Nonviolent Ways Project's Blog ... for social justice news, analysis, information and commentary ... this is a niche blog, what hits and fits - feel free to add a comment ... for some background on who we are, visit this web page ... we have two web homes: NV Ways and Wild Clearing
As with the earlier clip here on our work to begin to explore a documentary film on the dangers to the mother forest in the U.S., this 8-minute video clip is an attempt to think through a rationale for such an endeavor and some ideas and approaches toward filming it -- a higher resolution version is viewable at http://www.wildclearing.com/mother-forest/ -- Wes Rehberg
We're sketching out a possible documentary on the Appalachian mixed-mesophytic forest and its challenges. The Cumberland forest is said to have served as the mother provider of hardwood trees and other forest life for the North American continent for 150,000 years but now has been decimated and fragmented.
Threats are reported to include logging, development, mining, genetic modification, quarrying, invasive species, and air and water pollutant contamination. A good background on this can be found at the World Wildlife Federation web site. We've also keeping in touch with friends, family and other environmentalists to help guide us on this trail.
Above, as a brief light-hearted start, with Eileen and our rescued dogs Mercury and Jillie, is a six-minute video sketch of a late April hike we took through a trail in the Savage Gulf State Natural Area in south central Tennessee to Savage Falls. The area is a mixed mesophytic forest preserve. Eileen has also gotten out her sketchpad and easel, so graphic art is also forthcoming.
CHATTANOOGA TN'S PROTEST MARCH & RALLY ON IRAQ WAR'S 5TH ANNIVERSARY
CHATTANOOGA'S PROTEST MARCH & RALLY ON IRAQ WAR'S 5TH ANNIVERSARY Filmed as a documentary sketch
Chattanoogans and others from Tennessee and Georgia marched and rallied on the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war and occupation to protest U.S. continued involvement and to urge once again that the administration cease this operation and bring American troops home. Organized by Chattanooga based United for Democracy & Justice, the rally featured the following speakers: Joy Day, organizer; Sandy Lusk, organizer; Chris Lugo, U.S. Senate candidate; Kate Stulce, organizer; and Retired Staff Sgt. Herbert Reed, keynote speaker and Iraq war veteran ill with the effects of depleted uranium munitions contamination. The rally's theme was "Remember the Falling, the Fallen, the Forgotten." The video follows the march and features excerpts from the rally's talks. The 30-minute video documentary sketch was filmed by Wes Rehberg of Wild Clearingy. A GOOGLE-IZED LOW CONNECTION SPEED VERSION IS AVAILABLE HERE
"CONTAMINATED FOREVER" -- INTRODUCTORY SCENES FROM A DOCUMENTARY ON THE HAZARDS OF DEPLETED URANIUM MUNITIONS
"CONTAMINATED FOREVER" - the documentary -- ... exposing the ongoing impact of the use of so-called "depleted uranium" munitions
Filmmaker Wes Rehberg and artist and social policy analyst Eileen Rehberg have produced and filmed "Contaminated Forever," a 1-hour and 45-minute documentary to help in the effort to expose the terrible consequences of the use of so-called depleted uranium weapons (DU) for test purposes and in the battlefield. These weapons were used in Iraq, the Balkans, on testing grounds throughout the United States and territories, and possibly in Afghanistan, Panama and Lebanon, with their poison dust afflicting soldiers and civilians. Their nanoparticle fallout, in the earth, has a half-life of 4.5 billion years, ready to be inhaled or ingested, where, inside the body, they pass through cell walls to begin their radioactive and toxic damage. You may view the home page for "Contaminated Forever," as well as a high-bandwidth flash video draft of this segment, at this web page. A DVD of the documentary is also available for purchase there. A Google-ized version is below. -- Wes Rehberg.
