Hawaii: Training Ground for My Lai Massacre and Catastrophic Nuclear War
TRANSCEND MEMBERS, 19 Mar 2018
James Albertini | Malu 'Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action – TRANSCEND Media Service
Never Again!
Vietnam My Lai Massacre – 50th Anniversary
The My Lai Massacre was the deliberate murder by U.S. troops of 504 innocent civilians, including women, children and grandparents in the Vietnam village of My Lai on March 16, 1968.
More would have died but for the heroic intervention of a US helicopter crew led by Hugh Thompson. The Pentagon tried to hide the massacre story until exposed more than a year later by Ron Ridenhour and Seymour Hersh. Only Lt. William Calley was ultimately held responsible by court martial, but he was pardoned by President Nixon.
The 50th anniversary of the My Lai massacre is an appropriate time not only to honor the victims and those who challenged that infamous event, but also to bring to light less known or still unknown war atrocities. It is an occasion for U.S. citizens to acknowledge the millions of innocent civilians killed during the wars in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, and the many wars since, and to take responsibility for such human slaughter conducted in our names. Together let us say,
“No More Wars! War Never Again! Stop the Killing!”
The gunman who recently killed three people and himself at a California veterans home was a decorated soldier of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and had been stationed in Hawaii at Schofield Barracks. 22 U.S. veterans commit suicide every day. U.S. Veterans for Peace President, Gerry Condon says: “Tragically, the extreme violence of U.S. wars — from Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq — continues to destroy lives here at home. In order to stem gun violence in the U.S., we must stop killing people in other countries.” In 1968, Hawaii was the training ground for troops before going to My Lai and today Hawaii is the training ground for global wars, including catastrophic nuclear war. B-52 and B-2 strategic bombers fly nonstop training missions from Air Force bases in Louisiana, Missouri and Guam to bomb Pohakuloa on Hawaii island as training for a global nuclear massacre. It is up to all of us to stand up, speak up, and stop this madness before it is too late.
Silence is complicity. It’s been said many times, “Prevention is the only solution.”
Wage Peace NOT War!
- Mourn all victims of violence
- Reject war as a solution
- Defend civil liberties.
- Ground the Drones! Say No to War!
- Oppose all discrimination, anti-Islamic, anti-Semitic, anti-Hawaiian, etc.
- Seek peace by peaceful means through justice in Hawai’i and around the world.
March 23, 2018 Hilo Peace Vigil leaflet 861st week – Fridays 3:30-5PM downtown Post Office
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James Albertini is a member of the TRANSCEND Network for Peace, Development and Environment, and director of Malu ‘Aina Center for Non-violent Education & Action – P.O. Box 489 Kurtistown, Hawai’i 96760. Phone (+ 808) 966-7622 Email: ja@malu-aina.org Website: http://www.malu-aina.org/
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