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Utah Peace and Social Justice Organizations Announce Joining International Coalition to Pr
by Deanna Taylor
Wednesday May 10, 2006 at 08:08 PM
deesings@xmission.com
Shundahai Network, People for Peace and Justice of Utah, Desert Greens - Green
Party of Utah,
PomPomsnotBombBombs, Blue Sky Institute Joint Press Release – May 10, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Utah Peace and Social Justice Organizations Announce
Joining International Coalition to Protest Divine Strake Detonation
This Mother’s Day we honor our Mother Earth, we grieve with the mothers who have
lost children to war, and we stand with mothers everywhere who want to protect
their children from the fear, the violence and the insidious health effects of
weapons testing.
Shundahai Network, People for Peace and Justice of Utah, The Desert Greens Green Party of Utah, PomPomsnotBombBombs, and the Blue Sky Institute have joined the
Stop Divine Strake Coalition, to pressure the Defense Threat Reduction Agency
and the Nuclear National Security Agency to cancel the Divine Strake detonation
currently still scheduled for June 2. (There are conflicting reports of a delay
until June 23)
While, as individual organizations we work toward diverse causes, we are united
in our opposition to this test. We will be joining the coalition on May 28 at
the Nevada Test Site to stand with dozens of other organizations to protest the
planned test, and to attempt to influence policy makers to cancel the test in
the face of massive public opposition. A copy of the original press release by
the Western Shoshone Defense Project and Shundahai Network protesting the test
may be found at:
http://www.shundahai.org/pr_4-4-06_wsdp_shun_divine_strake.
htm
Information concerning the May 28 protest, as well as exhaustive media
coverage of the planned detonation may be found at
http://www.shundahai.org/divine_strake.htm
According to Eileen McCabe-Olsen of Shundahai Network, “The very presence of the
Nevada Test Site is an affront to the Western Shoshone people. This land was
taken from them in violation of the Treaty of Ruby Valley of 1863. The United
Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has recently
ruled that the United States must “freeze,” “desist” and “stop” its
encroachment on Western Shoshone lands, and cease its military activities. The
announcement of this test was made barely a month later, in an obvious show of
defiance.”
Annette Rose, a member of People for Peace and Justice of Utah, who recently
published a piece in the St. George Spectrum noted “Divine Strake is a major
explosive event using a weapon of terrorists (just ask the victims of the
Oklahoma City Federal Building bombing). Why are they giving such a holy name
to such an unholy device? Any naturally occurring quartz or asbestos (like
materials at Yucca Mountain) in the pulverized soil can be considered
respiratory carcinogens. If this dirty test is not to pave the way for renewed
nuclear testing, then what is it for? I am convinced it is intended to get the
public used to seeing tests at the Nevada Test Site again, to prepare them for
renewed nuclear testing in the near future. If we want to promote
non-proliferation on this planet, this is not the way to do it. The hypocrisy
of our leadership is palpable.”
Deanna Taylor, Co-Coordinator of the Desert Greens Green Party of Utah and
candidate for Salt Lake County Council says “The Desert Greens stand in
solidarity with the Western Shoshone to protect the land that is inherently
theirs. The Divine Strake Test is a threat to the ecological health of our
planet and violates the sanctity of life.”
Michelle Badger, a Salt Lake City Radical Cheerleader, is concerned about the
escalation this test represents, and its effects on our already stretched
military. “ Having close friends and family members serving in the military,
during both the Vietnam and Iraq war, I have seen first hand the devastation
these weapons and both wars have caused. Our soldiers and their families are
emotionally exhausted with the time they have already served in Iraq. With the
testing of this particular weapon, the intent is clear for its use on Iran,
which is a war the soldiers I know, oppose and would not emotionally be ready
to fight. My uncle, who served during Vietnam, is now dealing with the
paralyzing complications from the “nerve gas” he encountered during his service
in the military. He has applied for his retirement benefits and the government
has denied him, leaving him without a dependable income. Anyone with a
conscience would not allow putting innocent citizens in harms way, which is
exactly what the testing of this weapon will do.”
“The need for innovative education is rendered painfully obvious by this
planned test”, states Tom King, Co-Founder of Blue Sky Institute. The people
of this Country need to be taught that at least three International Treaties
would be violated by the intent of this test. The NPT, the NTBT, and the Treaty
of Ruby Valley. When citizens know that this test would constitute a violation
of three International Treaties (which the Constitution of the US defines as
“the Highest law of the land”) they will demand that such flagrant violations
of International Treaties stop immediately.”
Representatives of these organizations will be available for press inquiries and
interviews at the weekly peace vigil at 5:00 on Thursday May 11 in front of the
Salt Lake City Federal Building.
For more information, please contact:
Eileen McCabe-Olsen
Associate Director, Shundahai Network www.shundahai.org
eileen_mccabe_olsen@yahoo.com
801-949-7905
Annette Rose
Member, People for Peace and Justice of Utah www.utahpeace.org
theroses@xmission.com
801-583-3930
Deanna Taylor
Co-Coordinator,Desert Greens Green Party of Utah
www.desertgreens.org
deesings@xmission.com
801-631-2998
Michelle Badger
PomPomsnotBombBombs – www.pompomsnotbombbombs.org
babiebadger@hotmail.com
801-755-5732
Tom King
Co-Founder, Blue Sky Institute www.blueskyinstitute.org
info@blueskyinstitute.org
801-502-8556
www.gput.org/events.shtml
oh, please
by -
Friday May 26, 2006 at 11:15 AM
There is no "massive public opposition" to this test. YOU may not like it, but the rest of us are quite happy to see a non-nuclear weapon that can be used against fortified positions, such as underground nuclear research facilities. The alternative is tactical nukes, which no ones want to see used. Yes, yes, we all know "war is icky", but sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Are you listening, Mahmoud?
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