A Response to Chelsea: Hawaiian Missile Defense

Hi everyone! I recently came across an article by Chelsea called “Missile Defense Radar Project in Hawaii Postponed.” When I think Hawaii, a couple things come to mind: the beaches, the unique culture, and the delicious food! So, when Chelsea mentioned how the construction of a missile defense radar would harm cultural and environmental sites, I had some very strong opinions on this. Hawaii boasts an extremely unique environment with many different types of species. If a missile defense radar were to be made, this would potentially disrupt a thriving ecosystem and put a stain on a beautiful state. It could even lead to other consequences such as a drop in tourism and human activity. However, it’s definitely still going to be a controversial topic. Chelsea talks about how the Missile Defense Agency recently pulled the plug on this proposition due to the public outrage over the situation. Still, there are some passionate supporters over this proposal because there are concerns about the threat of a missile from foreign countries. We live in a world today where nuclear weapons are strong enough to wipe out large masses of civilization. In fact, we have enough nuclear missiles to wipe out the entire world multiple times. Because of this, I can see why some Hawaiians would support the construction of this despite the destruction it may cause to the environment. It’s definitely a fine line that the Hawaiian Missile Defense must figure out in order to please both crowds of the situation. On one end, there is concerns about if there will be damage to the Hawaiian ecosystem and wildlife. On the other end, there is safety concerns about a potential missile striking Hawaii within the next years. In my opinion, I feel like they should at least do something in regards to safety since they shut down the proposal. For example, they could spend more money on the defense budget and find ways they can prevent missiles without building a radar. Another point that Chelsea makes in support of the radars is that they aren’t even made for profit. There is no money to be made off of these facilities, they are made purely for protection against missiles. They are supposedly made to protect from missiles from North Korea. This makes sense since Hawaii is the closest state to North Korea, making it a potential target. The risk of a missile is incredibly real in a world like this, so it’s critical to have some sort of defense at least. Actually, I remember hearing on the news a few years back about how Hawaii had a false-alarm alert for a missile that was going to strike. When this happened, it created extreme panic and chaos over the Hawaiians supposed “impending doom.” If there were a missile defense system instead, it would create a better peace of mind for Hawaiians. Still, this situation is very tricky and I don’t have a clear opinion on it myself. In the next few years, however, I expect nuclear missile defense to be a hot topic for us and it’ll be interesting to see how we handle situations like these in the future.