PART 1: Introduction PART 2: CPT actions at Aerojet Ordnance in Tennessee PART 3: Vieques activists speak out about bombing range contamination PART 4: Doug Rokke, maligned military whistleblower PART 5: ICBUW conference at UN Plaza in NYC PART 6: NL industries victims of contamination PART 7: Anti-DU rally in Jonesborough, TN POSTLUDE: Iraq veteran Herb Reed at home
FLASHBACK: KATHY KELLY, THEN OF VOICES IN THE WILDERNESS, SINGS "SONG OF PEACE" IN 2004 COMMEMORATION
Kathy Kelly of Voices in the Wilderness was in Baghdad, Iraq during the aftermath of Bush's "Shock and Awe" attack. A music school was one of the places plundered - people from the school gave her a tape students sang of "Song of Peace." She sang it herself in Holland, Michigan, to celebrate Jon den Herder of Holland Peacemakers in 2004, who was dying of brain cancer -- video below was filmed then at Leaf & Bean's Third Space in Holland. -- Wes Rehberg
CHATTANOOGA, TN, IRAQ WAR ANNIVERSARY PEACE RALLY PROMO - 30 SECOND VIDEO CLIP
Chattanoogans are conducting a peace march and rally on March 22, 2008, to mark the fifth anniversary of the Iraq war debacle and to honor the fallen, the falling and the forgotten -- to urge that our troops be returned home now -- Below is a 30-second video Wild Clearing promo of this event.
LONG-TIME ACTIVIST ANNE HERMAN HAS PASSED ON FROM CANCER
We learned that Anne Herman has passed on from lung cancer in Birmingham, AL. Anne was in Jonesborough, Tennessee, during the 10-day May 2007 delegation and action by Christian Peacemaker Teams against Aerojet Ordnance's production of depleted uranium munitions cores. She was not well then but persisted in being part of every action that team shared with her unsurpassed candidness and humor. Before then, we had crossed paths with Anne in Chiapas, Mexico, in December 1998 during the time of the commemoration of the 45 persons who were massacred by paramilitaries in Acteal the year earlier. We had known Anne and shared time with her as well during her activism while she lived in upstate NY.
The obituary below is a very fair representation of Anne. The photo is from a film clip during the Jonesborough, TN, action.
Wes Rehberg
-----------
Activist Anne Herman dead at 74
By George Basler Press & Sun-Bulletin [Binghamton, NY]
Deeply committed, but never strident, Anne Herman was a fixture in anti-war and social justice activities in Broome County [upstate New York] for more than two decades.
"It seemed like every important action that dealt with social justice, Anne was there," said Jack Gilroy, a fellow activist and former teacher.
A memorial service for Ms. Herman, 74, will take place at 12:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Binghamton. She died Nov. 22 at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital.
Ms. Herman was motivated by " a deep down, basic caring about people" and an identification with those she considered oppressed throughout the world, said Ann Clune, of Binghamton, a long-time friend and fellow activist.
In the 1980s, Ms. Herman worked as the local coordinator of RAM (Redistribute America Movement), a statewide welfare advocacy group. She later did advocacy work with the Mayan people in Chiapas, Mexico.
Over the years, Ms. Herman protested against everything from spousal abuse to nuclear arms to American foreign policy and, most recently, the Iraq War. She was arrested a number of times, and in 1997 was sentenced to six months in federal prison for trespassing at the Army-run School of the Americas at Fort Benning, Ga.
"She was a pleasant person, but she also pushed. She had the strength of saying, 'I know where I'm going, and I'm going to take all the steps to get there,'" said David Duncan, former director of Opportunities for Broome.
But, Gilroy said, he can never remember Ms. Herman making a negative comment about another person, even someone she disagreed with. In 1998, the Broome County Council of Churches recognized her for her community work.
"She saw problems with power and force being right, and didn't accept that," Gilroy said. Ms. Herman also made beautiful quilts and was close to her six children and five grandchildren, Clune said.
In 2003, Ms. Herman described her lifelong activism this way: "I've come to the place in life where I realize I can't look to success, rather I need to do what I need to do. You never know who you might impact." Donations can be made in her name to the Christian Peacemaker Teams, Box 6508, Chicago, Ill. 60680-6508.
ICBUW LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN AGAINST FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IN DU MANUFACTURERS
From the International Coalition to Ban Uranium Weapons (ICBUW)
Does Your Bank Support DU Manufacturers?
