COLUMN: France's irresponsible nuclear tests should not be tolerated

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by Gerald Falchook

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THE TIME was 3:30 p.m.

The day was Sat., Jan. 27, 1996.

A lot of things happened that afternoon.

You, I and most people I know played basketball, threw around the Fris-bee, learned the Cha-Cha, placed bets on the Super Bowl, drank beer or just plain enjoyed the afternoon.

Oh, and also, France conducted a nuclear bomb test in the South Pacific.

That Saturday's nuclear blast was France's sixth, last and most powerful nuclear test since President Jacques Chirac told the international community to bug off back in September.

A statement by the French Defense Ministry claimed that these tests were being carried out "in order to guarantee the safety and reliability of weapons in the future." I don't understand.

Do they dare use the word "safety" in the same sentence as "nuclear weapons?" The French Defense Ministry certainly doesn't make me feel very safe.

And now Chirac has the gall (pun intended) to transform himself overnight into a leading opponent of nuclear testing.

I wonder if the word "hypocrite" exists in Mr. Chirac's vocabulary.

Never mind that the Fangatoufa atoll is already so contaminated with radiation that spending even a small amount of time there will greatly increase your chances of producing offspring with two heads, five arms or multiple sexual appendages.

Never mind the fact that these tests have caused widespread contamination of fish and plankton in the region and are endangering a vital food source for the inhabitants of this region.

Never mind that strong ocean currents have the potential to bring radiation contamination to every shore that touches the Pacific Ocean.

Nah, never mind any of that stuff. You live in the United States. You don't care.

You are safe. Just don't make any plans to spend your vacations in New Zealand or Tahiti or anywhere in-between.

And don't forget to bring along a full-body, lead-plated, radiation-safe swimsuit next time you do a little swimming off the beaches of Hawaii or southern California.

Haven't we learned that nuclear weapons don't prevent conventional wars or enhance national security?

Or maybe good old-fashioned, thick-headed, irrational belligerence is coming back in style.

But who will stop the bad guys from destroying our planet? Our national leaders? Guess again.

During his recent visit to Washington, President Chirac was given a public snub by many of our elected officials.

That was all very nice and convenient for them and the media, especially during an election year, but what were they doing six months ago? The fact remains that our government silently permitted the French to use our environment as a nuclear testing ground.

They will do it again.

The most shameful thing about France's nuclear activities is that they were being conducted in a part of the world to which they have no historical claim and which they have no justification to possess. French Polynesia is one of the few remaining dirty residues of colonization and imperialism.

Unlike the Americans, the French don't have the pride (or the stupidity) to conduct a nuclear test on their own soil.

So get off your butt and tell someone you are angry with the damn French.Go write your congressman.

Or, if you would like to have someone actually listen to you and do something about it, you can sign a worldwide petition and get other information in a variety of ways.

Send e-mail to stopnuketest@ igc.org or visit the French Nuclear Testing web site at http://www.igc.upc.org/NON-NUKE/ or call their toll-free number 1-800-3-NO-NUKE.

They say the energy from the blast was the equivalent of 120,000 tons of dynamite.

If I had that much dynamite, I probably wouldn't put it on an uninhabited island in the South Pacific.

Surely, I could find a more acceptable and perhaps popular site. The foyer to the Elysee presidential palace is a good suggestion.

Or, if that isn't available, I guess the floor of the House of Representatives would be good too.

Gerald Falchook is a Sid Richardson College senior.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the February 16, 1996 issue.

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