Archive for the ‘Radiation’ Category

Peace Holy week — Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki!

Sunday, August 4th, 2024

Sunday, Aug. 4, 2024

Alisson Shiozaki and others are having a Remember Hiroshima Day on Monday Aug. 5th (Aug. 6th in Japan) from 12:30-1:30 PM at Liliuokalani Park in Hilo.  Please join if possible and pass the word

I am sorry I won’t be able to make it.  My nephew and family will be visiting this week.  Below is this Friday, Aug. 9th (Nagasaki Day) Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet.  Please try and join the Hilo Peace Vigil too.  I will be there. We will have our 45-year-old banner there too “In Memory of Hiroshima & Nagasaki.”  Peace leaflet below. And mark your calendar: Peace organizing meeting will be held on Monday, Aug. 12, 2024 from 6-8 PM at the Keaau Community Center.  Meetings are regularly held on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the month.  Please pass the word.  Meetings are usually available on Zoom from 6:30-7:15 PM. Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9876901944… Meeting ID: 987 690 1944 Passcode: peace now

Jim Albertini for Malu ‘Aina

In Memory of Hiroshima &

Nagasaki!

 

 

       On August 6, 1945, the US dropped a uranium fission nuclear bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, on Aug. 9, the US dropped a plutonium-fission nuclear bomb on the city of Nagasaki. In two blinding flashes of light, heat, and radiation, these cities were destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed and injured. Many died days, weeks, and months later from radiation poisoning. Army General and future President, Dwight Eisenhower, and other military leaders said, the dropping of the bomb was completely unnecessary. Japan was already defeated.

      Today, Hawaii is a military command center and staging ground for nuclear war. Pohakuloa (PTA) is a training site for nuclear weapon systems. Weapons training at PTA has contaminated our island with radiation and a wide range of military toxins.

      As of January 22, 2021, Nuclear Weapons are illegal. The treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons bans the development, testing, production, manufacture, acquisition, possession or stockpiling, transfer, control or receipt, use or threat to use, stationing or development of nuclear weapons. But there are 9 nuclear rogue outlaw states still making, and possessing nuclear weapons: the US, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, North Korea, India, Pakistan, and Israel.

      The danger of global nuclear war, and the destruction of human civilization, has never been greater. Along with growing climate disasters, there is the growing risk of a widening war in the Middle East with Iran, etc. a US/NATO nuclear war with Russia over Ukraine, and between the US and China. The US wants to remain on top in a Unipolar, not a multipolar, world. The issues of preventing global nuclear destruction and climate catastrophe are directly linked. The US military is the largest consumer of oil and emitter of CO2 on the planet. Join the movement to de-militarize Hawaii & the world.

Stop the Profiteers of Armageddon!

Abolish All Nuclear Weapons Now!

No More War!

1 . Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject violence & war as solutions. 3. Defend civil liberties.  4. Oppose all discrimination: anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, anti-Black, anti-Asian, anti-Russian, anti-LGBTQ, etc. 5. Seek peace through peaceful means and work for justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

 Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts. 2 on the planet.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

Aug. 9, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1193Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

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Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a (Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org

Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day!

Tuesday, July 30th, 2024

Lā Ho`iho`i Ea

Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day!

     Hawaiian Sovereignty Restoration Day marks July 31, 1843, when British Admiral Richard Thomas ordered the Union Jack lowered and the Hawaiian Kingdom flag hoisted above Honolulu, ending five months of British occupation and restoring the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom government to legitimate power.

     In 2024, we are still waiting, 131 years and counting, for an end to the US illegal occupation of Hawaii, following the US military/sugar baron coup to overthrow the government of Queen Lili’uokalani in 1893.  Meanwhile, as a positive step in the restoration process, let us act to end all US military leases of Hawaiian lands at Pohakuloa on Hawaii Island, on Oahu, etc.  Also, restore Hawaii County’s historic Nuclear-Free Law (Ordinance #665) passed in 1981, but amended in 1984 to exempt the US military.  Remove the US military exemption (#84-39) Now!  Hawaii is one of the most militarized places on the planet. Hawaii, the land of aloha, has been transformed under US military occupation, into the US military Indo-Pacific command center and training ground for Nuclear War and the destruction of the entire planet.