On November 6th 2007 ICBUW member organisations launched a global disinvestment campaign against investments by high street banks and investment companies around the world in the manufacturers of uranium weapons. Read on to find out how you can get involved.
ICBUW already campaigns globally through traditional means for a ban on uranium weapons. We have now taken the fight to the arms manufacturers and the bodies that fund them.
In collaboration with Network Flanders and Banktrack, on November 6th 2007, the UN Day for the Prevention of the Exploitation of the Environment Through Armed Conflict, we launched 'Too Risky for Business' - a dossier detailing how your high street banks are supporting companies that manufacture indiscriminate and illegal weapon systems.
We have created a full activist's tool kit to allow you to challenge your bank to disinvest and isolate these companies, be it through direct action, letter writing or media work.
Too Risky For Business bank report
Too Risky For Business bank report abstract
Model press release
Model leaflet
Model letter for banks
Press kit
Four jpeg versions of the logo - colour, black and white, grayscale (all for paper printing) and a web version.
VIDEO: NL INDUSTRIES DEPLETED URANIUM CONTAMINATION IN COLONIE, NY - PRESS CONFERENCE, SITE VISIT
Featured here is a running 48-minute video account of a press conference at the Albany, NY, state legislative office building organized by the Community Concerned About NL Industries at which research findings were detailed that indicate the long-term persistence of depleted uranium contamination.
Also featured is a 6-minute video sketch of a visit to the NL site by CCNL organizer Tom Ellis and ex-resident Tony Ciarfello, who was found to be contaminated.
SUMMARY: A biological study by Randall Parrish of the NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory in the UK and others has detected depleted uranium and in one case enriched uranium in former workers and those who lived and worked nearby the Colonie, NY, NL Industries plant, where depleted uranium munitions cores were produced decades ago.
Below first is the press conference video sketch and below that the site visit, filmed by Wes Rehberg. produced by Wild Clearing (c) 2007 --
FOLLOWING JONESBOROUGH, TN, RALLY, AEROJET ORDNANCE'S COMPANY SPENDS 45 MINUTES ON WILD CLEARING WEBSITE
Depleted uranium weapons producer Aerojet Ordnance's
company visited Wild Clearing's web site for 45 minutes, following the
United for Peace and Justice rally in Jonesborough, TN, where the
penetrator munitions cores are produced. A snapshot of the company's
visit, the day after the Oct. 27 rally, is below ... intriguing that
they should stop by again ...
PHOTOS AND VIDEO FROM JONESBOROUGH, TN, OCT.27 UFPJ RALLY AGAINST DU WEAPONS AND IRAQ WAR
We have posted photos and video from Jonesborough, TN,
rally Oct. 27, 2007 against depleted uranium weapons and the Iraq war,
sponsored by United for Democracy and Justice (UFPJ) and First
Tennessee Progressives ...
-- Herbert Reed, Iraq war vet under treatment for DU contamination, addresses rally
The rally was part of a continuing effort to oppose the
production,
testing and battlefield use of depleted uranium munitions -- including
those manufactured at Aeroject Ordnance in Jonesborough -- to view the
photos and a Flash video clip, filmed by Wes Rehberg, visit this iink ...:
Below also is the video clip -- Robert Bruce Baldwin singing his song, "All Across America" --
CODE PINK ACTIVIST CALLS CONDOLEEZZA RICE A "WAR CRIMINAL" -- VIDEO CLIP
FROM CODE PINK: "Oct 24: .'The
blood of millions of Iraqis is on your hands!'
yelled our own Desiree Fairooz to Condi Rice
during a Congressional hearing and displayed
her hands covered in blood. We have gotten
under the skin of those in power and we need
to continue to make our presence known ... " To view a video clip of this encounter, click this link ...
To visit Code Pink's web site, click here ...
CATHOLIC WORKER ACTIVISTS ARRESTED AT BLACKWATER HQ IN NORTH CAROLINA, HELD IN JAIL
From: Mary Anne Grady Flores
Peter DeMott of the Ithaca C.W., and other Catholic Workers arrested at Blackwater Worldwide headquarters in North Carolina, Sat. Oct. 20th, 2007.
