September 01, 2006 11:47 am
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Know what your Department of Defense is up to
It appears the Department of Defense is proposing to use a limestone quarry in Southern Indiana to test the effectiveness of nuclear detonations on underground facilities and bunkers such as those they expect to find housing Iran’s nuclear development facilities. The explosion, oddly called the “Divine Strake” using a whopping 1,400,000 pounds — yes, you read that right, almost a million and a half pounds, that’s 700 tons of explosives, will not make use of any nuclear material, thus enabling the test to circumvent existing test ban treaties.
The test was originally intended to be conducted at the Nevada test site until local opposition scuttled the project over concerns of health risks to the local population from toxic materials released by the explosion and dispersed by a predicted 10,000 foot mushroom cloud. So the site has now been moved to the Bedford-Mitchell area.
Furthermore the DoD intends to burn over 300 buildings at the Indiana Army Ammunition Depot north of Jeffersonville, because burning is the least expensive option for demolition. The DoD apparently is unconcerned about the high levels of lead and PCB contamination found in those buildings.
I can’t tell you how incensed I am over this story. Why is the Department of Defense so unconcerned that it can put at grave risk the lives of the very citizens it’s supposed to be “protecting?”
Surely I would expect your readers to be concerned about the negative health risks this poses to them. I urge your readers to write to Rep. Mike Sodrel, Honorable Evan Bayh, and Honorable Richard Lugar on this issue. I don’t want to be breathing lead and mustard gas, do you?
This information and more, can be accessed at: www.nukestrat.com/us/stratcom/gs-divinestrake.htm or www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/ops/divine-strake.htm
— Elaine Kitchel, New Albany
Reader questions faith column
I do agree with Rev. Chuck Evaline in his Aug. 19 article, “Exposing the spirit of anti-Christ” in that we should study the Bible so as “not to be deceived by — false prophets.” This is especially important since there is no agreement as to how the Bible should or should not affect our lives.
For example, there are at least two problems with his article. For one, he refers to “the fall of Adam into sin” which most (all?) Biblical scholars today tell us that the Genesis creation stories are myths. Therefore, the New Testament teaching of original sin is based on myths. Secondly, Rev. Evaline states, “In II Timothy 4:3 Paul tells us” and, again, most (all?) Biblical scholars do not believe Paul wrote II Timothy.
(Reference: “Living in Sin?” by retired Bishop John Shelby Spong, page 107.)
— Larry E. Farr, Jeffersonville
Evening News reader responds to ‘picky’ eater
I’m in shock. Just think of the millions of hungry children and adults who have no choice of a brand of food — if and when they get any. Then read the Mailbag letter of Aug. 13 from the woman who complains that she can’t get a particular brand of cottage cheese or that a clerk couldn’t help with her battery choice. Oh, come on, Miss Picky, offer it up for our troops who are eating rations and thank God that you have any food, let alone a choice. Now I feel better.
— Marjorie Cox, Charlestown
Thanks for fixing Rainbow Drive
Kudos to city officials who expedited a request for stop signs on Rainbow Drive — aka the “cut-through” from Klerner Lane to Charlestown Road.
Many of the neighbors I have spoken with were pleasantly surprised at the speed of the response and the result of getting them put up before fall classes officially begin at IU Southeast. Once classes begin, the traffic drastically increases as well as the speed and the indifference to the speed limit, although the speed limit is rarely a concern for many anyway.
Nevertheless, thanks again to city officials for their prompt attention to this matter. I know it won’t totally control the speed demons who habitually abuse this narrow stretch of road, but it will, I hope, force them to show a little more respect for the law and the residents in this area who have to witness their reckless driving on a daily basis.
Until I find something else to complain about, happy trails.
— Alex Mason, New Albany
Tribune visitor shares thanks
Thank you so much, to Lois at The Tribune and to Karen Foster for giving back a little bit of what we lost in Hurricane Katrina.
On Aug. 24 last year my husband, Steve, finished his Air Force enlistment. On Aug. 26 we closed on our new home in Biloxi, Miss. On Aug. 29, Hurricane Katrina rolled onto the shores of the Gulf Coast.
Our home unlike so many, weathered the storm fairly well. Our belongings, however, had not yet been moved into the house and took on, we're told, some 30 feet of water at the point of the peninsula where the movers warehouse was located.
The devastation was unimaginable. Photos, and television reports cannot capture the vastness of the destruction or the depth of the suffering.
We learned that our true treasures were our children and each other and those were safe but it was difficult, to lose our pictures and home videos.
I spent 10 months trying to find our wedding photographer, hoping to replace one small piece of our loss but I could only remember the studio name, which had closed, and not the owner's name.
Last month out of desperation I stopped by The Tribune while in town visiting family and asked for help. Within a few days Lois from The Tribune had located my photographer. We are now able to replace our lost wedding album.
Thank you from the very bottom of my heart, for giving me back the pictures of the happiest day in my life.
— Robin McCarty, Troy, Ill.
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