     RIMPAC 2024, the world’s largest international war exercise concludes on August 2 after over a month. The US invited 28 other countries, including Israel, to come and bomb Hawaii as part of maintaining US global domination. Forty surface ships, 3 submarines, 14 national land forces, over 150 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel participated. RIMPAC involved the sinking of ships (and harm to marine life) by bombing and shelling in Hawaiian waters, onshore military beach assault landings, bombing, shelling, and troop training at Pohakuloa and other areas, as well as human trafficking with military troupes entering tourist areas. Canceling future RIMPAC War Games, and ending the US illegal occupation of Hawaii Now & Forever will be a Justice, Peace, and climate victory for all!

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

Aug. 2, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1192Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

GOOD NEWS! Repeal being drafted for the Military Exemption from Hawaii County’s Historic Nuclear-Free Law.

Sunday, July 14th, 2024
Some GOOD News!
 
On 7/12/24 Holeka Goro Inaba

Hawaiʻi County Council Member, District 8 (North Kona) requested his staff to draft a repeal of the military exemption to Hawaii County’s Historic Nuclear-Free Ordinance.

Phone(808) 323-4280 
 
West Hawaiʻi Civic Center – Building “A”
 

 

On 7/12/24 11:58 AM, Jim Albertini wrote:

Aloha Hawaii Council members,

This is a request that you seriously consider repealing the military exemption (Ordinance 84-39) passed in July 1984 from Hawaii County Historic Nuclear Free Law (Ordinance No. 665) passed in Feb. 1981.

July 18, 2024 marks the historic 40th anniversary of hundreds of people turning up on the Hilo docks to uphold Hawaii’s historic Nuclear-Free Law.

After 3 years of requesting the US Navy to respect our county’s Nuclear-Free law without success, (leave your nuclear shoes in Pearl Harbor) our organization announced a month in advance that we planned a non-violent peaceful swimming protest of the next Navy Nuclear ship visit. A Navy Nuclear ship visit was planned for the July Hawaii Japanese Chamber of Commerce Festival of the Pacific.

On July 17, 1984, the day before the nuclear warship’s scheduled arrival, the Hawaii County Council, under the leadership of Council chair, Stephen Yamashiro, passed an emergency amendment “exempting the military” from the Nuclear-Free law.  There are questions of whether the emergency amendment met legal requirements of proper notice and hearings according to the Sunshine law.  In any event, having an amendment to the Nuclear-Free Law to exempt the military is like having an exemption for smokers from No smoking laws.  It makes no sense.

On July 18, 1984, the day the Navy Nuclear ship arrived, a Federal security zone for the entire Hilo Bay was established by the US Coast Guard at the request of the Navy. Anyone putting their toe in the water with a protest sign was subject to a felony violation. July 18. 1984 Hilo Bay was like a war zone.  Coast Guard Cutters escorted the Navy Nuclear warship.  Military helicopters patrolled overhead.  Naval Seal teams in zodiacs were in the water. On the docks hundreds of people offered pule, sang peace songs, and held signs — Respect County Law!  Nuclear-Free Zone! No Nukes! Peace Now! etc.  Approximately 100 people were prepared to enter the water in protest to uphold Hawaii County’s Nuclear-Free Law.  I discouraged people from doing so.  I urged people not to do the right thing for the wrong reason.  The military was threatening felony charges for a swim for peace.  A felony was serious business.  Before taking such action, people needed to think the implications through and discuss matters with their families.  As a result 3 of us –close friends Warren Wineman, a former Naval Officer and Hilo business person, fellow farmer Jim Snyder and myself decided to swim for peace.  When the Navy nuclear ship entered past the breakwall and headed towards the docks, we jumped from the Hilo Harbor pier and entered the water with our hands up to signify STOP as we began swimming slowly toward the ship.  Within minutes, Naval Seals arrested us and the ship eventually docked to awaiting protests.

