Our intern's testimony helped overturn DADT!

[Liberty Belle]

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/4189


JUDGE DECLARES DON'T ASK, DON'T TELL UNCONSTITUTIONAL:
Former ECM intern Joseph Rocha gave key testimony at trial



September 10, 2010 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled yesterday that the U.S. military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy banning openly gay soldiers from serving is unconstitutional, violating the First and Fifth Amendments. The judge found that the policy has a “direct and deleterious effect” on military readiness by hindering recruitment in wartime and requiring discharge of service members who have critical skills or training.


"I am overjoyed that so many veterans and active duty members have been honored with justice. The decision upholds the constitution proving that no patriots blood is any less valuable in the defense of our nation." Joseph Rocha, an award-winning ECM journalism intern who testified at the trial, told ECM in an e-mail this evening. A former Navy dog handler, Rocha underwent 93 counts of abuse at the hands of an officer while serving in Bahrain.

Read our prior coverage and interview with Rocha on his ordeal. View his testimony (pages 27-34) here.


His mentor and best friend, Petty Officer 1st Class Jennifer Valdiva, a Sailor of the Year and second in command of the unit, tried to stop the abuse of soldiers. Instead, Valdiva was threatened with charges to intimidate her into silence. She committed suicide as a result.

[EFerrari]

1. That's awesome!

[Forkboy]

2. K&R

[Liberty Belle]

3. Thanks, I'm so proud of him!!!

When he worked for us, he was very reserved and never told me about his past. He was a political science major who did a great job covering some political races for us, including a Congressional race and a City Council race.

He wound up exposing corruption on a Council candidate and won a Press Club award. The piece was so well written that i didn't enter it in the student category, realizing it was good enough to go head to head against the best journalists in town.

I was shocked to learn later of the abuse he'd gone through in the military before working with us, and hope the research and investigative skills he learned with us helped in his his later efforts to order up public records on the officer who abused him, and who was later asked to resign (and should be court martialed in my view).

Joseph's story is a powerful testament to the power of one determined person to make a difference in this world. Thanks to him, thousands and thousands of our soldiers will now be free from intimidation and abuse.

[Doug.Goodall]

4. K&R

[dsc]

5. He is honestly a hero

His dad's letter for the Servicemen United campaign made me cry it was so beautifully sad. I hope he is OK. Glad for both him and you that he was such a great intern for you.