From: Ellen Grady Subject: Blackwater action- Peter and others held Date: Sun, 21 Oct 2007 13:46:44 -0400 Dear Friends, Last night we received a call reporting on an action that Peter DeMott and other Catholic Workers from the East Coast were part of at the headquarters of Blackwater USA in the Great Dismal Swamp, NC. Six of the group are being held on a $1000. bail, Peter being one of them. They will go to court on Wednesday, Oct. 24 where they will be arraigned and possibly bail will be reduced. Right now they are being charged with resisting arrest, trespassing, and destruction of property. They are being held at the
Currituck County Jail: 413 Maple Rd. Maple, NC 27956
Five of the activists arrested at Blackwater headquarters remain in jail for failure to post $1,000 bonds. . I understand that all in the group are in good spirits. Please hold them in prayer. In Peace, Ellen
Blackwater Protest Action Statement As people of faith who wish to shed light and enkindle hope, we come today to the headquarters of Blackwater Worldwide in an act of nonviolent protest, appealing to Blackwater personnel to disassociate themselves from a corporation which: * Operates in connivance with the U.S. Military to prosecute the illegal, unjust, aggressive war against Iraq in order to secure American imperial objectives in the Middle East; * Reaps huge revenues amounting to billions of dollars, in effect robbing the American public of valuable resources needed for the basic necessities of life: food, shelter, health care, etc; * Murders innocent Iraqi noncombatants, including children, women and the elderly; * Performs these evil deeds without any accountability and operates with complete immunity; * Works side by side and colludes with the world's number one terrorist, the United States Govenment. Steve Baggarly Beth Brockman Mark Colville Peter DeMott Laura Marks Bill Streit Mary Grace
Department of Veterans Affairs Reports 73 Thousand U.S. Gulf War Era Deaths
By Clive Boustred
More Gulf War Veterans have died than Vietnam Veterans:
The Department of Veterans Affairs, May 2007, Gulf War Veterans Information System reports the following:
Total U.S. Military Gulf War Deaths: 73,846
– Deaths amongst Deployed: 17,847
– Deaths amongst Non-Deployed: 55,999
Total “Undiagnosed Illness” (UDX) claims: 14,874
Total number of disability claims filed: 1,620,906
- Disability Claims amongst Deployed: 407,911
- Disability Claims amongst Non-Deployed: 1,212,995
Percentage of combat troops that filed Disability Claims 36%
NOTE: Soldiers, by nature, typically don’t complain. In other
words, the real impact of those who are disabled from the US invasions
in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Nations, is not fully reflected in the
official Veterans Affairs numbers. When soldiers are sent to murder
women and children they tend to never be able to live normal lives
there after.
How come the government numbers of 3,777 as of 9/7/7 are so low?
The answer is simple, the government does not want the 73,000 dead to
be compared to the 55,000 U.S. soldiers killed in Vietnam Iraq =
Vietnam. What the government is doing is only counting the soldiers
that die in action before they can get them into a helicopter or
ambulance. Any soldier who is shot but they get into a helicopter
before he dies is not counted.
73,000 dead amongst the U.S. soldiers for this scale operation using
weapons of mass destruction is not high - we expect the great majority
of U.S. soldiers who took part in the invasion of Iraq to die of
uranium poisoning, which can take decades to kill.
From a victors perspective, above any major war in history, The Gulf War has taken the severest toll on soldiers.
More than 1,820 tons of radio active nuclear waste uranium were
exploded into Iraq alone in the form of armor piercing rounds and
bunker busters, representing the worlds worst man made ecological
disaster ever. 64 kg of uranium were used in the Hiroshima bomb. The
U.S. Iraq Nuclear Holocaust represents far more than fourteen thousand
Hiroshima’s. The nuclear waste the U.S. has exploded into the Middle
East will continue killing for billions of years and can wipe out more
than a third of life on earth. Gulf War Veterans who have ingested the
uranium will continue to die off over a number of years.
