02-03-2009, 07:42 AM
Depleted uranium has about the same stationary health risk as a 2' X 8' granite countertop.
The reason depleted uranium makes news is because:
1. Uranium! That word conjures up all sorts of concerns. Had they called it Dense Spent Fuel Metals, nobody would say boo until the word uranium or radioactive was inserted. What reaction would people have if granite countertops were called Uranium Laden Solid Stone Surface?
2. The Military! The military has lied about it. The military continues to lie about it. The military has no idea what and how many so they make stuff up, get caught, and look bad. No single factor has contributed to the negative reaction of DU like the military's failure to tell the truth.
3. The Cause! Anything with the military, uranium, weapons, radiation, etc is automatically going to become a cause to fight. It does not matter the reality, it's just a cause - it makes good public relations (and fund raising) to jump on the bandwagon.
4. God Bless America! Yes folks, we have made DU into a weapon of terrorist. On one hand the US is saying DU is not a health or safety factor and that’s why it’s used in everything from military, medical, transportation, and even consumer products, but so long as it’s us Americans using DU it’s perfectly safe. Put it into the hands of a country that is not friendly to the US and suddenly that same DU turns into a weapon to be feared. We can’t even get our stories straight.
The people of Hawaii have every right to know how much DU is on the island and the military has a responsibility to find out. Not because it presents any real danger but because if military wants to claim danger in other peoples hands, they have to claim that same danger in their hands.
The reason depleted uranium makes news is because:
1. Uranium! That word conjures up all sorts of concerns. Had they called it Dense Spent Fuel Metals, nobody would say boo until the word uranium or radioactive was inserted. What reaction would people have if granite countertops were called Uranium Laden Solid Stone Surface?
2. The Military! The military has lied about it. The military continues to lie about it. The military has no idea what and how many so they make stuff up, get caught, and look bad. No single factor has contributed to the negative reaction of DU like the military's failure to tell the truth.
3. The Cause! Anything with the military, uranium, weapons, radiation, etc is automatically going to become a cause to fight. It does not matter the reality, it's just a cause - it makes good public relations (and fund raising) to jump on the bandwagon.
4. God Bless America! Yes folks, we have made DU into a weapon of terrorist. On one hand the US is saying DU is not a health or safety factor and that’s why it’s used in everything from military, medical, transportation, and even consumer products, but so long as it’s us Americans using DU it’s perfectly safe. Put it into the hands of a country that is not friendly to the US and suddenly that same DU turns into a weapon to be feared. We can’t even get our stories straight.
The people of Hawaii have every right to know how much DU is on the island and the military has a responsibility to find out. Not because it presents any real danger but because if military wants to claim danger in other peoples hands, they have to claim that same danger in their hands.