Archive for June, 2017

Attack at June 30, 2017 Hilo peace vigil

Friday, June 30th, 2017

Attack at June 30, 2017 Hilo peace vigil

For the record.  At approximately 3:30PM June 30, 2017 a late model 4 door Honda, dark grey or black was parked at the curb near the Hilo Post office with a male driver (white, long haired and beard.  Looked similar to Dog the bounty Hunter.)  As I walked on the side walk back to my corner leafleting post from using the Post office rest room the man held up his middle finger inside his closed window.  I didn’t react at all just kept walking.  A little while later the car pulls up to the traffic light.  I noticed the same man driving and holding his middle finger up again inside his closed window.  I saw a woman in the passenger seat.  The car was first in line at the traffic red light with me on the corner sidewalk.  Then the man’s power window came down. and he said in a strong southern accent.  “Since you hate America so much why don’t you just leave the country?”  And then he opens his car door and I immediately moved north back down the sidewalk toward the post office.  The man proceeds to yell (unintelligible) and then kicks down our plywood sign that says “Stop the Bombing.”  He then gets back in his car and drives off.  I didn’t get the license #. Malie Sellers and I were the only two there at the vigil at the time. Others had not yet arrived.  Malie was down under the shade tree sitting in a chair quite a distance away and did not see what happened.

The times they are a changing and for the worst.  I urge all who can to come join the weekly Hilo peace vigil 3:30 -5PM on Fridays at the downtown Hilo Post office with set up at 3PM.  There is more safety for all in numbers.
Mahalo.

— 

Jim Albertini

 

The Wind Speaks

Friday, June 30th, 2017

 

Hawaii Tribune-Herald Reporter Tom Callis and Hawaii County Mayor Harry Kim

Aloha Tom and Harry,

The Hawaii Tribune-Herald news story June 29, 2017 on the military Pohakuloa Training Area  PTA) said: “More than a dozen Protesters were outside PTA’s gates at the start of the ceremony.” Indeed, more like 40 plus and we had a message but not even one line of the article mentioned our message.  But thanks for including the story of strong winds blowing flags standing behind the podium on top of Harry during his speech.. I’m glad Harry wasn’t hurt.  The strong winds blowing reminds me of the ground breaking ceremony in 2007 for the Saddle Rd. Realignment. The ceremony was held on the new portion of the Saddle Rd. just Hilo side of Mauna Kea park.  A large group of us were protesting the realignment because it pushed the road on the Mauna Kea side of PTA, through the Palila habitat and Mamane forest and opened up more area for PTA live-fire, etc.  The day of the ceremony was May 29, 2007.  Police unduly restricted our protest to Mauna Kea Park so we were kept at least 100 yards from the ceremony.  The winds that day were also strong  and coming from the south (PTA impact area toward the Park.)  At one point dust devils appeared coming right at us and the ceremony. The winds became so strong, it picked up some of our large 4’X4′ heavy duty plastic signs and hurled them at the ceremony tent area.  Police went running after the signs to retrieve them. Dignitaries –U.S. SenatorDan Inouye, Federal, State and county officials and business leaders were in the ceremonial tent.  Probably Harry too was there since he was Mayor back then.  Our radiation monitors that day registered 70-80 Counts per minute (CPM) when the normal background readings were 15- 20 CPM.  We knew something was coming off PTA in those dust devils. Three months later in Aug. 2007 the military officially confirmed DU had been used at PTA back in the 60s, including at  range 11 not far from Mauna Kea Park.  Up until that point the military had repeatedly denied DU had ever been used at PTA or anywhere else in Hawaii.

Moral of the story: Beware of the Makani (wind) — as Bob Dylan said — “the answer is blowing in the wind.” The wind speaks. And sometimes we refuse to listen, even when signs are blown right into our tent and blown flags hit us on the head.

Aloha ‘Aina.  Stop the Bombing.  Stop Training to Invade.  Wage Peace, not War!  Cancel the PTA Lease. Shut Down PTA.  Live aloha! The DU is in the DUst!

— 
Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489
Kurtistown, Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622
email ja@malu-aina.org
visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org
sign up on our website to automatically receive our posts

U.S. Propaganda for Endless War!

Thursday, June 29th, 2017

Russia! Russia! Russia!

