April 21 Press Release about Protest of Pohakuloa Earth Day Hypocrisy April 20, 2018
Saturday, April 21st, 2018April 21, 2018 Press Release about Protest of the military Pohakuloa “Earth Day Hypocrisy” Friday, April 20, 2018 from 8:30-10:30AM
further contact: Jim Albertini 966-7622 ja@malu-aina.org
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
“More than 30 people from east and west Hawaii island picketed the Pohakuloa “Earth Day Hypocrisy” event from 8:30- 10:30 AM outside the front gate of the 133,000-acre military Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA), said Jim Albertini of Malu ‘Aina. Albertini said, “the number of school children attending this year’s event was much lower than last year, perhaps only 1/3 as many as last year. Malu Aina had sent out a notice to all schools on the island warning of the hazards of inhaling Depleted Uranium (DU) oxide dust particles and other military toxins present at PTA.” Even Hawaii County Police who stopped by the protest expressed concern for the health of Hawaii’s children attending the “Earth Day” event on the base.”
At 9:18AM on Friday, April 20, 2018 our certified calibrated radiation monitor hit 68 Counts per minute (CPM) outside the main gate of PTA.
Update for clarification. The spike of 68 CPM at the main gate area of PTA was more than twice background levels.
See the Malu ‘Aina notice below which was sent out to schools and a leaflet handed out at the Friday Pohakuloa Earth Day event and later that day in Hilo at the Malu ‘Aina weekly peace vigil at the downtown Post office 3:30-5PM
Here is an excellent 4 minute video of the Pohakuloa protest posted by Ruth Aloua of Malu ‘Aina.
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For School Officials & Teachers – Please print and post in the teacher meeting room.Please forward this message to your Parent-Teacher Association PTA, so that this important information is circulated prior to organizing ANY STUDENT EARTH DAY EXCURSIONS TO POHAKULOA TRAINING AREA
P U B L I C S E R V I C E A N N O U N C E M E N T
Parents of young children and pregnant women are warned of the dangers of DU (Depleted Uranium) and other military toxins at the Pohakuloa Training Area!
Please view the short video of Dr. Lorrin Pang, M.D., public health officer and retired Army Medical Corps explaining the health dangers of inhaling DU oxide dust particles (See https://vimeo.com/19153948). As Dr. Pang explains, especially vulnerable are young children and pregnant women.
Allowing children in your care to attend programs at Pohakuloa, especially during live fire training, unnecessarily puts them at risk. Mahalo.
For more information, contact Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action, P.O. Box 489, Kurtistown, HI 96760. Tel. (808) 966-7622.
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Below is a copy of a leaflet that will be offered to people before they enter PTA on April 20 along with a copy of the Public Service Announcement
POHAKULOA CELEBRATES
“EARTH DAY HYPOCRISY”
On April 20, 2018 the military is inviting school children and the public to Pohakuloa for “Earth Day” activities.
Can you imagine greater hypocrisy?
Pohakuloa DU Threat
The 133,000-acre Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) is contaminated with Depleted Uranium (DU), lead, and other military toxins from more than 70 years of military live-fire training. More than 14 million live-rounds are fired annually at PTA from a wide variety of weapon systems by all branches of the military. Even global strike B-52, B-1 and B-2 strategic bombers fly non stop from Louisiana, Missouri, and Guam to bomb Pohakuloa as practice for nuclear war.
The inhalation of Depleted Uranium (DU) oxide dust particles are “the most deadly form of radiation.” This is according to Hawaii resident, Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD, listed in the who’s who best doctors, and retired from the Army Medical Corp. If anyone inhails DU oxide particles those particles can remain in your body for decades causing a wide range of problems including cancer, and genetic damage to future generations.
Let’s be clear. DU metal on the ground at Pohakuloa does not pose a serious health threat. But if that metal has been hit with high explosives it burns and turns the metal into DU oxide dust particles which can be carried long distances in the wind.
DU was first used by the military at Pohakuloa in the early 1960s fired into the 57,000-acre impact area. That impact area has been subjected to decades of high explosives firing ever since.
Are We Inhaling DU Oxide Dust?
Malama Honua –Protect the Earth
Stop the Bombing!
- 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
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April 20, 2018 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet — 865th week – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
