The Big Lie!
General Wiercinski’s Big Lie!
Lt. General Francis J. Wiercinski, Commanding General U.S. Army Pacific, was quoted in an Associated Press news story on June 19, 2011 as saying:
“… I don’t think anybody does it better than us when it comes to protecting the environment and being cognizant and protective of cultural sites.”
Adolf Hitler coined the phrase “The Big Lie” in 1925 for a lie so “colossal” that no one would believe that someone “could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” Sixteen years later, on Jan. 12, 1941 Hitler’s propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, wrote: “When one lies, one should lie big, and stick to it … even at the risk of looking ridiculous.”
Someone needs to tell General Wiercinski that he looks ridiculous. A few examples:
1. In Hawaii, the Army secretively tested chemical and biological weapons, including deadly Sarin nerve gas) in Hilo’s watershed, and other sites in Hawaii. The Army did this on State land in the Waiakea Forest Reserve, with a lease to do “weather” testing. The Army Lied.
2. The Army secretly used Depleted Uranium (DU) weapons in Hawaii and contaminated the land with radiation. For years the Army denied using such weapons in Hawaii. How much DU was used, and the extent of radiation contamination in Hawaii, is still in question. The Army has been stonewalling community concerns on DU.
3. More than 14 million live-rounds are fired annually at the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) according to an Army EIS report of several years ago. The live rounds include everything from small arms fire, to cannons, fighter jets, bombers, etc. And recent news reports talk of doubling the training at PTA. How many live rounds fired annually are planned for PTA? Where is the bonding of funds for clean-up when the base is shut down? And General, please explain how bombing the land and waging wars for oil is protecting the environment.
General Wiercinski, if you want to be taken seriously, our organization challenges you to support and fund comprehensive, independent testing and monitoring with citizen oversight lead by Dr. Lorrin Pang, MD (retired Army Medical Corps) to determine the full extent of radiation contamination at PTA, Makua Valley, and Schofield Barracks.
Finally, our organization does not appreciate your attempt to pit one island’s opposition against another. We are opposed to pushing U.S. desecration and contamination from one site to another in Hawaii or anywhere. We want an end to U.S. occupation in Hawaii and the restoration of the Hawaii nation. We want the U.S. to stop bombing Hawaii and clean up its opala. We want to put an end to U.S. desecration and contamination of all sacred cultural sites. We do 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 military toxins.
The truth is the U.S. military, (Army included) is the world’s largest polluter and destroyer (not protector) of the environment and culture the world has ever seen.
—
Jim Albertini
Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action
