Within the last few days and weeks we have been saturated with military story after story. The U.S. war and occupation of Iraq continues unabated. The numbers of killed and injured increase daily. Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation contamination has been confirmed not only on Oahu, but Where else?
The Navy is pushing for increased Hawaii warfare training on land, sea and air. The Army is pushing for a Stryker Brigade base and training in Hawaii. A new $300 million National Security Agency (NSA) wiretapping/surveillance center is being built on Oahu.
The Superferry has been linked as a military transport for Stryker, etc. The military is expanding it’s Keaukaha (Hilo Airport) base and now the University of Hawaii has signed (9/27/07) a contract with the Navy to do secret weapons and war research for tens of millions of dollars.
All of these projects have received citizen protest but it appears that no one in power is listening.
Eloquent public testimony was given at Army and Navy Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) hearings. Faculty, students, and community people spoke proudly of our University of Hawaii and the need for keeping it an open center for learning, inquiry, and an exchange of ideas rather than doing secret contract military work.
But military money talks and some Hawaii business people want a piece of the action. All total the U.S. is spending $2 billion dollars a day on militarism yet people go hungry right here in Hawaii and there is a lengthy list of unmet human and environmental needs where money could be better spent.
On the bright side, Honokaa hosted a United Nations Peace Parade on September 23rd. It was a joyous occasion with a real cross section of the community from many parts of the island coming together to support the need for peace, not only in Hawaii but the world.
It is time for an about face – to move in a new direction – away from militarism and toward justice, peace and a disarmed world. What better place to begin than right here in the land of aloha.
An about face means coming to terms with the illegal overthrow of the sovereign independent nation of Hawaii and 115 years of ongoing U.S. military occupation. Justice demands that the occupations of Iraq and Hawaii end and the sovereign nations rise again.
In our hearts we all know that aloha and non-violence walk hand-in-hand. If we truly want peace, we need to use peaceful and just means toward that end. Weapons, war, and occupation are not instruments of peace. Let’s live aloha and support military clean up not build up in Hawaii as an important first step to a disarmed world built on a foundation of justice for people everywhere.
Free Hawaii & Iraq: Military Clean Up NOT Build Up!
U.S. Army DEIS comment deadline is October 30, 2007. Send comments to PublicComments [at] aec.apgea.army.mil and cc a copy to tenfingers10toes [at] protecthawaii.ws
No Stryker Brigade build-up in Hawai’i. Clean-up all live-fire artillery ranges.
Please learn more… Help Us Save Hawai’i and sign the following petition at:
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/help-save-hawaii
Then, please forward to everyone you know!
READ WHY the Stryker Brigade must not stay in Hawaii!
Ten Reasons to Oppose the Stryker Brigade in Hawaii
www.dmzhawaii.org/stop_stryker_hawaii.pdf
Army Regulation AR 700-48 "Management of Equipment Contaminated With Depleted Uranium or Radioactive Commodities," Headquarters, Department of the Army, Washington, D.C., September 2002, Section 2-4 of United States Army Regulation 700-48 dated Sept. 16, 2002, specifies these requirements.
www.traprockpeace.org/du_pam_700-48.pdf
Hawaiian Islands Are Radioactive
www.indymedia.org/en/2007/10/893755.shtml
Depleted Uranium Contamination By Strykers In Hawaii
www.indymedia.org/it/2007/09/893176.shtml
Death By Breath
www.indymedia.org/en/2007/10/893823.shtml
Hawaiian Islands Contaminated With Ballistic Uranium
www.rense.com/general78/hawa.htm
No Peace in Paradise by Kyle Kajihiro
www.haleakalatimes.com/news/story2527.aspx
Army’s Environmental Impact Statement for the Stryker Brigade Invasion of Hawaii:
www.sbct-seis.org/
Go to Demilitarize Hawaii
dmzhawaii.org
Go to Protect Hawaii website:
www.protecthawaii.ws/