Louisiana Passes Law Rendering DU Testing Mandatory!

[Dylan Garcia]

Three cheers for Bob Smith, Chair of the Depleted Uranium Awareness Committee for the Louisiana Activist Network, for pushing legislation through the Louisiana State legislature requiring the Department of Defense to conduct independent testing of all returning Louisiana servicemen from war zones for radiation poisoning. Effective date 8/15/05 Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 69.

Bob, a two tour Green Beret Vietnam Vet, led the charge and deserves much praise.


It is an honor to march beside heroes like Bob.



The Louisiana House of Representatives became the first legislative body in the nation to acknowledge the toxic effects of depleted uranium (DU)when it passed a bill which guarantees DU testing for war
veterans as a medical benefit. The bill passed by a vote of 101-0. No
state expenses will be incurred since the federal government subsidizes the $170 test. The bill will became law when it was passed by the State Senate and signed by Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

The bill, HB570, was spearheaded by the Louisiana Activist Network and was sponsored by Rep. Juan LaFonta, D-New Orleans, and VVAW
and VFP members Ward Reilly of Baton Rouge, and Bob Smith (LAN) of New Orleans, teamed up and testified in front of both the Senate and House investigative committees, Both committees and both houses voted UNANIMOUSLY in favor, and the Governor signed the bill after only 2 days on her desk.

A huge thanks should go to Governor Blanco for this signing this bill, and having the courage to buck the feds in her continuing role as commander of our National Guard and Reserves.

This makes Louisiana the FIRST state in the nation to support and PASS this legislation, and is truly a measure to "support our troops"...much more so than yellow ribbon magnets on cars, which I personally think that people should mail to the troops, so that they can use them to armor their vehicles.

Finally, I recieved a copy of this email:

Gov. Blanco,

As a Viet Nam veteran who understands from personal experience how difficult
it often is for veterans to get a fair and just deal, I want to express my
sincere appreciation to you. Signing HB 570 providing for mandatory DU
testing for Louisiana's veterans is an act of leadership that will win the
thanks and support of veterans across the country. It is too bad that my
home state of Texas does not have a governor capable of such leadership.

With appreciation and respect,
Dave Collins
VVAW Contact, Austin, TX

[dbeach]

1. Yes! DU is a scandal just waiting to happen.

Principi as VA director cut the VA ignored the DU problems and now is cutting 33 bases as director of base closing Commission.

The new VA director James nicolson will be the worst ever..as former chairman of the RNC .he is the ultimate repuke insider .his fundraising got these repukes into power...The Vets will need many more herose like Bob Smith
AMEN!

[flamin lib]

2. WWII vets tested with atomic weapons. Black soldiers tested

with venereal disease. Agent Orange. Gulf War syndrome. Now we have radiation sickness.

Any wonder enlistment is down?

If it's affecting our troops who spend a year there, what is it doing to the men, women and children who live their lives breathing the dust?

[AX10]

3. It's about time!

[Drnaline]

4. how do you test for that kinda stuff

[Richard Steele]

5. I'm guessing they run a blood sample through a Mass Spectrometer...

Any Uranium should stick out like a sore thumb.

IMO, an AMAZINGLY high percentage of our GIs are gonna test positive,
and the B*shCabal knows it,
so watch for attempts to prevent this law from being implemented.

And welcome to DU, Drnaline!

[pacalo]

6. This is great news!

These veterans need all the medical help they can get.

Way to go, Gov. Blanco!

[funkybutt]

7. Way to go Bob Smith and L.A.N.!!!

Bob Smith is a true american hero. He's a patriot who served his country honorably and continues to do so on his home front. I,too am honored to march beside him.

Thank you Bob, from the people of Louisiana for making this happen!

[kitkat65]

8. I just read on optruth.org about a soldier who tested positive for

exposure

snip

My doctors and I were concerned that I may have been exposed to something that may have attributed tomy daughters birth defect during that whole time. There was an issue raised in reference to the 442 military police unit being exposed to depleted uranium and they were getting tested. I told the reporter from the daily news Juan Gonzalez that my child had a birth defect and she was missing 4 fingers and the illnesses and symptom s I wa s having as well. Being that I was so concerned the Daily News offered to test me for depleted uranium with my urine speciman. At the same time I was getting tested at Fort Dix for the same thing. As time went on I paid it no mind. I figured no news was good news. I got out of the active component still with the same symptoms. I never paid any mind to the results.

It was not until Sept. 20, 2004 that I started paying attention to my results. After recieving a phone call from Juan Gonzalez and a copy of the results from Germany where the test had been conducted.That I realized that I was exposed to Depleted Uranium and after further research and finding my results from Fort Dix. The military claimed they had no results or speciman on file. Yet they had my questioniare form in detail that is supposed to follow the speciman to it's testing site. After further investigation and research it is dubbed that my child had a birth defect due to the exposure of her father myself to Depleted Uranium.

The military to this day wants me to partake to a urine collection again and I feel I shouldn't because they are not acknowledging that my exposure caused my child to have a birth defect. The military gives us insurance stating they will help our families. But, what happens to my daughter when she is going to need to help for the rest of her life.

end of snip

[funkybutt]

9. Now we wonder how the DOD (among others) will try to block this

Since federal money will be used for the testing, I wonder how they will try to undermine this law. I'm not an expert, so no idea how they may do this, but hopefully someone is looking into it and preparing to fight.

One of the common counter arguments for DU is "we need more testing"...which is basically means "lets ignore it and act like we dont' have enough proof that it exists."