-Caveat Lector-
[Summary of US Plan at end. Ask for all US Congresspeople's support]
"...World Court Opinion was most significant..."
Global Peace Walk2000 was initiated in Fall 1998 in response to the call to
the Nuclear Abolition Coalition by Proposition One for such a
transcontinental peacewalk to begin the new millennium by uniting all
survival issue messages and activists behind this goal of global nuclear
abolition and in support of the prayer for "Global Peace Now!" as a
universal human resolve. This call was accepted by Rev. Yusen Yamato who
initiated the Global Peace Walk project with its walk from New York to San
Francisco for the United Nations 50th anniversary in 1995. Rev. Yamato, a
Zen Buddhist Monk from Japan living in San Francisco for over 20years, has
agreed to conduct Global Peace Walk2000 in support of this call from the
American Nuclear Abolition acitivists and in respect of the efforts of
Proposition One and its initiators' 19year ongoing night and day, winter and
summer, antinuclear peace park vigil across Pennsylvania Avenue from The
White House. We hope you will support these projects and check our
continually updating website for how you can participate and help with this
great New Millennium Peace Project at http://www.globalpeacenow.org
From: Peace through Reason <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: My sincere apology
Date: Friday, October 29, 1999 11:16 AM
Dear Nuclear Abolition Workers,
Although my wife, Ellen, is an occasional contributor, I personally, had
refrained from posting anything to this group for at least a year, maybe
two. Several days ago I broke my cyber silence to reply to Alyn Ware's
comments on a "Proposal to Build a Grassroots Movement to Pressure the U.S.
Political System for Nuclear Weapons Abolition." Central to this proposal
was Eleanor Holmes Norton's Nuclear Disarmament and Economic Conversion Act
(H.R. 2545)
Initially, I submitted this proposal to the October, 1998 Abolition 2000
conference in Chicago in response to an open invitation from David
Cortwright for "concrete proposals that can take various political forms:
legislative vehicles, platforms for presidential candidates, and
propositions for ballot support and petitioning." As I understand it, the
main topic at the October meeting was whether or not to change the name of
Abolition 2000, so there was no time for discussing any "concrete
proposals."
The proposal was re-submitted to the January, 1999 Abolition 2000
conference. Again, or so I've been told, was primarily about the name
change, and, again, there was no time to consider "concrete proposals."
Earlier this month Ellen was able to attend the recent conference in Ann
Arbor, where she circulated the exact same proposal, slightly updated to
reflect changes on the political scene since the original submission.
Unfortunately, Ellen tells me, although several individuals expressed
interest in the idea, the group as a whole hadn't time to give it any
serious consideration.
While Ellen was in Ann Arbor, I sent a copy of the proposal to David
Williams via private e-mail. Unbeknownst to me, on October 8th David
forwarded my private e-mail -- very poorly formatted -- to this group. On
October 23rd Alyn Ware posted some thoughtful comments concerning the
proposal to this list. On October 27th I responded, point by point, to
Alyn's comments, and posted my response before Ellen had read it. After
reading it, Ellen was very disappointed by my comment, "rather than play
patty cake with a bunch of wingnut congresspeople, I'd prefer to encourage
them to change their perspective of reality." This disturbed her for two
reasons. First, because of her deep respect for Alyn, she was concerned
that he might take it personally. Second, because of the nature of this
group, she felt that any valid points I may have made might have been
summarily ignored simply because my comment could have been construed as
rudeness.
First, because Alyn has apparently dropped the debate, I fear Ellen might
be correct in thinking that I've insulted him. Therefore, I apologize to
Alyn if he took my comment personally. I certainly did not intend to
insult him, nor did I intend to imply that he was playing patty cake. To
the best of my knowledge (with the exception of Adam Phillips, Anabel
Dwyer, and Alan and Odile Haber, Bob Tiller, Fran Tepliz, and Mary Olsen,
another apology if I overlooked anyone), Alyn is the only person on this
list who has ever done anything substantial to support this particular idea
for disarmament and conversion. Additionally, other than Peter Weiss, Alyn
is the only person who has had the common decency to even bother to address
the idea in writing. Finally, Alyn was instrumental in the most, in my
opinion, practical accomplishment in the history of nuclear disarmament.
Perhaps I'm mistaken, but if I am I welcome correction.
I begin from the premise that the three most significant accomplishments of
the anti-nuclear weapons movement have been:
1. The World Court Opinion
2. The Nuclear Freeze
3. NPT, ABM and CTBT
In my opinion the World Court Opinion was most significant, because it has
actually had a practical effect: two activists were acquitted of criminal
charges in Scotland after citing it in their case. While it's true that
many of my dearest friends have unsuccessfully cited the World Court
Opinion as part of necessity defenses in this country, the fact that it was
successfully used in Scotland proves that it has some practical value.
Parenthetically, of the three most significant accomplishments, the World
Court Opinion probably consumed the least amount of resources and energy.
