Stop Training for War!

Stryker tanks, bombers, fighter-jets, drones, artillery, rockets, troops and more troops, what is next?   Now the Army plans to fly helicopters out of Pohakuloa Training Area to six landing zones in State conservation land on the upper slopes (above 11,000 feet) of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa to train for war in Afghanistan.  The flights are planned to begin Oct. 11, 2011 for one month.  After that, more may be planned. The Hawaii State Board of Land & Natural Resources recently approved the military taking of public lands for this purpose despite widespread citizen testimony in opposition. No hearings were held on Hawaii Island and no Hawaii Island public officials spoke out in opposition.  Below is a condensed version of Jim Albertini’s testimony for Malu ‘Aina.

“Our organization does not want the U.S. training anywhere to do to others what the U.S. has already done to Hawaii: overthrow and occupy its government and nation, desecrate its sacred sites, and contaminate its air, land, water, people, plants, and animals with a wide range of military toxins.  We want the U.S. to stop bombing Hawaii and training to bomb and kill others.  It’s time for the military to clean up its opala (rubbish) and quit Hawaii.

Actions needed:
1. Depleted Uranium (DU) radiation contamination exists on State leased land at the Pohakuloa Training Area.  The lease doesn’t allow for that.  Cancel that lease but first make the military fund comprehensive independent testing and monitoring (with citizen oversight) to determine the full extent of the contamination.  And make them clean up their mess, not a 3rd rate job like Kaho’olawe, but first rate to habitable standards.
2.  The Hawaii County Council on July 2, 2008 passed resolution 639-08 by a vote of 8-1.  That resolution called for 8 action points but #1 was stopping “all live firing exercises and other activities at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) that creates dust until there is an assessment and clean up of the depleted uranium already present.” The military has ignored the Council’s call for action.  All 8 points!.
3.  Today, the military is firing upwards of 14 million live-rounds annually at PTA, which is a radioactive contaminated base  They are creating a multi-billion dollar mess on State leased lands .  Do the right thing.  Do not allow 1 further square inch of Hawaiian lands for military purposes.

The U.S. and Hawaii’s economies have become addicted to war. The truth is we have become military/industrial drunks….  One more for the road.  One more for jobs.  One more for training in the war for empire disguised as a war against terrorism…  One more military drink on the road to global military and economic destruction is not the answer.   The first step in the 12 step program of recovery for an alcoholic is to admit to addiction and then seek help from Ke Akua and others to restore what is pono.  The same applies to military/industrial drunks.  It’s time to Honor and Protect Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa.  It’s time to train for peace not war if we are going to survive as a species.”

Train For Peace: Honor Mauna Kea & Mauna Loa!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc.
5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.

Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Sept. 30, 2011 – 523rd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Aloha Peace Ohana,
Reminder: There will be a peace organizing meeting on Monday, Sept. 26th from 7-9PM at the Kea’au Community Center located behind the Kea’au Police Station and Family Health Clinic.
We usually meet on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of the Month. Please pass the word. Come and bring a friend. Among items for the agenda:
1. Discussion on Israel/Palestine
2. Update on Fukushima radiation
3. Update on Pohakuloa radiation
4. Ongoing Friday peace vigils and the widening wars
5. Federal budget cuts effects on the poor, the economy, and elections
6. Wall St. occupation and possible solidarity actions.
7. Plans for Washington “Stop the Machine” Oct. 6th protests
8 other issues

With gratitude and solidarity,
Jim

Obama’s Betrayal!

“When the truth is replaced by silence,
the silence is a lie.”

