Letter to Maria Cantwell

Here's a letter that I wrote to Senator Maria Cantwell as part of a class assignment. I'm considering actually sending it to her.

Dear Senator Maria Cantwell,

I am a registered voter in Washington State; now that I have your attention, I want to discuss something very important with you.

As the subject of nuclear power is heating up in Washington, D.C., I'd like to remind you of another nuclear story that goes back to the '50s.

As you know, you are the Chair for the Subcommittee on Energy; which oversees the RMI (Republic of the Marshall Islands). These little-known islands in the Pacific Ocean have endured so much since the U.S. Government made it a trust territory in 1947. Now, obviously this was before my time, but I feel there is a need to make people aware of just how devastating the U.S. Government's nuclear weapons testing was in the RMI (known at that time simply as the Marshall Islands.)

In March of 1954, the U.S. Government conducted the Bravo test on Bikini Atoll. The subsequent fallout from one of the largest nuclear explosion in the world fell onto communities of Marshallese on other islands.

The U.S. Government claimed that it was an "accident," due to an "unpredicted change of winds." But the documentation later found on the subject and Project 4.1 proves otherwise.

The U.S. Government conducted intentional radiation testing on the Marshallese and their environment without their explicit consent. And like all good politicians, if asked about it, they will have a convoluted and seemingly complex answer for everything. But I believe you can rise above that stereotype that so many of us have in our minds.

I want you to do me two favors. And what happens after that will be the answer to my assertion above that you are better than the rest of the politicians connected to this subject matter. I would like for you to watch one movie and read one book. Seem simple? It is.

Not only am I a registered voter, I am also a third year student at the University of Washington. I have been pursuing a degree in journalism for quite some time because I feel it's going to be the best way for me to reach out to my fellow Americans about issues that should concern them, including the Marshallese.

This quarter I am taking a class on anthropology, specifically the culture of the nuclear bomb and that time period. Not only has it opened up my mind about the world around me, it has also made me think about my long term goals in my chosen career path.

Before this class, I didn't know where the Marshall Islands were or what the significance of the word "Bravo" is to the Marshallese.

But now, thanks to my professor, I have a better understanding of the quantity of immoral and unjustified actions done by my own country. And I know I will forever be thankful that I took her class.

Now, back to my requested favors. The book I would like you to read was written by my professor, Holly Barker. It's entitled Bravo for the Marshallese: Regaining Control in a Post-Nuclear Post-Colonial World. The film I would like you to watch is entitled Nuclear Savage, and was created by an anthropologist as well, Adam Horowitz.

In asking these two favors of you, I only hope that it will help you better understand what the Marshallese are going through. I don't ask that you do anything else. If you would like a copy of the book, I would gladly send it to you.

You're in a position to make an impact and hold people in Washington, D.C. accountable for the actions that our Government made back in 1954 and beyond. You have been passionate about the Hanford cleanup process, now I hope you can show compassion for the people of the RMI.

At the very least, I would hope that you could educate and spread the word about our history in the Marshall Islands. There are so many people that are discriminatory against them for no reason other than they are different-looking. You can make a difference in this modern-day racism.

Thank you for reading,
Rebecca Gourley