So far more than one million people have been slaughtered in the
illegal invasion of Iraqi by the U.S. Birth defects are up 600% in Iraq
– the same will apply to U.S. Veterans.
Statistics and evidence published by the government and mainstream
media in no way reflect the extreme gravity of the situation.
Those working for the government and media must wake up and take
responsibility for immediately reversing this U.S. Holocaust.
Understanding who is manipulating all of us is critical for all of us.
Authors Website: www.libertyforlife.com
Authors Bio: As one of the industries foremost technology &
business strategists, Mr. Boustred has provided strategy and the
architectural vision for some of the world's most successful companies.
Mr. Boustred has designed massively scalar systems that have grown to
support well over ten million users. The next generation Internet and
banking systems Mr. Boustred designed to support billions of users was
interrupted by a governmental assault during deployment, which resulted
in him analyzing the legal industry and the development of Liberty For
Life & CopperCards. For more on Clive visit:
www.libertyforlife.com/team/clive_boustred.htm
VIDEOS: VIEQUES ACTIVISTS SPEAK OUT ABOUT DU CONTAMINATION ON THEIR ISLAND
VIEQUES ACTIVISTS ON DU IMPACT Nilda Medina in Vieques
While in Vieques in September 2007, I spoke with Nilda Medina, Ismael
Guadalupe, filmmaker Andres Nieves and Robert Rabin, founders and
members of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques, on
the impact from contamination from the U.S. Navy bombing practice on
the Puerto Rican island. These interviews are part of a developing
documentary on the impact of depleted uranium contamination on people
and the environment. Nilda speaks of the need for health
services, Ismael offers insights into the resistance against the U.S.
Navy presence for over 60 years and the contamination, Andres tells how
he was personally affected, and Robert scopes out the history of the
occupation and the extent of the contamination. These are roughly
compiled video clips, basically unaltered, about 10 minutes each. To
view these, visit this web page ... -- Wes Rehberg .
VIEQUES INTERVIEW NOTES WITH ACTIVISTS ON DEPLETED URANIUM AND OTHER MILITARY CONTAMINATION
Vieques interview notes with activists on depleted uranium contamination –
for Stop-DU meeting and other forums:
From Wes Rehberg
The interviews and the visit to Vieques are part of a documentary I’m
making on DU contamination dangers – U.S. Navy contamination from
weapons testing on this Puerto Rican island was the key theme of the
interviews. The interviews were conducted during my Sept. 18-24 2007
journey throughout the island.
The key interviews were with six people: * Nilda Medina, former science teacher, long-time activist and organizer
and now developer of cooperative enterprises, who has been imprisoned
for her activism against the Navy presence on two-thirds of the island,
the weapons testing there, and who now speaks to the health problems of
contamination; * Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz, activist since he was 19 (now aged 63),
activist and organizer, addressed UN committee on colonialism twice,
was imprisoned four times, who sees contamination now and the necessity
of its cleanup as the cause for new occupations of Navy land by
activists; * Andres Nieves, cinema photographer in US, moved to Vieques on
retirement, documented via video more than 1,000 hours on Vieques
problems for Fort Conde Marisal Museum archives, also an activist, has
been tested positive for contamination; * Zaida Torres, nurse at Vieques hospital, whose child died of cancer,
and who addresses issue of contamination and the need for health
services and remedies on the island; * Robert Rabin, a former Bostonian who has lived in Vieques for more than
two decades, is director of the museum mentioned above, is a key
activist, organizer and educator via the museum, and who has also spent
time in federal prison for his activism. * Tania Cruz Morales, youth activist who speaks to problems related to contamination, including psychological;
I also spoke off-camera with a man who works on the decontamination
project for USA Environmental, one of the Navy contractors responsible
for cleanup – briefly, he offered a contrast about the exposure and
said he has also been involved in Iraq and Kuwait recent cleanup
efforts. The contrast is this: He has to wear an array of protective
gear, including a protective mask that he says is capable of filtering
contaminants at a sub-micron level – uranium oxide and ceramic uranium
oxide are such contaminants; but if he’s so protected, then the danger
of exposure is clearly evident, including the danger to the people of
Vieques, despite Navy and other disclaimers about such a danger. (This
part I’ll have to narrate into the documentary)
Summary:
It would be more comprehensive to provide individual summaries of what
each said, but in the interests of space and time, I’ll address the key
points they made:
1. The Navy remedies for decontamination are inadequate. Not only are they
inadequate, but the Navy is exploding unexploded ordnance in the open
air as part of the “cleanup,” further spreading contaminants. In
addition, the Navy disclaims responsibility for the contamination,
saying it’s part of the natural Vieques environment. The activists’
response is that the Navy can be the only source – there is no industry
on the island except for a small GE plant, and the types of
contaminants and the extent are not naturally occurring. These include
uranium oxide, lithium, mercury, lead, arsenic, antimony (gunpowder) –
some of which has also entered the food chain. The contamination is on
land as well as in the surrounding seabed, has been found in fish as
well as measured in sea grass at some distance from the test proving
grounds sites. Soil, water, food-chain and the air carry the
contaminants.
