Rights of the People
"It makes you realize just how tenuous our safety can be." Carlton Rhodes
Among the unalienable rights established by our forefathers is the right to life, and therefore, protection of that life. However, the government has infringed on this right in two particular instances: the storage of nuclear warheads and the creation and storage of nuclear waste.
The government’s failure of the people living near the Rocky Flats facility, with its multitude of safety and storage issues, is one example of the problems created by increased nuclear production during the Cold War. "The government should have been forthright in informing people in the Denver area about accidents and releases of toxins into the environment repeatedly over the years. Neither the federal government, the Rocky Flats contractor, nor the Health Department of the State of Colorado informed the public about dangers to the public health from Rocky Flats," stated LeRoy Moore. Cancer rates are much higher in the people working at and living near Rocky Flats, and radiation concentrations are higher than government studies show. In a lawsuit against Rockwell Industries, a grand jury planned a large settlement; however, the judge accepted a much lower fine and prevented further prosecution. The judge also ruled that members of the grand jury couldn’t discuss evidence from the trial, although many did: "'The Rocky Flats 23' became the first grand jury in history to risk incarceration for revealing information critical of the Justice Department." Ultimately, the people of Rocky Flats felt betrayed by the government because they never knew what went on at Rocky Flats and the government never told them about the extent and consequences of the contamination.
The government’s failure of the people living near the Rocky Flats facility, with its multitude of safety and storage issues, is one example of the problems created by increased nuclear production during the Cold War. "The government should have been forthright in informing people in the Denver area about accidents and releases of toxins into the environment repeatedly over the years. Neither the federal government, the Rocky Flats contractor, nor the Health Department of the State of Colorado informed the public about dangers to the public health from Rocky Flats," stated LeRoy Moore. Cancer rates are much higher in the people working at and living near Rocky Flats, and radiation concentrations are higher than government studies show. In a lawsuit against Rockwell Industries, a grand jury planned a large settlement; however, the judge accepted a much lower fine and prevented further prosecution. The judge also ruled that members of the grand jury couldn’t discuss evidence from the trial, although many did: "'The Rocky Flats 23' became the first grand jury in history to risk incarceration for revealing information critical of the Justice Department." Ultimately, the people of Rocky Flats felt betrayed by the government because they never knew what went on at Rocky Flats and the government never told them about the extent and consequences of the contamination.
"I learned that I was working next to 14.2 metric tons of plutonium, most of it unsafely stored. I thought, how could I grow up next to this plant, and work at the facility, and not know the truth?" Kristen Iversen
As related to the Cold War buildup, the Titan II missile program illustrates another instance of the government not adequately warning people about the dangers of hazardous materials being stored near them. One example was John Stacks, a farmer working at his farm near Damascus. After a 1978 oxidizer leak, the military did not warn the local people, so Mr. Stacks and his cattle breathed in the dangerous fumes. The cattle died and Mr. Stacks suffered from respiratory issues and migraines for years afterward. Speaking of exposure due to the 1980 Damascus explosion, Stacks' wife Beverly said, "If he (her husband, John) was to get anymore of it, I couldn't take it."
The people have the right to know about any hazardous materials being stored near their homes and families. These examples of nuclear warheads and nuclear waste are just two ways that the American government failed to uphold the one of the unalienable rights of the American people.
The people have the right to know about any hazardous materials being stored near their homes and families. These examples of nuclear warheads and nuclear waste are just two ways that the American government failed to uphold the one of the unalienable rights of the American people.
Eric Schlosser: Disinformation and Misinformation. Courtesy of Democracy Now.
"Right now thousands of missiles are hidden away, literally out of sight, topped with warheads and ready to go...They are a collective death wish, barely suppressed. Every one of them is an accident waiting to happen, a potential act of mass murder. They are out there, waiting, soulless and mechanical, sustained by our denial--
and they work." Eric Schlosser