Yevgeny Yevtushenco, Russian poet

—  Obama, once elected, failed to stop the illegal Bush wars and instead    
      expanded the wars to other countries, and expanded the use of drones
     and assassination squads abroad, and the reach of the Patriot Act at   
     home;

—  Obama failed to prosecute any Bush Administration people for war crimes –
     waging a war of aggression under false pretense –Iraq weapons of mass   
     destruction that didn’t exist; torture, killing of  civilians, use of DU weapons,
     etc.;

—  Obama failed to close Guantanamo Bay torture prison;

—  Obama failed to prosecute any people on Wall St. responsible for the
     financial crisis caused by widespread banking fraud.  In fact, his
     administration provided further bailouts, and is heavily weighted with
     Wall St. Bankers who have blocked any meaningful regulation to prevent
     further banking crimes;

—  Obama caved on rescinding the Bush tax cuts for the rich, ending
     corporate dominance, and providing medicare for all;

—  Obama caved on clean air, overriding protections proposed by his own
     Environmental  Protection Agency (EPA);

—  Obama caved to the Israeli lobby by failing to support Palestinian
     statehood at the UN.

Change you can’t believe in!
Change that remains the same!

Real change will not come from the top down but from the bottom up in a real non-violent peoples’ movement for justice, peace and the earth!

1. Mourn all victims of violence. 2. Reject war as a solution. 3. Defend civil liberties. 4. Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, etc. 5. Seek peace through justice in Hawai`i and around the world.
Contact: Malu `Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action

P.O. Box AB Kurtistown, Hawai`i 96760.
Phone (808) 966-7622.  Email ja@interpac.net   http://www.malu-aina.org
Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet (Sept. 23, 2011 – 522nd week) – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Aloha Kakou,

On June 14, 2011, Governor Neil Abercrombie signed a proclamation suspending a host of state statutes protecting the environment, historic sites,  public access to recreation areas, and environmental policies. Basically, the governor declared a state of emergency and suspended a broad set of laws so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can look for and blow up old munitions at will.
This was done in secret with no public hearings, comments, etc.   Peter Sur of the Hawaii Tribune-Herald did a front page article in the Sunday 9/18 Trib. He included comments from Debbie Ward of Sierra Club and myself for Malu ‘Aina in the article.  See the article below

1. Questions raised over ordnance emergency

   2011-09-18 01:07

   … the importance of the ongoing effort to clean up unexploded ordnance. But some question whether Gov. Neil Abercrombie went too far earlier this year when he declared an emergency and suspended state environmental laws to make removal of ordnance … 

     2. See the Governor’s proclamation below:

http://hawaii.gov/gov/newsroom/executive-orders/GovsProclamation061511.pdf  

Please call Governor Abercrombie’s office at 808-586-0034  or e-mail him at gov.contact@hawaii.gov and tell the Governor to rescind this dangerous precedent against Hawaiian democratic institutions .

Mahalo!!

—

Jim Albertini

Please send testimony.  Address and Sample below.  Mahalo.

Testimony Against proposed Dept. of Health (DOH) ban on open flame heating of water for bathing
Testimony emailed to CAB@doh.hawaii.gov        Deadline for testimony is Sept. 22, 2011

Aloha DOH officials:

I write from the rainforest of the rural Puna district of the Big island, which is a long way from the urban life style of Honolulu.
The Puna District is larger than the island of Oahu with an approximate population of 40,000, not counting dogs, cats, chickens and wild pigs.  Thousands here live on 3, 5, 20 acre and more agricultural lots off the electric grid and on water catchment.  Some areas, including where I live get over 200 inches of rain annually.
Even with gravity fed solar hot water heaters, many days there is no hot water for bathing due to the high rainfall.  A commonly used back up system involves burning 6-8 pages of yesterdays newspaper to take a very short few minute hot shower.

I take offense that you in urban sunny Honolulu, whose high consumption electricity is produced from burning polluting oil, want to impose $2,000 fines on rural people who live simply off the electric grid in the rainforest when they occasionally burn six pages of newspaper to take a hot shower.  Something is very offensive and arrogant about that.  I ask that you reconsider and NOT ban open burning to heat water in agricultural districts.

Remember, that those of us from wet rural areas who put food on your plates in sunny urban areas should be able to take a hot shower too.
Mahalo for your consideration. —

Jim Albertini, 30 plus year farmer