Do you know what depleted uranium is?

That is a question I have asked several people recently and the answer more often than not is a blank stare. They have no idea what it is.

It is understandable given the state of things that so many people would remain oblivious to this horror that the United States, the United Kingdom and most recently Israel have been scattering in huge quantities across whole regions of the world.

Understandable, but not acceptable.

Depleted uranium is radioactive material left over after the enrichment process used to create fuel for nuclear power plants. A 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plant will create roughly 37 tons of DU every year.

The Department of Energy gives the stuff to the Department of Defense, which uses it in artillery shells and other armaments.

It penetrates tough tank armor, so it is a very effective tank killer.

But the tragic problems lie in its long-term effects.

As it impacts its target, much of it pulverizes down to tiny dust particles that can be breathed in and lodged in the lungs. There it causes conditions such as cancer, birth defects, etc., that are linked to radioactive material.

The harm caused to the region and beyond is indiscriminant, impossible to clean up and essentially eternal in duration.

The half life of DU is said to be over 4 billion years.

Doug Rokke, a U.S. Army officer and physician, sent by the Pentagon to study the effects of DU and possible approaches for cleaning it up, came to the conclusion that the use of DU weaponry is "a crime against God and humanity."

I believe him.

Google search key words and names in this letter. See for yourself.

Gregg Brown

Bloomington

Do you agree?