2. There is a considerable need for medical resources to serve people
affected – people have to travel by ferry to the main island of Puerto
Rico (1¼ hour trip each way) and then by public transportation to
receive chemotherapy and dialysis treatments, for example (diabetes is
linked to the contamination as well). The contaminants affect the
lungs, kidneys, bones, heart, stomach, pancreas, and other organs.
Vieques has a rate of cancer at least 26 percent higher than the main
island of Puerto Rico, and now possibly measurable at 50 percent higher.
3. In the face of opposition by the U.S. government, the Puerto Rican
government and the U.S. military to comprehensive cleanup and health
services related to contamination, it would be easy to give in to
despair, but this is self-defeating.
4. Activists must remain optimistic
that their cause will bear the results they want accomplished.
5. The solutions are not immediate and short-term. They are long-term
because of the pervasiveness of the contamination and the health
problems.
6. The problems must not be elided or submerged in people’s consciousness,
thus education and continued activism is essential. There’s a tendency,
for example, to view the cancer problems fatalistically rather than the
result of practices that are specific to the island.
7. The Navy must yield the land ultimately back to the people (some has
been "turned over" to the U.S. Department of the Interior as a wildlife
preserve) – the Navy originally expropriated two thirds of this island,
cramming its 10,000 inhabitants in the center – the island is 21 miles
long and 4 miles wide. The land, cleaned up, and the seabed, cleaned
up, would be a valuable resource for people and their lives.
(Ironically, as in Puerto Rico, tourism is the number one economic
producer in Vieques – in Puerto Rico’s mainland; the number two
industry is pharmaceuticals).
Basically unspoken except in Andres’ case, these activists have been
exposed to the contaminants themselves and so have put themselves at
high risk.
-- Wes Rehberg
FROM VIEQUES, PART TWO -- TWO VIDEO CLIPS FROM DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER ANDRES NIEVES
Below are two video clips posted on the web site of the Commitee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques and YouTube from Vieques documentary filmmaker Andrés Nieves. The first condemns the U.S. Naval bombing and resulting contamination and economic damage to Vieques. The second urges support for the Radio Vieques FM radio project. For more information visit the committee's web site ...
FROM VIEQUES - TWO DECLARATIONS ABOUT THE IMPACT AND RESPONSE TO U.S. NAVY BOMBINGS AND CONTINUED CONTAMINATION OF THE ISLAND
Below are testimonies from Myrna Pagán and Ismael
Guadalupe, founders of the Committee for the Rescue and Development of
Vieques, one given at the Japan Peace Conference in Okinawa and the other presented before the United Nation's
Committee on Decolonization in 2006. The concern now is the continued
contamination of this Puerto Rican island, including from DU, as a
result of U.S. Navy munitions testing there. Ismael Guadalupe's
testimony is in Spanish, with a translation to follow shortly.
