How could HCN, well known for its hard-hitting
investigative journalism, publish such an uncritical article on the
Yuma Proving Grounds (HCN,
3/31/08)?
It doesn’t take a trip to Yuma to
uncover some contrary opinions (just a few mouse clicks reveal that
there is a serious problem there with depleted uranium pollution)
and those cool pictures of choppers blowing dust around also
indicate that the Army has disturbed so much surface soil that the
ecology of the desert has been irrevocably changed – not unlike
massive commercial development. That’s a bit more than a few fires
kindled by exploding munitions.
The juxtaposition with
Ray Ring’s piece on suicide presented a stark contrast apparent in
the U.S. and especially in the West: We have the best weaponry that
money can buy, but parts of our health care system are now little
better than some of those Third World countries we like to invade.
Our priorities are to protect our investments worldwide, but we
ignore our primary asset – our people. This shortsighted
fascination with expensive gee-whiz technology has helped undermine
our global standing, and will only continue to diminish our
security.
Claude Ginsburg Seattle,
Washington
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Invest in people, not weapons.
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