30,000 protest US chopper crash - demand return of base

[JoFerret]

http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=news&cat=1&id=311907

NAHA — About 30,000 people gathered in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, on Sunday to protest the recent crash of a U.S. military helicopter at a university there and demand that the nearby U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station be closed and returned.

The number of protesters greatly exceeded the municipal government's expected turnout of 10,000 people and was the largest protest against U.S. forces by Okinawa residents since 85,000 gathered in 1995 to protest the rape of an elementary schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen. (Kyodo News)

[opihimoimoi]

1. Perhaps its time to find another place... before them guys turn to

terrorism too.

On another note: Poverty breeds martyrsism/hopelessness/depreassion.

Lets go to another Nation who wants our Dollars and Security?

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. Okinawa is one of the poorest parts of Japan

and many Okinawans feel themselves to be ethnically distinct from the Japanese. Their languages, while clearly related to Japanese, are often unintelligible to speakers of the standard language.

They may resent the Japanese government for letting them be imposed upon as much as they resent the Americans.

[punpirate]

3. For a much better view of why...

... the Okinawans are upset, read Chalmers Johnson's The Sorrows of Empire. It's an eye-opener on this subject.

[Art_from_Ark]

4. The copter crash was a very close call

According to the weekly Shukan Asahi, the force of the crash scattered debris over a 300 meter radius. Some of it broke local residents' windows and even penetrated into their homes. The university itself was on summer break, but up to 1000 students were attending summer classes just a hundred or so meters away.

[jumpstart33]

5. American forces are unwanted all over the world. It's time to pack it in.

Bush has destroyed our image forever.

[number6]

6. Bush has destroyed our image forever.

maybe not forever, but for a long time .....

[skidsareforkids]

7. If American Forces are so Hated...

Why is it that when announcement was made that 1/3rd of US troops in Korea were going to be leaving the peninsula, the protests outside the gate went from "USA GO HOME" to "YOU CAN"T LEAVE WE NEED YOU". Now personally I agree we should leave Korea they have there own Army and can defend themselves. I think I would be much better utilized back in Afghanistan or in Iraq.

[Art_from_Ark]

8. First of all, the article is about Okinawa, which is in JAPAN,

not Korea. Over 20% of Okinawa is occupied by US military bases, which cause problems for local residents in many ways, including noise pollution, soil pollution, water pollution, and crime pollution. Would you want a foreign power militarily occupying 20% of your state, even if they claimed to be there to protect you?

[opihimoimoi]

9. Our condenscending Arrogance pays off in Negative ways....

then we get all uppity about it when the people there complain... We should Listen ...not dictate.

[Kimber Scott]

11. I dont' know what it's like in Japan, but in Germany the local economy

in many small towns would collapse if the Americans left. If the Okinawans are suffering economically already, it could be devastating for them to lose the military's money. I understand the anger, though. American's are not very good company.

[arikara]

12. Read Chalmers Johnson's book "Blowback"

He lays out how the bases cost the community more in many ways than what the local economy gains by having them there. Not to mention the social and environmental problems that they cause.

[skidsareforkids]

16. Wow I never knew that

Korea is only one example I was using because I can speak from experience here I try not to talk about things on the web that I have no experience with unlike some people. All I'm saying is right now the Okinawans that don't want Americans there are recoiling against the status qou your only hearing half the opinions. If we said we were going to pull out I'm sure there would be locals who would complain about that. The same thing happens in the states around military installations when there open with no chance of closing people complain. When there on the chopping block diffrent people complain. It's just the way things work. If your gonna make political decisions on ONE opinion about a subject with worldwide decisions there's a reason your not in government office.

[REVOLT823]

10. I was stationed on Futenma Air Base

when I was in the Marines (spent 4.5 years on Okinawa). Futenma has always been a thorn in the side of the people that live aroundit. It sits in a densely populated area and the air traffic is unbearable, was especially troublesome during the Persian Gulf War, C-5 Galaxys make a lot of noise when taking off. The language of Okinawa is Hogan(sp?) but very few people speak it anymore, it is dying out. My wife is Okinawan and she understands very little of it. Okinawa has more ties with China than Japan culutrally, but was folded into Japan ultimately. Nice place, but hot as hell during the summer. Okinawans have wanted us off that island for a long time, Japanese government parks the Marines there so the mainland Japanese don't have to put up with us, the OKinawans have always been treated as second rate citizens by the Japanese.

[Art_from_Ark]

13. I may be mistaken, but

I have heard that one of the reasons why there is such a concentration of bases in Okinawa is because it was part of the agreement for returning Okinawa to Japan in 1972.

[REVOLT823]

14. Actually, I misspoke, thanks for calling me out on that,

most of those bases were already established prior to the handover, and the reason Okinawa is used is its central location in Asian theater. I was thinking along the lines of the Okinawans and there feelings on the matter (happens some time when you are married to one):)

Was the island turned back over in 72, I thought it was 76 but could be mistaken.

[Art_from_Ark]

15. The islands were officially returned on May 15, 1972

Here's a web site in Japanese that explains a little about it. The first paragraph states "May 15 of this year (2002) marks the 30th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japan. While governing rights were returned, and the law of the islands reverted to the Japanese Constitution, under the agreement with the United States the American military bases there would continue to be used as they had been."

http://yosimura.vis.ne.jp/heiwa/heiwa007.html