Ignorant, retarded peace activists...

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-05-26 01:47am

I recently noticed this on another board...

The Olympian wrote:Activists say submarine not welcome
Navy quiet on whether USS Olympia will visit

JIM SZYMANSKI AND HEATHER WOODWARD THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- The possibility that a nuclear-powered submarine will visit Olympia this year has peace groups trying to block its arrival.

A peace activist asked Thurston County and port commissioners Monday to cancel any planned visit, and activists vowed to make the same request of the Olympia City Council today.

Though a Navy spokeswoman has declined to discuss whether the USS Olympia plans a visit here, a spokesperson for Secretary of State Sam Reed said his office has received a Navy message about a possible visit by a vessel this year or next year.

"They (Navy) may be making a port call," Patrick McDonald, an assistant to Reed, said Monday. "It's all secret squirrel stuff. That's all we've kind of heard."

McDonald said the e-mail message suggested no dates for an Olympia visit.

Jim Wright, a liaison to the port for the Navy League of retired servicemen, said he was unaware that any decision has been made regarding a Navy vessel's visit to Olympia.

The USS Olympia attack sub, named after a Navy cruiser decommissioned in 1922, has visited the city five times since 1984. The latest was in 1998.

It launched in 1983 and calls Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, its homeport.

During the 1994 visit, a group of about two dozen protesters held a peace vigil near the boat. An estimated 3,000 people toured the boat on its 1998 visit to Olympia.

Lt. Barbara Mertz, a Navy spokeswoman for its submarine group, said Navy policy is not to confirm the arrival of a sub sooner than 48 hours before its arrival. She cited heightened national security concerns following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Peace activist Lawrence Mosqueda, who teaches at Evergreen State College, asked Thurston County commissioners and port commissioners on Monday to consider blocking any visits by a sub to Olympia.

"I'm sure a lot of people in the community are upset about this," he said. "This is like bringing a weapon of mass destruction to Olympia."

Mosqueda said he was concerned about safety and wondered whether a visit would include the presence of nuclear weapons.

John Wolfe, the port's executive director, said he could not confirm any information regarding an Olympia visit by the boat.

"There is interest in the call," he told Mosqueda, but declined further comment.

Mosqueda asked county and port commissioners to declare the county a "nuclear free" zone. Mosqueda is a member of the Olympia Movement for Justice and Peace. He and other peace activists have declined to discuss why it is that they suspect a visit.

"Especially now, when we're engaged in a terrible and brutal war against the people of Iraq ... Olympia should not be celebrating a war machine," Mosqueda told county commissioners.

Though county commissioners did not respond to Mosqueda, port commissioners did.

If a boat calls, Wolfe said, "there would be multiple layers of security."

Commissioner Bob Van Schoorl said he expected protests if a Navy boat calls on Olympia.

"I think it's a given," he said.

Commissioner Steve Pottle said the region is divided about its support for the military and combat.

"There are people who oppose it and people who support it," Pottle said. "I think we'll be very careful if they come. I just don't think we're in a position to disinvite them."

County Commissioner Cathy Wolfe told Mosqueda that she and her colleagues rarely take positions on matters over which they have no direct control.

For the past week, Olympia peace activist Alice Zillah has been urging sympathizers by e-mail to lobby elected officials to stop any plans for a visit by the Navy. Zillah has protested the presence of nuclear submarines at the naval base in Bangor.

"I'm very concerned about it for reasons of safety," Zillah said on Monday. "And I don't feel that Olympia officials should be celebrating a machine of war while this terrible conflict is on in Iraq."

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2004-05-26 01:51am

Wouldn't they be thrilled to know they've got no legal right to prevent the Navy from sailing anywhere it damn well pleases in American waters.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-05-26 02:28am

What a bunch of dumbfucks. Yeah, evil nukuler weapons on a SSN. Fucking tards.

RedX · Post by **RedX** » 2004-05-26 02:52am

I always wonder what people like this thing of the nuclear materials and radiation-emitting devices used for other purposes, like medicine. Does "Nuclear-free zone" mean you can't have an X-ray machine in the city?

Or are these people to wrapped up in oversimplifications (Getting Nuked = Bad, Therefore Anything Nuclear = Bad) to see the problem?

Kamakazie Sith · Post by **Kamakazie Sith** » 2004-05-26 03:01am

"I'm very concerned about it for reasons of safety," Zillah said on Monday. "And I don't feel that Olympia officials should be celebrating a machine of war while this terrible conflict is on in Iraq."

If I were ruler of this country he would have every reason to be concerned about safety, specifically his, because on this sub I'd have written on the side "We torpedo stupid people"

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2004-05-26 03:38am

Howedar wrote:What a bunch of dumbfucks. Yeah, evil nukuler weapons on a SSN. Fucking tards.

Buh-buh-but you can't hug a child with NUCLEAR ARMS!!!

Post by **Gandalf** » 2004-05-26 07:32am

Frank Hipper wrote:
Howedar wrote:What a bunch of dumbfucks. Yeah, evil nukuler weapons on a SSN. Fucking tards.
Buh-buh-but you can't hug a child with NUCLEAR ARMS!!!

Oh sure you can. It's just a little awkward.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-26 09:39am

Olympia sounds like an attack sub. Do they even carry nuclear weapons?

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-05-26 09:51am

Wicked Pilot wrote:Olympia sounds like an attack sub. Do they even carry nuclear weapons?

