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Show Millard County ProgrtH. Fillmore. Utah 846 31 May 8. 1981 Page 4 MX, The Nation, The State and YOU The following is a speech given at the MX Rally in Salt Lake on Saturday May 2. I am Ciloria Firmage. I represent I'lahns United Against MX, an organization representing hundreds of Utahns from diverse walks of life. For the first time in my memory Utahns of all persuasions have come to common ground on one issue. Liberals, conservatives, ranchers and environmentalists, professional people - lawyers, doctors, miners, business people, professors, students, military personnel, old and young find concensus in opposition to the MX. That alone should provide strong insight into the unacceptability of this proposal. This is my home. was born in this little state, educated, married and bore six of my eight children in its environs. MX would ravage many of our Utah towns in a way we cannot fully comprehend so I speak as a resident of this city and this state. But my deepest opposition to MX comes not from my provincial roots, as strong as they are, it comes because of my citizenship in the United States and indeed the world. I believe, after all the testimony given here and elsewhere during the past two years, that the evidence is clear that MX does not serve our national security, indeed it weakens it. MX is a horrendous proposal that would despoil our entire land, chain this nation to servitude of war, and shackle this people to the yoke of economic and spiritual bondage. A. I believe MX is faulted in its design: 1. The rationale of deterrent strategy which it is based upon targets one section of this country and all its people in an immoral way. Being the most imposing of all our nuclear weapons both in accuracy and payload, would find it first to be hit in any weapon exchange, leaving other prongs of our defense triad capable of surviving to respond. MX was proposed with the assumption of a SALT agreement; We have no SALT no limit on weapons. 2. Many of us, including scientists and military personnel question even its viability when completed. The shelters being placed only one mile away from each other on a grid four miles by ten miles, are extremely vulnerable to destruction and inoperation by far less than 23 targeted weapons, maybe only four or five. This would leave thousands of weapons available for use on other strategic as well as civilian targets. 3. The reason for the development of the e MX was to deployment since Minuleman is perceived to be approaching a period of vulnerability. Yet the configuration of MX is basically the same as minuleman, raising questions of vulnerability of MX even before construction. A period of technological development will surely render MX obsolete even before completion. 4. Further, deployment of MX as planned does not answer the "window of vulnera 1 never-endin- g up-da- land-forc- ten-ye- including the warheads, maintenance or any mitigating circumstances arising from law suits, overruns, time delays or impact adjustments. This figure also only deals with 4600 shelters and 200 missiles. The DEIS itself points to the possibility of increasing to 9000 the number of shelters, and now talk is completed. of 12,500 and beyond. B. I believe MX is faulted in its placement: As an example of unreality may I note one 1. The proposal places the deployment in the main windstream of the United States. If problem posed in the DEIS. There is serious detonation occurred by intention or by concern about the devegetization of 160,000 accident (which is possible) it is estimated, by acres, removing such amounts of water from the subsoil, and stirring up the top soil so as Dr. Helen Caldicott (Physicians for Social to produce desertification. In answer to the and Kent Prof. Harrison, by Responsibility), concern, the DEIS responds by way of (BYU) that from 50 to 125 million people would die within the first few days of such an mitigating proposal that "We might have to of all Amercans mulch the area." 160,000 acres? explosion and up to 90 a week over Figures of adding to the grids additional radiated two period, then fatally shelters and possibly more missiles, not to on to a fully toxicated world over the coming mention an ABM system, are estimated by months. e of 24,600 With a years, governmental reports to run from 121 billion plutonium, used to make the warheads would dollars to well over 200 billion dollars. When radiate mountain top soil for up to a do we slop this insanity? Children in thousand years, with valley being radiated for sandpiles, as they play with cars and trucks centures. For those who did not die from and hide and seek, have more rationality than explosure, famine would not only sweep this this. 2. Costs in resource impacts have been country, but the world, as we produce much of the food consumed around the world. grossly understated. Their soil as well as our own would be Land: 140,000 to 160,000 acres disturbed for radiated. These figures from Dr. Kent decade. water: sources not even fully Identified. Harrison of BYU Physics department. 2. This is earthquake country, second to Ground water is now fully allocated, leaving none in the country. Utah, with California only aquifers to draw from creating serious and a few sparse areas of the country rate a threat of desertification, zone three earthquake classification, (highest cement: DEIS figures 1,600,000 tons needed in seismicity). Examination of Beryl, Cedar factored against the DEIS own report of an 18 year annual shortfall on 105,000 tons in City, Milford and good portions of Nevada bear close scrutiny for the land there is Utah and Nevada. Some estimates have shifting even today. Yet, there is no mention cautioned that there is not enough cement in the United States to draw upon. What about in of earthquake potential, nor the entire DEIS. It doesnt take a five year inflation spirals created locally for material study to sense the potential catastrophy of a and labor? 