6. WHAT CAN WE DO?
Let us consider these ideas:
- first, that the deterrence scheme of Mutually Assured Destruction that our governments have pursued for nearly 70 years has not prevented the spread of nuclear weapons, but has instead led us to the current position where we are threatened by our own and other nations’ nuclear weapons with deteriorating infrastructure and security, and the growing danger of their acquisition and use by rogue terrorist groups; and here in the US there is political pressure growing to actually build more, bigger, and better bombs and missiles, and in fact it is already underway;
- second, as the nation which first built them, and the only nation to have used these weapons, we have a singular responsibility to lead the way, by our national example, to their complete elimination from the earth. We must go first;
- finally, that President Obama is our first good champion of nuclear disarmament; I believe it is clear that we have a unique opportunity, if we who care about this issue work together now, and with enough energy and conviction, we can actually make real progress toward true nuclear disarmament.
There are many ways to join in this work. Several organizations are already involved, and I think we should join all of them, with our donations and suggestions. Here are a few:
-Ploughshares Fund, www.ploughshares.org
-Global Zero, www.globalzero.org
-Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, www.wagingpeace.org
-American Friends Service Committee, www.afsc.org
-Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_weapons_and_global_security/
-Religions For Peace, www.religionsforpeace.org
-United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Nuclear
-Council For a Livable World, Council for a Livable World.org
-Don't Bank on the Bomb, http://www.dontbankonthebomb.com/
Just as importantly, or maybe more so, we can discuss this issue with people we meet every day. Learn as much as you can, and talk to your families, neighbors, social and business groups, religious and political groups. The more people that are involved, the more influence we can have on the people who make the decisions necessary to accomplish the goal of eliminating all the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal. Our Congressional Representatives and Senators must know what we think, and how much we are committed to these ideas, before they will act. We must make some noise. Unless we raise the issue at every level of influence, and keep reminding them that total nuclear disarmament is absolutely necessary, the political, military, and industrial benefactors of nuclear weapons will prevail. The time is here to act, but it may not last long. We must get busy.
(I recently had a link here to an online petition with moveon.org, but didn't get many signatures, so I took it down. The petition is being presented to the US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Congressman Rick Larsen, and I will try again. I recommend you do the same.)
Personal request
If you have any questions, corrections, suggestions, or additional ideas about this subject or my discussion of it, please let me know. I am not sure what to do next, but I am compelled to do something. I believe there are many people who have similar thoughts, and I also believe that the only way we can accomplish anything is to work together. Thank you.
Tracy W Powell
30 Tulalip Way
La Conner, WA 98257
Phone: 360-840-3826
Email: stonebard@gmail.com or tracy@nomorebombs.org
next: book list for bomb >
Let us consider these ideas:
- first, that the deterrence scheme of Mutually Assured Destruction that our governments have pursued for nearly 70 years has not prevented the spread of nuclear weapons, but has instead led us to the current position where we are threatened by our own and other nations’ nuclear weapons with deteriorating infrastructure and security, and the growing danger of their acquisition and use by rogue terrorist groups; and here in the US there is political pressure growing to actually build more, bigger, and better bombs and missiles, and in fact it is already underway;
- second, as the nation which first built them, and the only nation to have used these weapons, we have a singular responsibility to lead the way, by our national example, to their complete elimination from the earth. We must go first;
- finally, that President Obama is our first good champion of nuclear disarmament; I believe it is clear that we have a unique opportunity, if we who care about this issue work together now, and with enough energy and conviction, we can actually make real progress toward true nuclear disarmament.
There are many ways to join in this work. Several organizations are already involved, and I think we should join all of them, with our donations and suggestions. Here are a few:
-Ploughshares Fund, www.ploughshares.org
-Global Zero, www.globalzero.org
-Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, www.wagingpeace.org
-American Friends Service Committee, www.afsc.org
-Union of Concerned Scientists, www.ucsusa.org/nuclear_weapons_and_global_security/
-Religions For Peace, www.religionsforpeace.org
-United Nations, www.un.org/disarmament/WMD/Nuclear
-Council For a Livable World, Council for a Livable World.org
-Don't Bank on the Bomb, http://www.dontbankonthebomb.com/
Just as importantly, or maybe more so, we can discuss this issue with people we meet every day. Learn as much as you can, and talk to your families, neighbors, social and business groups, religious and political groups. The more people that are involved, the more influence we can have on the people who make the decisions necessary to accomplish the goal of eliminating all the nuclear weapons in the US arsenal. Our Congressional Representatives and Senators must know what we think, and how much we are committed to these ideas, before they will act. We must make some noise. Unless we raise the issue at every level of influence, and keep reminding them that total nuclear disarmament is absolutely necessary, the political, military, and industrial benefactors of nuclear weapons will prevail. The time is here to act, but it may not last long. We must get busy.
(I recently had a link here to an online petition with moveon.org, but didn't get many signatures, so I took it down. The petition is being presented to the US Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Congressman Rick Larsen, and I will try again. I recommend you do the same.)
Personal request
If you have any questions, corrections, suggestions, or additional ideas about this subject or my discussion of it, please let me know. I am not sure what to do next, but I am compelled to do something. I believe there are many people who have similar thoughts, and I also believe that the only way we can accomplish anything is to work together. Thank you.
Tracy W Powell
30 Tulalip Way
La Conner, WA 98257
Phone: 360-840-3826
Email: stonebard@gmail.com or tracy@nomorebombs.org
next: book list for bomb >
