Re: Just a thought...

[Rrk099@aol.com]

Hello Everyone -

I'm a relative newcomer to RADSAFE, but have enjoyed "listening" to
discussions of various topics over the past few weeks.

If you think the internet and traditional press reports of the NJ school
"incident" were scary, you should have seen the local news here in NYC.  On
one newscast, it was even the lead story!  This following on the heels of an
allegedly public interest story on the research reactor at Manhattan college
in the Bronx just the day before.  Even the promos for the reactor story were
enough to make an adult cringe in fear:  a large radiation symbol over which
was superimposed the phrase "the little reactor that could . . . . ."
   Could what?!  Teach some students about the realities of radiation??
 Unfortunately, I think the answer is "yes" - the realities that the antis
would have all of us believe.  Just one more example of an uninformed press.

Anyway, off the soapbox.  The reaction in NJ is not surprising to me.  As the
former head of NYC's radiation control program, I had the opportunity to
instruct some of the City's emergency responders (such as fire department
HazMat, police emergency response, etc) in the basics of radiation.  With a
simple Ludlum chassis, a variety of probes (GM, alpha, NaI) and a Fiestaware
orange plate, a piece of granite, a camel hair film duster, etc I have never
seen such astonished people.  A little education did go a long way.  It's too
bad that these were seasoned professionals well into their careers and not
high school kids.

The message should be resounding loudly and clearly - and I reiterate other
people's views that I saw in this space - we need to educate people.
 Otherwise, we will certainly be at the mercy of the Jay Goulds, Ernie
Sternglasses, Paul Brodeurs etc of society.  And speaking from personal
experience, it is much harder to change minds than to teach them correctly at
the outset.

Enough - thank you.