Military build-up on Guam

[CarbonDate]

I'd like to draw everyone's attention to a matter of great importance to the island territory of Guam. As we speak, there is a bill before the Senate judiciary committee regarding this build-up. Whereas the people of Guam have no vote in either the House or the Senate, it is up to us to write to our elected representatives and ask them to allow the people of Guam to have a say in this matter.

For those who do not know, Guam is a U.S. territory east of the Philippines. Since they are not a foreign country, they have no right to say "no" to this military build-up, but neither do they have a voice in Congress to force debate on the matter. As it stands, 30% of the island is taken up by the military, and they are looking to expand even further. I am not explicitly opposed to this build-up, but I do feel that the good people of Guam (many of whom stood against the Japanese occupation during World War II, in the face of brutal persecution) should at least have the right to discuss the matter and consent to having even more of their island taken up by the U.S. military.

Please refer to this blog post on the matter, and if you are a constituent of one of these Senators, please write to them. Thank you.

http://minagahet.blogspot.com/2008/01/kontra-i-finafederal-i-cnmi.html

[Adsos Letter]

1. Do the people of Guam want to become one of the United States?

Just curious why Puerto Rico and Guam remain territiories...I know the issue of Puerto Rican statehood comes up regularly.

[windbreeze]

3. I believe it does for Guam also...

They have wanted statehood for many decades...but...it doesn't seem as though they ever will be accepted...wb

[Angleae]

9. Why?

It's called federal income tax. They don't have it as a territory.

[DS1]

2. As far as I recall

It's part of a regular training routine.

[Adsos Letter]

4. Damn...you're up late...

did my price for a photographer help you out at all?

[DS1]

5. It did

I should have explained more. I was asked to take some candid shots, and that's it. The people asking for my skills weren't interested at all in hiring a 'pro', and at the last wedding I was at up there I took some shots and everyone loved them. This is really little more than taking a handful of shots before and after the ceremony. Or at least, that's what I think it is. If it's more, I'll bitch, and demand more weed. Because we'll all be higher than a kite.

It's that kind of wedding. But thanks for asking.

[Adsos Letter]

6. your welcome...

I haven't smoked in years (52 now) but I sure remember the Afghan Black with the opium streaks...12 grams, $20...

Damn...

Enjoy your friends wedding.

[CarbonDate]

7. No, it isn't.

They're permanently moving some 7,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam. That number doesn't include dependents or other personnel who will need to be moved here to support that move, which drives the number up to 20,000 additional people on an island of 100,000.

The environmental and cultural impact (to say nothing of the amount of space all of these people will take up) merits a lot more discussion than it's been given.

[Adsos Letter]

8. Is this because of pressure from the Okinawans to get the US military off the island?

Seems to me I heard talk of that after the recent rape incident there...