Stryker Vehicle: Hawaii Residents Say No Stryker Brigade in Hawaii

When the U.S. military asked Hawaii residents' for input about EIS and Stryker Brigade build-up in Hawaii, we told you "NO"--we do not want Strykers on the Hawaiian Islands... We need the worlds help to protect Hawaii. Please send your comments to the U.S. Army  PublicComments@aec.apgea.army.mil. Before October 30, 2007...

May I ask you what it is about the word NO that you do not understand?

When the military asked for Hawaii residents’ input about Strykers years ago, we told you "NO"--we do not want Strykers on the Hawaiian Islands. Now, as if we did not tell you clearly, you ask us again for our input. Last night (September 25, 2007) in Hilo, I understand that numerous, passionate people, some of who are Hawaiians begging you to not destroy their temples or desecrate their sacred aina, have eloquently implored you to stop using Strykers-here or anywhere.

What did you hear when these Big Island people spoke? The newspaper reported that you understand that you need to "wash” the Strykers carefully when importing them from island to island on your "non-identified military carrier"-the Superferry. You really don't seem to understand that if you listen to what we are saying, there would be no need to wash your Strykers because we see no need for Strykers at all.

As the military gears up to spend enormous amounts of pork-barrel tax payer's dollars on more unwanted Strykers and more trained soldiers to operate these unwanted Strykers to prepare for an ill-conceived, unwarranted, unjust and illegal battle, have you ever stopped to think that this kind of combat is jeopardizing our safety?

Gearing up for war, in whatever country our military/industrial complex deems "the enemy of choice” so they can personally continue to line their overstuffed pockets with dollars, despite the cost of human lives, is simply hazardous to our personal health and national security. Reports of military studies show that after “fighting terrorism" in the way our "Commander and Chief" has insisted upon doing since 9/11, Americans are now less safe in the world.

Attacking has done nothing but ruin our reputation in the world and created more enemies! Can you imagine what just a small percentage of those trillions of dollars wasted on this obscene war could have done to promote peace and understanding in the world?

Is it not time, as individuals with brains, for all American citizens to stand up and question our out-of-control, war-bent, alcoholic president? Hawai’i hero, Lt. Ehren Watada, was right when he said he could "not follow illegal orders". Every serviceman is required to follow legal orders, protecting us from enemies within and without, and to use common sense to distinguish whether or not an order is right or wrong.

We know now, beyond a shadow of a doubt, President Bush lied to all of us regarding our need to go to war against Iraq. Does this fact not bother you and lead you to question the poor judgment of your commander, as well as his sanity and the continued direction of the illegal, un-winnable war he is promoting.

Does it not give you pause to think that Bush is now talking seriously of escalating the war, attacking more innocent people (90% of whom are civilians without weapons) in yet another country which also has done nothing to deserve to be indiscriminately destroyed by the hundreds of thousands? I see this as criminal terrorism at its very worst.
Strykers and those who brainwashed individuals who operate Strykers are simply little pawns in this horrific game of war our President is playing with your lives.

Using Weapons of Mass Destruction is definitely wrong. Strykers use Depleted Uranium, known as DU-a weapon of mass destruction (defined as a weapon that "kills indiscriminately"). Do you not realize that you are jeopardizing your health, the health of your unborn children as well our health and the health of the planet when you play "war games" with WMD?

Have you no awareness of the Gulf War Syndrome plaguing your colleagues? Using WMD is against international laws created to protect all of us. Even the United States created laws protecting soldiers from depleted uranium. These laws have been grievously ignored-much to the detriment of soldiers who were instructed to use these weapons-and did so without question.

Every serviceman in the United States military needs to question what is happening with this war that is not supported by 85% of Americans. Just like the Viet Nam war that Secretary of Defense McNamara in recent years admitted was a big mistake, the war with Iraq is wrong and must be stopped--in the same way the war in Viet Nam was stopped-by our soldiers in Iraq, and here in this room tonight, using their conscience to determine that the war is wrong --and individually and collectively deciding to refuse to continue fighting.

Aborting the action before us now, the escalation of Strykers in Hawai’i, is one of the ways that we can work together as concerned citizens and aware soldiers, to say NO to this insane and unjust war. Instead, we need to give birth to a new era, where all aggression is dissolved.

Please use your energy to clean-up the DU mess that you finally admitted to having created at Pohakuloa. Do not bring Strykers to our beautiful island, stirring up the DU that is already contaminating our sacred aina, allowing the wind to move it to where we live, downwind.

I implore you to wake up and be men and women of conscience, doing the right thing: eliminate Strikers not only from Hawai’i-but from this planet that must become peaceful because war is not a sane alternative that we can tolerate any longer.

I pray that you will search your hearts and souls, using your brains, your integrity, and common sense, knowing that, in order to defend America from terrorism, creating understanding and harmony in our world is the only reasonable action to take.

As Kyle Kajihiro, of American Friends Service said, "Live fire in the Aloha State is inappropriate."

Hawai’i, the Aloha State, is the perfect place for this revolution of peace to begin. For your sake as well as ours, PLEASE HEAR US LOUD AND CLEAR when we say NO to Strykers in our paradise.

Please help us protect Hawaii by sending your comments to the U.S. Army
 PublicComments@aec.apgea.army.mil. And forward the comments to  tenfingers10toes@protecthawaii.ws

For more information on the military contamination of the Hawaiian Islands see www.protecthawaii.ws and www.dmzhawaii.org

Ann “Kenonilani” Moore
Honaunau-Kona, Hawai’i
www.dragonflyranch.com

e-mail:: tenfingers10toes(at)protecthawaii.ws homepage:: http://www.protecthawaii.ws

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