No Permissible Radiation Level

Article #2: No Permissible Radiation Level by Virginia Vetrano

At the Atom Bomb Hospital in Hiroshima, survivors of the August 6, 1945, holocaust are still dying at the rate of four to six a month. Even this figure does not represent the total death rate, for there are other hospitals, and not everyone patronizes hospitals in the first place. The paper from which I received the above figures says: “After years of study, world scientists are still unable to agree just how lethal the latent after-effects of exposure to an atomic bomb can be.” The scientists don’t wish to admit that every one of the victims will die ultimately, from the latent effects of exposure to radiation. Instead of an instant death these survivors will suffer long years of miserable sickness until finally, after a continuous struggle to repair damaged tissue, the organism will succumb to the deteriorating forces.

It is well-known that all radiation, however small it may be, shortens one’s life. Hence, all radiation is lethal. Watch for equivocal and ambiguous scientific cant and you will be amazed at their unequivocal dishonesty.

All talk of protection against atomic radiation, of bomb-proof shelters, etc., is based on wishful thinking. Eventually one will have to come out of the shelter to eat, drink and breathe, and consequently be exposed to the excessive radiation still in the air, food, and water. Hence, one is thus subjected to the process of a slow and painful death. There is but one possible protection and this is the
immediate cessation of all nuclear explosions. Dr. Shelton says of this, “As our world is a lunatic asylum controlled by the worst elements of our population, it is doubtful that this will be done.” However, we must still try.

But we have to be educated into understanding the double talk of the hired scientists before we can realize that damage is being done from all these nuclear bomb tests, which eventually, may lead to another nuclear holocaust. The tests themselves are contaminating the earth and causing many lethal illnesses. The hired scientists cover up the facts by saying that there will not be any “statistically significant” deaths from these tests. To these scientists we are looked upon as so many guinea pigs, so if 1,000,000 guinea pigs should die in a population of say, 180,000,000, that is statistically insignificant. Do you feel statistically insignificant?

To continue bomb testing, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) had to rationalize their actions. It is their attitude that, so long as we can’t observe the persons being harmed with our own eyes, then they can continue testing and permit the fallout level to rise just that much and the masses won’t rebel.

The “permissible” level of radioactivity to be absorbed by the population as a whole is based on the ideas discussed above. Many well-informed persons have stated that the true facts are not disclosed to the general public.

Reassuring statements regarding fallout hazards are always preferred by the majority, hence they close their ears to anyone telling the truth about these matters and label them “alarmists.” To the statement that fallout is definitely doing damage to the genetic pool as well as to somatic tissue, they retort exactly what has been brainwashed into them: “That the radiation from fallout is not more than what we have, all through the years, been accustomed to from natural background radiation.” These people are fooled by such statements. They are not thinking for themselves, or they would realize that fallout is, in addition to background radiation, augmenting the dosage which we habitually receive as the radioactive fallout increases. A book which contains many selected reviews by AEC scientists reads: “As more and more experience with X rays and gamma rays has accumulated, however, the concept of ‘tolerance dose’ has changed somewhat to the thought that there is no such thing as a literally harmless dose of radiation—that any amount, however small, does some damage.”

Moreover, many experiments involving radiation have been made on rats, and it has been proved that man is more susceptible to radiation than the rat.

Scientists know now that the least possible amount of radiation does cause various diseases, but this does not make them stop the arm’s race. Why? Obviously, since the United States is vulnerable to an economic collapse as a result of a sharp decline in arms production, so tests and weapons production will continue as a means of saving our tottering capitalism.

An important thing which we must not overlook when evaluating the “permissible” dose of radiation is that it disregards completely the hereditary damage done to our genetic pool.