     In George Orwell’s famous book —1984, the purpose of the Ministry of Truth is to wage Propaganda; The Ministry of Peace wages War; The Ministry of Love Tortures Political Prisoners; and the Ministry of Plenty Rations Food, Health care, etc. and gets people on the bottom fighting against each other while ignoring the increasing concentration of wealth at the top. Each ministry does the opposite of what it says.

     Beware of a “False Flag” event designed to trigger a major escalation in war fighting against Syria, Iran, and/or Russia. Don’t buy into it.

     A “false flag” describes covert operations that are designed to deceive in such a way that activities appear as though they are being carried out by entities, groups, or nations other than those who actually planned and executed them. Past examples include: the false claim of a North Vietnam attack on a U.S. warship in Tonkin Gulf to trigger U.S. bombing; Iraq Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) that didn’t exist to trigger U.S. bombing; the false accusation that the Syrian Government used Sarin nerve gas to trigger U.S. bombing.

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/47337.htm

https://www.welt.de/politik/ausland/article165905578/Trump-s-Red-Line.html

Question More! And Resist!

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

Contact: Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760 Phone (808) 966-7622. Email: ja@malu-aina.org

Sign up on our website to receive our posts  http://www.malu-aina.org/

Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet June 30, 2017– 823rd week – Friday 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office

Military Unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Hawaii

Tuesday, June 27th, 2017

Mayor Kim Requests U.S. Army Change UXO Clearance Schedule

 

Protest at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) main gate 9:30AM Wednesday, June 28, 2017

Sunday, June 25th, 2017

Protest at Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) main gate Wednesday, June 28, 2017

PTA is having a ground breaking ceremony for modernizing ranges and infrastructure beginning at 10AM on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. (See below)  They are doing their modernization/expansion piecemeal to avoid a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on their overall expansion plans.  We are planning a protest at the PTA main gate beginning 9:30AM  till 11AM.  Carpools leaving the Hilo side Komohana/Saddle Rd. intersection at 8:45AM on Wednesday morning.  Please join and help pass the word.  Mahalo.

We call for stopping all live fire at PTA, comprehensive testing and monitoring for Depleted Uranium (DU) Radiation contamination, clean up of the DU, no renewal of the PTA lease by the State of Hawaii which expires in 2029, and a military exist plan and overall clean up and restoration of this sacred area –“The Land of the Night of Long Prayer.” and a return of this crown and government lands to the Hawaiian people.

Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
P.O. Box 489
Kurtistown, Hawaii 96760
Phone 808-966-7622
email ja@malu-aina.org
visit us on the web at www.malu-aina.org
sign up on our website to automatically receive our posts

 

Below is a military release  to invited guests.  We, of course, are NOT on the list.  Someone sent this to me to let me know what’s happening.
Jim

On behalf of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Marquez, Commander USAG-Pohakuloa, you’re cordially invited to Pohakuloa Training Area Installation Improvement Ground Breaking:

Date: 28 June 2017, Wednesday

Time: 10:00 a.m.

Location: Pohakuloa Training Area on the island of Hawaii

Narrative along with historic pictures:

Pohakuloa Training Area is under-going a series of phased construction projects to modernize ranges and improve Cantonment infrastructure.  Characterized as an austere training environment for military personnel, and a remote duty station for civilian staff, Pohakuloa Training Area represents the largest single live-fire range facility in the Pacific region.  Originally constructed with the intent that facilities were temporary, Pohakuloa has remained an important training asset for all DoD services for the past 70 years.  Temporary facilities have out-lasted their cost-effective life-spans for maintenance and upkeep.  Today, out-dated and worn systems cannot fully support the requirements of military leaders to ensure combat readiness, nor provide adequate facilities for civilian support personnel.  The Pohakuloa “Facilities Improvement Plan” focuses first on Cantonment basic services of water, power, wastewater, and communications.  As utility systems are upgraded, new structures will replace antiquated Quonset huts, including barracks, dining facilities, laundries, and professional office space for civilian staff.  Down-range initiatives will proceed in parallel with Cantonment upgrades.  The recently completed Infantry Platoon Battle Course is the first of several modern range initiatives that will maximize training effectiveness within the existing boundaries of Pohakuloa.  With a civilian workforce of ~200, and military throughput of ~12,000 annually, the “Facilities Improvement Plan” is necessary to enhance Pohakuloa operational capabilities and administrative services, to maintain the readiness of United States armed forces.

The contact info for questions is:  

USAG-HI Protocol @ 808-656-0615