She is, and they havn't had nukes for a couple decades. Today the only USN warships with nuclear weapons aboard are SSBN's.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2004-05-26 09:54am

RedX wrote:I always wonder what people like this thing of the nuclear materials and radiation-emitting devices used for other purposes, like medicine. Does "Nuclear-free zone" mean you can't have an X-ray machine in the city?

Or are these people to wrapped up in oversimplifications (Getting Nuked = Bad, Therefore Anything Nuclear = Bad) to see the problem?

There far too stupid to get the problem, or to know that most of the human created radioactivty in the enviorment is from X-ray machines and other medical equipment, about 2% is the result of nuclear explosions.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-05-26 09:54am

The kind of people who protest this sort of thing almost invariably believe that a nuclear power plant can explode like an A-bomb.

General Zod · Post by **General Zod** » 2004-05-26 11:18am

so exactly how do they plan on stopping it if it wants to enter anyways? stand in front of it with a big sign saying go home, we don't want US military equipment on US soil?

sketerpot · Post by **sketerpot** » 2004-05-26 11:19am

RedX wrote:I always wonder what people like this thing of the nuclear materials and radiation-emitting devices used for other purposes, like medicine. Does "Nuclear-free zone" mean you can't have an X-ray machine in the city?

Or are these people to wrapped up in oversimplifications (Getting Nuked = Bad, Therefore Anything Nuclear = Bad) to see the problem?

I think the problem is that X-ray doesn't have "nuke" anywhere in the name. That magically makes it good.

It's funny that these people are making a big deal out of this, with their "safety issues" and such.

"They (Navy) may be making a port call," Patrick McDonald, an assistant to Reed, said Monday. "It's all secret squirrel stuff. That's all we've kind of heard."

"Secret squirrel stuff". Routine, but so wonderfully phrased! I tell you, my support automatically goes to the side that makes secret squirrel jokes, not the side that engages in ignorant fearmongering.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-05-26 02:03pm

Secretary of State Sam Reed

Erm... Colin Powell's the Secretary of State.

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-26 02:08pm

Rogue 9 wrote:
Secretary of State Sam Reed
Erm... Colin Powell's the Secretary of State.

Not of Washington.

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-05-26 02:24pm

Oh. My mistake.

Durandal · Post by **Durandal** » 2004-05-26 02:31pm

Darth Wong wrote:The kind of people who protest this sort of thing almost invariably believe that a nuclear power plant can explode like an A-bomb.

There's an FX original movie coming out based on that exact premise: terrorists take over a nuclear power plant and threaten to detonate it.

SirNitram · Post by **SirNitram** » 2004-05-26 02:32pm

Durandal wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:The kind of people who protest this sort of thing almost invariably believe that a nuclear power plant can explode like an A-bomb.
There's an FX original movie coming out based on that exact premise: terrorists take over a nuclear power plant and threaten to detonate it.

Isn't that one of Faux's networks? If so, we really shouldn't be surprised.

Howedar · Post by **Howedar** » 2004-05-26 03:54pm

Wicked Pilot wrote:Olympia sounds like an attack sub. Do they even carry nuclear weapons?

Someone should read my posts to avoid looking foolish

Wicked Pilot · Post by **Wicked Pilot** » 2004-05-26 04:20pm

Howedar wrote:
Wicked Pilot wrote:Olympia sounds like an attack sub. Do they even carry nuclear weapons?
Someone should read my posts to avoid looking foolish

I read the article, I just didn't read the article.

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-05-26 04:26pm

Durandal wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:The kind of people who protest this sort of thing almost invariably believe that a nuclear power plant can explode like an A-bomb.
There's an FX original movie coming out based on that exact premise: terrorists take over a nuclear power plant and threaten to detonate it.

Meltdown. Sounds like someone watched the season finale of 24 yesterday.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-05-26 04:33pm

SirNitram wrote:Isn't that one of Faux's networks? If so, we really shouldn't be surprised.

Yes, FX is in fact Fox's flagship entertainment network.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-05-27 03:12am

These people are stupid. They are say they are concerned about safety yet dont realize how safe nuclear reactor aboard submarines are. If the reactor is really that unsafe ths submarine would not have lasted 21 years.

Shadowhawk · Post by **Shadowhawk** » 2004-05-28 12:07am

These people whine every time they hear about a nuclear submarine coming into the Sound. Naval Submarine Base Bangor is a major Naval submarine base, so these boats are coming and going all the time, but we only hear the whining when they want to make an appearance at SeaFair or something. Idiots like these are the ones who 'boarded' a surfaced sub a couple years ago to protest its arrival and were shocked when they were arrested.

The USS Olympia is a Los Angeles class, and I don't think it's capable of carrying nuclear munitions. fas.org says it can carry the Tomahawk ASM/LAM, but not if they've ever carried the /A nuclear variant.

Ma Deuce · Post by **Ma Deuce** » 2004-05-28 12:34am

Shadowhawk wrote: Idiots like these are the ones who 'boarded' a surfaced sub a couple years ago to protest its arrival and were shocked when they were arrested.

Now, how did they manage to do that? when surfaced, a 688-class submarine is pretty hard to climb on to from the water level, especially while it's moving.

The USS Olympia is a Los Angeles class, and I don't think it's capable of carrying nuclear munitions. fas.org says it can carry the Tomahawk ASM/LAM, but not if they've ever carried the /A nuclear variant.

That's right. Although she was capable of carrying the TLAM-N variant, those are no longer in service, and thus there are no nuclear weapons in service that can be deployed by Los Angeles class subs.