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terms which would be meaningful to the affected Marshallese, it

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seems that this might possibly be the only course in order to resolve
not only some of the anxiety and uneasiness in the minds of the
people, but some of the resentment and distrust of the examinations
and of the team itself.
Time and again the Committee found that the people did not understand anything about their exposure, the amount of the exposure, the
possible effects on themselves and their children and on their environ-

ment.

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Dr. Conard, according to one person, was asked why the team
His reported reply was

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did not explain such things to the people,

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that even the questioner, who was a college graduate, would have

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difficulty understanding what it was all about.

This may be true,

if it were expected that the team explain everything about the exposure and its effects during the length of their visit.

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However,

the Committee strongly feels that explanations are possible and should

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be carried out, either through the use of simple text, pictures,

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analogies and whatever other kinds of aids necessary to convey to

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the people a basic understanding of their situation.

It is, after

all, a widespread practice in the medical profession to explain to
the patient what is going to take place to ease the patient's mind.
Unfortunately, this has never been done to the Rongelapese.

It has

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effectively produced a situation analogous to that of a teenager whose

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parents avoid telling him about sexual matters, only to have the son
or daughter pick up his needed information by rumor, heresay, and
innuendo,

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In either case, such information does not produce a healthy

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