Myrna Pagan Comittee for the Rescue and Development of Vieques
We are united in an effort to make PEACE in a world which is in an
extraordinarily dangerous moment. The United States of America is at
war, a war against world terrorism, the enemy is everywhere, and
everything in its command will be used to defend the United States.
What are the limits? The Bush administration appears to be deliberately
ambiguous as to ruling in or out the use of nuclear weapons. The
weapons of mass destruction are not ruled out. We must say no to the
use of nuclear arms and military escalation. We must suggest
alternatives to those policies which depend on superior weapons power
and political domination. Ours are the voices which must be heard at
this moment. Voices which call for change from policies of destruction
and retribution to a more enlightened response of non-violence,
perseverence and noble purpose ... To read the entire testimony, click here ...
TESTIMONIO ANTE EL COMITÉ DE DESCOLONIZACIÓN ORGANIZACIÓN DE LAS NACIONES UNIDAS 12 de Junio 2006 - Ismael Guadalupe Ortiz
Mi
más sincero agradecimiento a esta distinguida Comisión donde
encontramos años tras años el espacio para nosotros, los
puertorriqueños, plantear nuestra situación colonial. De seguro, los
compañeros que me han precedido han señalado con mucha certeza, las
condiciones que nos colocan en condición de sumisión política ante el
gobierno de los Estados Unidos. Dentro de esa absurda situación de
subordinación política ante los Estado Unidos el caso de la isla
puertorriqueña de Vieques es ejemplo de esa vulnerabilidad política.
Luego de décadas de resistencia contra la militarización de Vieques
logramos el 1 de mayo del 2003 que la Marina de Guerra de los Estados
Unidos saliera de Vieques. Durante ese proceso de lucha, quedó
claramente demostrado que nuestras instituciones, que forman parte del
Estado Libre Asociado, son tan solo una caricatura de un falso poder
que en última instancia radica en el Congreso de los Estados Unidos.
Ningún tribunal de Puerto Rico pudo darle atención a los miles de
abusos que contra nuestro pueblo cometía la Marina Invasora. Utilizando
términos muy sofisticados los tribunales de Puerto Rico se declaraban
fuera de jurisdicción, cada vez que se buscaba justicia ante los
atropellos cometidos por los militares estadounidenses ... To read the entire testimony, click here ...
ARMY CONFIRMS DU CONTAMINATION AT HAWAII'S POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA -- CLEANUP DEMANDED THROUGHOUT HAWAII
An update on the broad contamination by depleted uranium weapons in Hawaii ...
The U.S. Army has admitted that radioactive depleted uranium has
been found at the U.S. Army's Pohakuloa Training Area. Military
contractor Cabrera Services has also determined that a formerly
classified weapon capable of firing DU rounds was used at the 55,000
acre Big Island military base, the Army said in a two-page news release
... this news transmitted via Viviane Lerner on the NucNews nuclear
list service, as reported in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald ...
Meantime, Sharon Rudolph offers this statement regarding Hawaii DU
contamination : " I'd like to add..... Hawaii residents and especially
everyone downwind of any DU discovery wants the military to follow its
own laws! Everyone wants free, "REAL" DU testing for all residents!
The thousand dollar test!!! Everyone wants the military to follow is
own laws to give medical care to anyone harmed ...and in regard to
clean- up; close and pave Pohakuloa and every live fire range across
the country that used DU! Everyone wants to know why the cancer rates,
birth defects, thyroid, immune and neurological problems are so high
downwind! Why are feral cats sick on the western slopes of Mauna Kea?
Why are hunters reporting a greatly increased amount of tumors in sheep
and goats? Hawaii residents want an INDEPENDENT monitor, NOW!
Everyone in Hawaii wants the army to clean up the other 871
contaminated sites, and however many hundred the navy, has, too! AND
they must pay for what they've done to Hawaii and the rest of the
country!!!!" To read recent NucNews recent posts from Lerner on this issue, click here ... (pdf file)
This document is in PDF format and can be read using 
Congressional hearing and displayed
her hands covered in blood. We have gotten
under the skin of those in power and we need
to continue to make our presence known ... "
