Lewd is crude but not a crime

[smeyer418]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/03/31/lewd.cadets.ap/index.html

 

no disciplinary action taken?

[Rirruto]

Groping women and giving alcohol to minors isn't a crime? Interesting. :rolleyes:

[hstrybuf]

Considering the high standards of conduct that these men are held to by their military institution, there should be some kind of action taken. Their actions reflect badly on the institution and themselves. Offering drinks to underage girls should have been cause for them being disembarked at the next port.

[kujobie]

College kids drinking heavily and acting lewd on spring break? No way! Unbelievable!

[PINEVIEW01]

"The Naval Academy holds our midshipmen to extremely high standards and this type of inappropriate conduct is not tolerated," the academy said. "Any midshipmen who acted inappropriately will be held accountable and appropriate disciplinary action will be taken."

[Flash4me]

And what would you have the Naval Academy do ?

 

Ruin their lives for doing something stupid, just like every other college-aged kid ? Why are you trying to make a big deal out of nothing ? I smell another motive.

[DASA]

Flash 4 Me--would You Say The Same Thing Had It Been You,your Wife,sister,mother Or Anyother Female Relative.

[Flash4me]

I would have handled the matter in person like an adult, not run to some anonymous BBS like a chicken and make a big deal out of nothing.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

And what would you have the Naval Academy do ?

 

Ruin their lives for doing something stupid, just like every other college-aged kid ? Why are you trying to make a big deal out of nothing ? I smell another motive.

 

Perhaps the US Naval Academy actually holds it's students to higher standards? ;)

 

Military officers (and the enlisted folk too) are held to high standards of conduct. The midshipmen are well aware of this from the start. It doesnt stop when they are on vacation. These guys are still held accountable for their actions by their command and could face punishment according the the UCMJ.

[NeptunesGoddess]

She said she and other women were groped during the academy's March 10-18 spring break. Some of the midshipmen also were accused of offering alcohol to teenage girls.

 

Since when is Molestation and Contributing to the delinquency of a minor(s) just considered a "Lewd" act and not a crime?

[Cruising-R-Us]

I would have handled the matter in person like an adult, not run to some anonymous BBS like a chicken and make a big deal out of nothing.

 

How would you have handled it?

[nofishforme]

offering drinks to underage girls .. where were there parents when they were offering drinks every one wants to hang the midshipmen and hold them to a higher standard. if they offed booze to a minor who probley look older then what they were and if these girls took it i beleive the blame lies with them as well . and parents need to watch there kids .. we get on cruise ships and let our guard down think all is safe so wrong perferts rapest and murderers all take cruise too and you dont even know it they could be one of your table mates at dinner

[OceanAddict]

Is there a video that I missed? The story is hearsay, unless there is proof. I am sure that disciplinary actions would have been taken, had the Academy found them to be guilty... maybe they did discipline. The story given on the OPs post is quite short. Is there more I have not read/heard?

[3boysvus]

We have friends who are, were, and will be Middies. Trust me the honor code will kick in and these select men will pay a price. You may, acually will probably never hear about it, but losing the respect and trust of those you serve with, not to mention the retaliation for group disipline will be the price these young men pay.

[outdoors27]

And what would you have the Naval Academy do ?

 

Ruin their lives for doing something stupid, just like every other college-aged kid ? Why are you trying to make a big deal out of nothing ? I smell another motive.

 

Flash4me

 

I hope the ones found responsible for this are throw out of the academy as they deserve it. They are held to a higher standard and if they can't perform to that standard they need to go.

[NeptunesGoddess]

Is there a video that I missed? The story is hearsay, unless there is proof. I am sure that disciplinary actions would have been taken, had the Academy found them to be guilty... maybe they did discipline. The story given on the OPs post is quite short. Is there more I have not read/heard?

 

 

Well, I just assumed since they found the actions lewd but not a crime, that there was, indeed, proof of said actions...or confessions. I don't think they would find unwarranted allegations to be lewd. In other words, if they felt the actions didn't take place, there would be no findings.

[rufustelestrat]

So last time I checked, people are considered innocent until convicted. :cool: The "crimes" were on a foreign vessel, in international waters or ports. They were in an environment where if the alleged offended and assaulted woman :mad: could have made the appropriate overatures to the security, had the ship remove them, even had them detained and arrested if there was such a problem.:eek: Like other posters have stated: "Shock of all shocks, students on spring break were drunk and disorderly"

The accuser should have taken the afore mentioned steps where if the actions warranted investigation, they could have had the opportunity to cross examine her under oath, not simply send some defamitory post to a website. IN short GET OFF THE HIGH HORSE, They did not find enough evidence, that which our law system is based upon, to have punative actions taken. The END.:cool:

[sharecruises]

Wow...I really have to agree....innocent until proven guilty.

