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

Our Constitution

This isn't going to be a rant on gun control, but just food for thought about the American Constitution.

Growing up in a small town I have always known the Constitution to be this static and hard-to-develop document that this country was founded on. It outlines the values of the framers that created it, and the people that have come after them and amended it. This post is about why the Constitution has remained this divine piece of paper that every upstanding citizen lives their life by, and if we should question its legitimacy. 

Source: www.ccsouthfla.org

The American Constitution was originally written over 200 years ago by slave owners, majority of whom thought that "all [white, property owning] men are created equal." So why has this 200-year-old document stayed so significant? It has historical meaning to many, of course. It's iconic to most Americans and is the symbol of freedom and liberty. 

Over time, this symbolic document has evolved and changed to adapt to new values; outlawing slavery, universal suffrage, etc. Why then, do we expect any change to be increasingly difficult? In this heated political climate that is our government and most of our lives, the polarity between views is evident. As we have seen in many governmental challenges, compromises rarely come to the table, and if they do it's after much time and money spent by each side trying to get their way. 

Why is it so challenging to change the Constitution? It's happened before right? The bill of rights and superseding amendments are all changes made to the original Constitution. But one of the elements of the Constitution, Article V, has really put a crutch into the change process. It states, among other things, that any changes require a 2/3 approval by the House of Representatives. This basically puts a veto into the hands of the minority. [See where I'm going with this?] Changes to the constitution are incredibly difficult, which may or may not have been the intention of the Framers. 

Now, I'm not a scholar of political science, so I am in no position to suggest changes to the Constitution. This is merely a chance for people to think about why we adhere to this document that may or may not be for the good of everyone it affects. As I stated before, growing up I saw the Constitution as something set in stone. But the intention of the Framers was to make it a fluid and ever-evolving document. Different times come for different measures. It started out with slavery not addressed, but then the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments fixed all that. 

Can you just consider, just for a moment, that a change may be coming? It's the Constitution; it's not biblical, divine or godly. It doesn't need to be treated as anything of the sort. Open up your minds and consider alternatives to the present.

Note: I do not believe guns should be banned. For one particular reason, criminals don't care if something is illegal; they're going to do it anyway. However, I do believe more regulations need to be put into place to prevent mass shootings like what happened at Columbine and Newtown.

Thanks for reading.

I have this book...

A coworker let me borrow this book, "The Lost War," by Masuo Kato. Inside there's an inscription (see photo) that reads "Budo Fukei - Cleveland News - Sept. 28, 1946." I'm trying to do research on this book and the inscription, but so far am having no luck.

The author, Kato, is/was a reporter of Japanese descent and subtitled the book, "A Japanese Reporter's Inside Story." If you haven't guessed, this book is about the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

It was published in New York in 1946 by Alfred A. Knopf.

I'm sharing all of this information in the hope that someone may be interested enough to help me do some research, or at least point me in the right direction. And if/when I find anything, I will share it with you all!

Until then, thank you for reading.

Irrevocable Beginning

First of all, I'm not a conspiracy theorist. I just believe that there are many things in this world that people should question. The philosopher Hume believed that selflessness is an innate trait but at the same time you should be skeptical of your surroundings. I am much like Hume in this way.

In this blog, I'm going to post my ideas; some will be interesting to few or many, and some will hopefully inspire people to open their minds.

A little bit about me...

I come from a small town that seems at times to be shut off from the rest of the world. I recently moved to 'the big city' to attend the University of Washington in Seattle. I knew there was a world outside of my small hometown, but I wasn't prepared for how it would change me, or quite simply bring out the real me. Since I have been here, I have learned a lot about myself; both good and not so good.

I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts, but if not I won't be offended. At the very least, I hope that it will get you thinking about the world around you. You may not agree with what I have to say, in fact I encourage healthy debate, but at least it will invoke your mind to make an appearance once in a while.

Oh, here's a picture of my dog Harley. Just for your enjoyment. :)