Political Quotes

“Mr. President, 70 years ago today, the first atomic bomb was exploded at the Trinity test site in New Mexico. For our Nation, it was the beginning of the nuclear age. For the residents of the Tularosa Basin, it was also the beginning--of great suffering, of generations of cancer and chronic illness. Seven decades later, their suffering continues and so does their fight for justice. Windows rattled hundreds of miles away. The people of Tularosa saw radioactive debris fall from the sky, not knowing what it was. The fallout killed cattle, and poisoned water, food, and the air. The damage was done. The destruction was real, and so is the sadness, disappointment, and anger. That is very real too. The Tularosa Basin Downwinders have not forgotten. They rightly ask that we not forget, either. I met with them and their families earlier this month in Tularosa, and they told me their stories, some of which I will share today. Henry Herrera was just 11 years old at the time of the blast. He is now 81. He remembers: I heard a very large blast and saw a very big flash of light. I got so scared I thought the world was coming to an end. He himself is a cancer survivor. He told me: I'm the only one alive to tell about it. Everyone else has died of cancer. Edna Hinkle recalled so many in her family that had cancer, one after the other--aunts, uncles, cousins, mother, sister, and herself. She said: ``My oldest daughter . . .…”