[ RadSafe ] Insult

[James Salsman]

Dear Colonel Battle:

Thank you for your comments:

> you, Mr. James Salsman, crossed the line of professional
> (or even common courtesy) in calling a decorated war hero
> ... a "coward".

I owe no courtesy to the profession of killing humans on
command, as I am no longer any part of it.  Has professional
courtesy become so powerful that it allows gross negligence
to continue unchecked?

I make no apology for asking for a review of the events
leading up to the reasoned choice of a powerful weapon
without fair consideration or disclosure of the drawbacks
which were known at the time.

>... I had a (very) little to do with the Air Force choosing
> a DU anti-armor round for the A-10 GAU-8 gun, and I assure
> you no one there had any inkling of possible "side effects"
> from its use!!

Where have we heard that before?  Nobody could have imagined
that people would use airplanes to attack buildings.  Nobody
could have predicted that storm strength would increase.

For goodness sake, Colonel, uranium was a known teratogen as
far back as 1953, in the authoritative text on the subject.
You should know there was even earlier evidence which you
probably have made a promise not to discuss somewhere along
the line.

You are telling me that the military, with their UCMJ
restrictions on free speech, should be afforded any scientific
authority on these matters?  Hogwash.

How brave do you have to be to sit in an airplane and shoot
DU ordnance?  The only kind of bravery I have seen in evidence
of from the military on this issue is the kind it takes to
pay journalists under the table to print "psychological
operations product."  Shame!

Sincerely,
James Salsman