7.5 earthquake which is what has been steel, asphalt, aggregate: all are overwhelming in their amounts, yet are not truly predicted here in Utah over the next decades. estimated in the DEIS. Is this national security? C. The MX is faulted in its impacts abrogation of Indian treaties: It is said that of Shoshone Reservation lands will be analyses. W'e question the Integrity of the Air 25 taken by MX, making necessary the abrogaForce and ask for honesty. tion of Indian treaties. A recent article on Waste in the Pentagon, April 27, 1981, in U. S. News and World historical & sacred lands lost forever: Report alarms us with a budget of 1.5 trillion hundreds of such sites will be destroyed or dollars over the next five years. Criticizing disturbed. mismanagement, corruption, 43 wilderness areas: will be impacted directly pentagon's or indirectly. between industrial contractors, cost overruns and improper estimates, the article sheep, cattle industry: destroyed, according points to billions of dollars waste every to Clare Acord Pres, of Wool Growers month. I believe MX is a case in point. Association. Comments now being released by our police protection necessity: increased by Governors office, by private studies, and by 500 in some places raises the question of governmental reports show the DEIS to be a deleriorization of community life, in sham. Law suits may be in the offing because educational needs increased by Utah monies: when our Utah needs without of the inadequacy of the DEIS. I. Cost In monies: DEIS and Air Force MX are critical in the next decade. Did estimates have gone from 33 billion dollars to anyone hear the legislature debate of funding 56 billion dollars. GAO figures (General for education? health-car- e needs: Accounting Office Report to Congress) look unmet and at from 70 to 100 billion dollars, this is not where does the enticement and equipment for Since vulnerability problem." bility supposedly occurs in the next year or so and you have MX is not operable until 1989-90- , created not only a period of great concern, but you have amplified that hazard manifold by motivating an enemy attack before it is half-lif- wind-curre- So from to treat in excess of and Salt Lake City. Gloria is president of the 100,000 people rapidly flooding these BYU Alumni Assoc., chairperson of the communities? Young Mothers Committee of Utah, or articulated social costs: to chairperson of the Holladay and Cottonwood churches, communities, school, ethnic orientBicentennial Commitee and is on the Board ations, work force, social service. These all of Trustees of the Cottonwood Health Care have been given token or no attention In the Foundation. In 1977 she was voted Young DEIS. How can you justify only 6 of 1900 Mother of the Year and was a delegate to the pages on quality of life impacts, when our International Womens Year conference in lives are what this is all about. Houston. The only thing that is really known about Gloria is presently chairperson of Utahns the MX is that there are no known factors? United Against MX and has been very vocal According to the GAO Report to Congress in opposing the missile system both locally we can count on no givens. We do not know and nationally. the costs in monies, (some of the elements hae yet to be designed and estimated) we do not know the deployment date (with mitigating circumstances looming high on the horizon), Take stock in America. we do not know the cost in resources even Buy US. Savings Bonds. with only 4600 shelters, and we do not even know if the system will work. What would we purchase in life under such circumstances? We cannot even say that we will trust the Pentagon's judgement for we have already seen their integrity in the DEIS, in sheep killed in western Utah, in the aftermath of an Arkansas Titan explosion, In suffering of those involved in cleaning up after missile testing, and most graphically in the deaths and continued suffering of generations of Utahns in Southern Utah. We ask for honesty. D. Finally, the MX promises war not peace, fear not security and in the name of superiority it truly binds us to insatiable appetite for more and more and more. Our glutony for more war, more potential overkill", even now condemns us, a Christian nation whose mandate is to serve, to love, to teach. We have the capacity to overkill the Russians 40 times over; they can overkill us by 20 times. We have a combined nuclear arsenal of over 50,000 nuclear weapons not to mention the nuclear-tippe- d conventinal weapons found around the globe. When will our spirits rise up and demand that we stop. In the name of understanding, compassion and mercy and security for all men, let us reason together. This land was set apart as a land of refuge from the despoiling hand of hate and persecution. It was dedicated to separate a people who would develop Godlike traits of goodness, kindness, love and compassion. When was that trust and mandate removed? We inherited a land of promise, will we throw from her bowels the acid of desolation imperiling life for a millenium? The law of the harvest has not been revoked-- we shall reap that which we sow. There is no healing in killing. This is the Place to stand and say NO. Gloria P. Firmage Chairman, Utahns Against MX Editors Note: Gloria Firmage, an artist, musician and mother of eight children was born and has lived most of her life in Provo doctors come I El says tha va... 'jaKl D MORGAN. M ! VA P CtXEk EKVICfy COMPETE Cf AAEPiCAt. I"! 0. " rOC PSc'vptiz'X, Full. NO T Contact nearest VA office (check your phono book) or a local veterans group. THINK PINK! The Fillmore Hospital Pink Ladies are planning the biggest ever Pink Day! May 23, 1981 - 4 p.m. at the City Park. Jm on Americas besPsetting pickups . I The 81 Ford Explorers are here Special editions ol America's most popular pickups . with . . . equipped options on sale at the biggest Explorer discounts ever. Look how the value adds up' A. Saw SUS fa start off the price regular sticker A Based on B Q1FORD...21MPG! 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