In summary, we were tried in Federal Court before a visiting Federal Judge who had been a Lt. Commander in the Navy.  Our County’s Nuclear Free law was declared irrelevant.  We were found guilty and sentenced.  Warren Wineman had a lien placed on his home and fined. Jim Snyder I believe was given 30 days in jail,. As the leader of the protest I was given the maximum sentence — 3 years in Federal Prison and was ordered to report to prison within 2 weeks, despite a pending appeal. My sentence also had a special provision that I couldn’t even become eligible for parole before I completed at least 1/3 of the sentence.  Fortunately, mainly due to international protest, including government officials from around the Pacific, I was released from prison on parole after a little more than 1 year. Still a long time for a swim for peace that harmed nor endangered anyone but ourselves.  In the 1970s and 80s, people and governments around the Pacific passed a Nuclear-Free Pacific treaty and protested nuclear warships, testing, etc. strongly.  No one to my knowledge was ever even sentenced to 3 days in jail for a peaceful protest let alone 3 years.  I had done public speaking in several Pacific countries and attended Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific Conferences which provided me a lot of support.

Jim

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Jim Albertini Malu 'Aina Center For Non-violent Education & Action P.O. Box 489 Ola'a (Kurtistown) Hawai'i 96760
Phone 808-966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org Visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org

Pohakuloa is a Training Ground for Nuclear War!

Tuesday, July 9th, 2024

Pohakuloa is a Training

Ground for Nuclear War!

     Our world needs more Aloha and Ho’oponopono, more diplomacy, negotiations, and training for peace, not training for Nuclear Armageddon and the end of civilization. According to the US Congressional Budget Office, the US is projected to spend an amount approaching 1 TRILLION DOLLARS over the next 10 years on nuclear weapons, while an increasing number of people (Hawaii included) can’t afford food, housing, and other basic human needs. https://www.cbo.gov/publication/59054

Depleted Uranium Nuclear Weapon spotting rounds have been fired at Pohakuloa. Deadly radiation alpha particles, and other deadly toxins, blow in the wind, dust, and smoke off Pohakuloa. B-52 and B-2 Strategic Nuclear bombers fly non-stop training missions from Louisiana, Missouri, and Guam to practice bombing at Pohakuloa. All branches of the US military conduct war training at Pohakuloa. This month 29 countries, including Israel, will be conducting war training in and around Hawaii, including bombing and shelling at Pohakuloa as part of RIMPAC 2024. What a waste of resources! Amid a growing climate crisis, Pohakuloa is located in the dry, windy high-risk fire center of Hawaii Island. It is a Lahaina firestorm in the making. The military acknowledges that since 1975, more than 890 wildfires have been started by military training at Pohakuloa. A fire started at Pohakuloa in August of 2022, one year before the Lahaina fire, burned more than 17,000 acres, including more than 12,000 acres off the base in endangered species habitat. Speak up Now! Cancel, don’t renew the State lease at Pohakuloa.  Add your voice to the message –

 

     A RIMPAC protest will be held on Saturday, July 20th from 10 AM till Noon on Hilo Bayfront near the King Kamehameha Statue. Canceling the RIMPAC War Games Now & Forever, and cleaning up Hawaii’s many military toxic sites will be a Peace victory for all! Demilitarize Hawaii and end the illegal US military occupation of Hawaii Now! Give Peace a Chance!

Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box 489 Ola’a (Kurtistown), Hawai’i 96760

Phone (808) 966-7622 Email ja@malu-aina.org to receive our posts.

For more information see https://www.malu-aina.org

July 12, 2024, Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet – week 1189– Fridays 3:30-5 PM downtown Post Office

Join the 5:30 PM Sign Holding –Cancel Rimpac, Pohakuloa Lease, Food Not Bombs, etc. outside the Wed. July 10th Mayoral forum in Hilo

Tuesday, July 9th, 2024
Join the 5:30 PM Sign Holding –Cancel Rimpac, Pohakuloa Lease, Food Not Bombs, Houses not bombs, etc. outside Wed. July 10th Hawaii Island Mayoral Candidate forum in Hilo, and please pass the word to ohana and friends
The forum will be held at Auntie Sally’s Luau Hale (799 Piilani Street) near the Edith Kanakaole Tennis Stadium in Hilo. It is sponsored by AARP Hawaii and will focus on issues that especially matter most to seniors and their families. The forum starts at 6PM
Stand Up! Join the sign-holding! Don’t let Hawaii Island Mayoral Candidates ignore important issues!