The world still has 27,000 nuclear weapons, many still on hair trigger alert and more than enough to destroy the human race.
Although 187 nations, including our own, agreed at the 2000 UN Nuclear Non-Proliferation Conference to take Thirteen Practical Steps toward the abolition of nuclear weapons, the US Administration now says that these steps are not in our national intererst.
The World Court in 1996 declared both the use and the threat of use of nuclear weapons illegal.
The US refused to let other nations even set an agenda at the NPT treaty Conference in 2005. This is identified as the major reason for the Conference’s collapse and lack of forward progress.
1,403 Mayors around the world have joined the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, including Mayors of Portland, Ashland, Eugene, Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Salt Lake City, Cleveland, Atlanta and more.
Support demonstrations at the Trident Submarine Base in Bangor, WA which reportedly now has 1,998 nuclear weapons, almost certainly the largest concentration in the world.
Stop Bechtel and other corporations involved in nuclear war profiteering, Go to www.august6.org for a fact sheet and a list of ways to protest against Bechtel.
Join efforts to stop funding for new nuclear weapons. Join an organization working for the abolition of nuclear weapons such as www.disarm.org.
Most importantly, talk to your kids. Encourage them to question authority, empower their lives with action, encourage and educate while realizing they have much to teach us as well.
But most of all remember…
We heard prayers, drums, facts, statistics, pleas… and forgiveness.
My son, pictured above, nailed it… “War is bad”. He didn’t move the entire memorial… Several times he wiped his eyes.
war is bad. So simple. So perfectly put.
I just put this link in Supersoling`s diary in which he makes you a nice exception. It`s about the “First In Nagasaki”, a book soon to be out, about the reporting by the first man there, after the bombing George Weller. He died in 2002 but his supressed work was found by his son who put it in book form. He tells about his father`s feelings about why they supressed his stories. It might be a very different world today, but for the greed & powermongering of our administration in those days.
Here`s the link. I think it`s a very important part of the narative we are living through now.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/pressingissues_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002950982
Which country has nuclear weapons, has threatened to use nuclear weapons, and has used nuclear weapons to kill people in the past?
Exactly! And somehow the US managed to say and teach for 61 years that it was “merciful” and it “saved lives”.
When will we ever learn that bombing, killing, blowing shit up… is BAD(?)
Hopefully before it’s too late:(
Thanks for this post. The hollow transparency of the rhetoric gets worse and worse as the years go by.
Talk about “unsustainable” lifestyles!
It’s time for all of these weapons makers/bomb makers and war profiteers to start to worry about the children of their workers and how they can convert to some useful product to make a living.
It’s time for us to fund social programs and retirement with DoD budget. That’s REALLY national security.
It’s time we all stop what we’re doing and straighten things out once and for all–beginning with our government, our media, and our Pentagon.
Let’s have a government of, for, and by the people.
Let’s have media that serve the public interest.
Let’s have a national defense that doesn’t CREATE threats to progress and peace.
At the NY War Resisters vigil last Saturday, some actors performed a skit about a dream they all shared, a dream that the plants, and all the life on earth, was urging them to ban nuclear weapons.
At first everyone was excited they all had the same dream. They were inspired. But gradually, one by one, they lost the focus, lost the faith in their peace mission, their mutual “dream.”
Finally the last person gives up fighting for the dream of nuclear disarmament and just decides to settle back in and get comfortable in the old lifestyle again, like everybody else.
It was a very disturbing piece.
I fear that if I’m not actively protesting and fighting for peace, then I’m slipping back into the comfortable lifestyle of the blind and brainwashed, comfortable conformist war enabler.
Help.
Drop the Department of Defense and create a Department of Peace.
We have the CD “No Nukes” from a concert about… stopping nuclear proliferation … where is that now? It’s like it’s all disappeared. Now we are raising our children to believe that war stops wars… OMG!
some active peace protesting ideas might be of some help š
Protest Bechtel’s profit from nuclear holocaust
Bechtel and Livermore – both IMHO are terrorist organizations.
Thanks for remembering, DJ.
I had to be reminded yesterday.
Here’s a photo and quote from a remarkable man that I’ve met and whose work I’ve studied. He “wrote the book” on the effects of the bomb on the survivors of Hiroshima, and pioneered the field of psychohistory.
I think you’d really like what he has to say.
his Google page
Thank you Rub!
Man, that could be said for so much. To try and work for an end to this madness without going mad yourself…
XOXOX