 

I am sure that to some degree these young people will "pay"...I doubt any of them will go that far in the military, this is a dark cloud over them...kids, even midshipmen, talk...they know WHO did WHAT, and my guess is that some of them did more than others, maybe just a few (speedo guy LOL)

 

still this is the United States of America...they serve to keep our rights and freedoms...with no proof, no trial, no formal accusations that would lead to arrest warrants what would you like them to do to these naughty spring breakers?? Put them in the "stocks" and have people pelt them with eggs like the puritans??

 

JMO>> to some degree their reputation and careers will sadly suffer from their drunken stupidity. But more than that?? No..they were lewd and crude and not good midshipmen, but not hardened criminals IMHO

[terri910]

Like a few others, I believe offering alcohol to minors is criminal (and I don't care if it is a horny sailor or their parents that do it), and I believe that violating another person's body should be criminal, if it isn't.

 

By the same token, I do not believe these young men's lives should be ruined by this....but there should (and apparently will) be disciplinary action taken. If they have behaved immaturely (and that's an understatement), then someone needs to make sure this is an area in which they learn to be more mature.

 

I am as bothered by some people characterizing any sense of outrage about these "immature" actions as making a "big deal out of nothing" as I am by the actions themselves. Such disrespect for the dignity of another human being is hardly "nothing," IMO.

[bubbles1209]

And what would you have the Naval Academy do ?

 

Ruin their lives for doing something stupid, just like every other college-aged kid ?

If in fact it is true, how would the Naval Academy ruin their lives, if it's true, they ruined their own lives by doing it, not the Naval Academy. They were college-aged kids responsible enough to get into the Naval Academy, and they fully understood, that they represented the Naval Academy in all actions that they take at all times, off or on duty. So, if they were smart enough to fully understand all of this when they took their oaths, were sworn in, or whatever it is that they go through, they or us should not be surprised at whatever punishment the Naval Academy gives them after the investigation, if they are found guilty. Yes everything is alleged, and no nothing has been proven.........yet, that I've read about, but college aged or not, they were grown enough to understand that they represented the Academy at all times, so if found guilty, they have punished themselves by acting irresponsibly to begin with. If it's true the Naval Academy didn't make them do it. Sorry, I can't say the Naval Academy ruined their lives, they did it to themselves if it's true.

[DarkJedi]

The middies commited no crimes, since no aggrieved parties came forward then no one can claim the were "molested". If someone as, then a report should have been filed. Did they overstep their bounds and act inappropriately? Probably, and they probably admitted to that.

If they offered drinks to underage girls in international waters then they still committed no crimes, just a violation of Carnival's rules.

[Cruisin' Ron VA]

Regardless of where the incident occured, international waters or not, members of the military still have to answer for their actions. Being in the military is different from a civilian job. Civilians do not answer to thier employers for things they may do outside of work, members of the military do.

 

I am willing to be that there will be an investigation by the Naval Academy and punishment will be handed down if it is found that these people acted inappropriately. What some of you who have never been in the military deem as ok or not breaking any laws may be different from military law.

 

Pick up a copy of the UCMJ sometime. You may be surprised at how the rules are different.

[shepp]

"Boys will be boys," eh? Gee, it seems that some CCers are more likely to get exercised over chair hogging than sexual assault.

 

To put this in context, there have been repeated scandals over the levels of sexual harassment in serivce academies. In a study a couple of years ago, one in seven female students at Annapolis reported being sexually assaulted...and it was one in five for the Air Force Academy. Even given the real distinction between groping and full-bore rape, that's certainly a discouraging statistic.

 

Considering the threads that worry about the safety of ports, it's sobering to think that it may well be statistically safer for a woman to walk down the street in Ocho Rios than to go to an Armed Forces academy.

 

And meanwhile the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs worries about how gays in the military lower the moral tone. Come to think of it, I'm wondering if the story had concerned adult men coming on to 15-year-old boys whether the reactions would have been quite so sanguine.

[caribbean dreams]

I don't think anyone should jump to any conclusions right now, the article said the "The preliminary review was based on statements from the midshipmen and other people on the cruise and the investigation would continue" we will just have to wait and see exactly what the proof is.

[rgreenpc]

As a former military officer and a graduate of a service college, I can say that not only is that type of behavior unacceptable, but also it can get them in UCMJ trouble.

 

I take everything I read with a grain of salt however, not that I am saying its not true, but CNN tends to have an anti-military bias.

 

If its true they should have a nice visit from a JAG officer and if they were under me when i was still active duty they would have had a large book thrown at them and I would have pushed for some stiff penalties.