Truth Bombs

America, I can barely find the words to express the inspiration I feel when I reflect upon how much good our corporate military contractors have done for our fine country and her humble people.

A philanthropic company like Halliburton, for instance, so embodies the free market ethos of American capitalism that its no-bid US military contracts prevent any other businesses from vying for the lucrative defense commissions they enjoy. Companies like Halliburton and their subsidiary KBR maintain a truly sober respect for their solemn duty to protect and house our troops and the taxpayers who ultimately pay for their services.

Such respect is expressed through their cost-plus charging structure, which enables Halliburton/KBR to overpay for their resources and inflate their expenses, then have those expenses entirely recouped by the government, with your tax money. These contractors revere America's vital soldiers each time one of our proud, uniformed heroes is fatally electrocuted by the shoddy wiring in the barracks that Halliburton was overpaid to build. I know folks, it's a heart-warming prospect.

Predatory finances aside, it's also good to know that Halliburton/KBR Inc. spared no expense to deny a former employee who was sexually assaulted by coworkers her day in court. Jamie Leigh Jones was 19 in 2005 when she was hired by KBR and sent to Iraq, where she shared living quarters with 400 men. Her complaints of sexual harassment were ignored by her supervisors with tragic consequences.

Jones was drugged, viciously gang-raped by the men she worked with and imprisoned in a shipping container with an armed guard, from which she devised an escape with a borrowed cell phone. After the escape, KBR set about to rectify the egregious crimes committed by their employees by disallowing Jones to bring her case to a federal courtroom, citing a mandatory arbitration clause in her contract.

For those unfamiliar with the arbitration process, here's a summary. Private arbitration is an alternative dispute resolution technique that is designed to mediate small-claims legal battles and intra-corporate disputes without involving the judicial system.

If Jones' case against KBR had amounted to a disagreement over backpay or worker's compensation, arbitration would have been an ideal forum for a pragmatic solution. However, since Jones was the victim of an appalling crime that was demonstrably abetted by KBR's negligence, the suggestion that she resolve her dispute in private arbitration is tantamount to bringing the case before Judge Judy.

Freshman senator Al Franken (D-Minnesota) passed his first amendment in the senate by taking up Jones' cause and writing legislation that would authorize those employees who are the victims of violent crimes during their course of employment to decide where to bring their claims. The amendment, which is attached to a larger defense appropriations bill, passed 68-30 in the senate.

The 30 white, male and Republican senators who voted against this measure, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the amusingly named Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), failed presidential candidate John McCain (R-AZ), adulterer John Ensign (R-NV) and prostitution-enthusiast David Vitter (R-LA), have found themselves in a politically awkward situation. "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart summarized it best when he quipped, "If, to protect Halliburton, you have to side against rape victims, you might want to rethink your allegiances."

I'm not as certain as Mr. Stewart, however. The publicity surrounding Jamie Leigh Jones' three-year legal brawl with KBR has emboldened more women with similar stories to come forward and seek justice. However, KBR, with the support of the Grand Ole' Sausage Party, has not given up, and machinations are underway to persuade the defense department to strike Franken's amendment from the bill. It might work.

Also, we can all console ourselves that KBR, a company who tried to deny civil rights to a young woman who was brutally raped while in its employ, is still being paid billions of Defense Department dollars. I don't know about you, but I'm inspired by that. So damn inspired, it makes my eyes bleed. u