't wasted a moment of my time in school, and I knew plenty about healing the troubled mind.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/i-d-been-a-terrific-student-i-hadn-t-wasted-a-moment-of-my-time-in/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“You’re trying to paint things as either black or white,” he said. “As either good or evil. It’s never that neat.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/you-re-trying-to-paint-things-as-either-black-or-white-he-said-as/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“Let’s reframe what you’re going through, Maggie,” he said. “I’d like you to think of it as grief.” “For the people who died?” “No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/let-s-reframe-what-you-re-going-through-maggie-he-said-i-d-like-you/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“what I have with Laurel is public and shallow. 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He looked away from me. “A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/do-you-love-him-i-shook-my-head-i-love-you-i-said-before-i-could-stop/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) > [“done for the last few days has been completely wrong, even though you did it with the best of intentions. This is the risk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-chamberlain/done-for-the-last-few-days-has-been-completely-wrong-even-though-you/) [Diane Chamberlain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) [Explore all 79 Diane Chamberlain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-chamberlain/) ## More Abuse-of-authority quotes > [“Conviction rates in the military are pathetic, with most offenders going free AND THERE IS NO RECOURSE FOR APPEAL! 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