BPAC protests uranium

Twenty-five protesters gathered on the steps of the Monroe County Courthouse Wednesday night to protest the government's use of depleted uranium in military weapons.\nStanding at the corner of Sixth Street and College, protesters held signs proclaiming "Start Seeing Iraqi Children" and "No New Nukes of Any Kind", as well as signs plastered with photos of bodies burned and vaporized by depleted uranium. \nDrivers of passing cars and even a man on a bicycle demonstrated their support for banning the toxic, radioactive metal residue, which has been designated as one of the causes behind Gulf War Syndrome.\nFreshman Jesse Homburg spent his evening at the Courthouse out of his concern for the public's lack of knowledge.\n"I feel there are issues in the world that a lot of us aren't conscious of," Homburg said. "It's important to have a presence so those issues become conscious in people's minds."\nSponsored by the Bloomington Peace Action Coalition, Wednesday's protest was held to inform Bloomington residents about the harmful effects of the war chemical. The metal is employed as armor plating to improve tank survivability, as well as tank and machine gun ammunition, increasing their destructiveness and lethal nature.\nAccording to BPAC literature, although DU contains low-levels of radiation, once it combusts it oxidizes and becomes a harmful carcinogen able to enter the body through inhalation, ingestion or contamination of wounds. Opponents of DU use claim it is a major contributing factor in the increase of cancers, leukemia, kidney and liver damage and genetic birth defects among civilians and military personnel exposed to DU fragments and ash during combat.\nIntroductory Psychology Professor Cindy Hoffman spoke at the event, emphasizing the short- and long-term effects of DU on the soldiers who served during conflicts when it was used, namely Gulf War I and the 2003 War in Iraq. In the 10 years since the Gulf War, 200,000 veterans -- one-third of the total military participants -- have filed for disability with the Veteran's Administration and 10,000 soldiers have allegedly died due to DU exposure.\n"At the moment, DU has the scariest long-term health effects," Hoffman said. "Ten years later, doctors can still measure DU in the urine and semen of the troops exposed to DU." \nTim Baer, part of BPAC, organized and spoke at the protest, concentrating on the effects of DU, as well as the government's denial of the harmful effects.\n"Despite the US government and military's lack of open acknowledgment of the LT effects of exposure to DU, military personnel are beginning to be aware and take their own protections," Baer said. "In some cases, soldiers have handed out warning leaflets and put up signs on vehicles hit by DU, both Iraqi and US vehicles hit by friendly fire."\nWhile the possible health consequences of DU usage are great, there are some that continue to support its use. \nLance Corporal Jared Farnsworth, a Marine reservist and a senior at IU, was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom and then supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. After seven months in Kuwait and Iraq, Farnsworth was deactivated and is back at IU finishing his senior year. During his time at war, Farnsworth knew he was exposed to burning DU, but said the government told him and the other military personnel before leaving the Middle East to declare all chemicals they thought they were exposed to.\n"The government told us during our medical briefing before we left to write down anything that might have been harmful to us, saying, 'If you were exposed to burning DU, then write it down. If we find out down the road it's dangerous, you stated it right then.' It's obvious that it's very dangerous material, but it's a very dangerous situation it's used for," he said.\nFarnsworth said for him the possible risks associated with DU exposure are worth the protection it provides. \n"(The protesters) have a point that DU is something nasty, but so is a round from an AK-47," he said. "If the US thought that our soldiers, marines and other people were going to have serious effects down the road, they would probably find a better alternative. War is a very nasty business, but if you haven't seen it, you can joke about it and imagine it. But when war happens, you have to take whatever advantage you have and use it to save lives on either side because killing is a nasty business."\n-- Contact staff writer Julia Blanford at jblanford@indiana.edu.