The Nuclear Freeze Campaign indirectly led to the death of one of the most
noble souls I've ever met. After a full and adventurous life, Norman Mayer
retired to the Seychelles Islands, which he considered to be paradise. One
night, as he sat on the beach enjoying the sunset, Norman decided that life
had blessed him, but he hadn't given enough of himself to his fellow
beings. After considering how he might best apply the remainder of his
life to benefiting humanity, Norman determined that he would devote himself
to the abolition of nuclear weapons. Norman returned to the US in 1978,
went to Florida, began saving money, and seeking others who were also
interested in abolishing nuclear weapons. Norman found a small group at
around the time the Freeze Movement began gathering momentum. His entire
group opted to put their energy into the Freeze. Norman was disappointed.
"The combined arsenals of the US and USSR are equal to a TNT equivalent of
2 tons for every man, woman and child on the face of the planet," he
argued. "It's madness to 'freeze' it at that level. The only solution is
to abolish the weapons." Norman sank most of the money he'd saved into a
large truck, which he drove to the Washington Monument, bluffed that it was
full of explosives, demanded that the news media make the abolition of
nuclear weapons its "Number One Priority," and, on December 8, 1982, was
shot to death by police snipers, thus proving his point that when you
threaten violence, you invite violence. The Freeze scrambled to
disassociate itself from Norman.
History shows that many, many well intentioned people put a great deal of
effort into the Freeze Campaign. The Campaign resulted in successfully
creating a resolution, and engendering organizations which consolidated,
and, under a different name, still exist to this day. When the Freeze
provided something for people to do, many people joined. Unfortunately,
after the Freeze reached a "successful" conclusion, the movement went into
hibernation. Practically, the Freeze neither froze the growth of nuclear
arsenals, nor impeded the development and deployment of more advanced
weapons.
NPT, ABM and CTBT consumed a great deal of resources and energy from the
anti-nuclear weapons community. Critics pointed out that the Japanese were
negotiating a treaty when they bombed Pearl Harbor, that the US has
violated every treaty it ever made with the indigenous peoples, and argued
that, in practical terms, treaties are worthless. Anybody who still
believes that the CTBT was a success should call Trent Lott's office.
Anybody who thinks the ABM will be anything more than a memory by next
summer need only examine US plans to deploy ABM systems and Russian
responses to those plans, or talk to Bruce Gagnon about space based nukes.
Anyone who thinks the NPT has helped slow the proliferation of nuclear
weapons probably hasn't heard about what India and Pakistan have been up to
lately.
So, dear friends, unless I'm wrong, and please correct me if I'm mistaken,
notwithstanding our heartfelt efforts, objectively speaking I'm afraid that
we really don't have much reason to pat ourselves on the back. In other
words, OUR movement seems dead in the water.
Judging from David Cortwright's 1998 invitation, he might even agree with
me, otherwise why would he be soliciting suggestions for strategies and
tactics?
In closing, I can't help but wonder, if we are dead in the water, and we're
looking for some engine to get us going, why can't we find time to
patiently discuss good faith proposals?
Peace through Reason,
Thomas
____________________________________________________________
* Peace Through Reason - http://prop1.org -Convert the War Machines! *
____________________________________________________________
The full transcript of the press conference, with speeches by Congressional
Co-Sponsors Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), and
nuclear
policy experts Dr. Marcus Raskin (Institute for Policy Studies), Mary Olson
(Nuclear Information and Resource Service), Bob Tiller (Physicians for
Social
Responsibility), and John Steinbach (Veterans for Peace), as well as the
text
of the bill HR-2545, can be found at
http://prop1.org/prop1/990730p1.speeches.htm
106th CONGRESS CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H.R. 2545
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Ms. NORTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Armed Services and International Relations Committees on July 16, 1999
A BILL
To provide for nuclear disarmament and economic conversion
in accordance with District of Columbia Initiative Measure
Number 37 of 1993
1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
4 This Act may be cited as the "Nuclear Disarmament
5 and Economic Conversion Act of 1999".
6 SEC 2. REQUIREMENT FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT AND
7 ECONOMIC CONVERSION.
8 The United States Government shall----
1 (1) disable and dismantle all its nuclear weap-
2 ons and refrain from replacing them at any time
3 with any weapons of! mass destruction;
4 (2) redirect resources that are currently being
5 used for nuclear weapons programs to use
6 (A) in converting all nuclear weapons in
7 dustry employees, processes, plants, and pro-
8 grams smoothly to constructive, ecologically
9 beneficial peacetime activities during the 3
10 years following the effective date of this Act,
11 and
12 (B) in addressing human and infrastruc-
13 ture needs such as housing, health care, edu-
14 cation, agriculture, and enviromnental restora-
15 tion;
16 (3) undertake vigorous good faith efforts to
17 eliminate war, armed conflict, and all military oper-
18 ations; and
19 (4) actively promote policies to induce all other
20 countries to join in these commitments for world
21 peace and security.
22 SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
23 This Act shall take effect when the President certifies
24 to the Congress that all foreign countries possessing nu-
25 clear weapons have established legal requirements com-
1 parable to those set forth in section 2 and those require-
2 ments have taken effect.
______________________________________________________________________
If you have any questions about the bill or event, please contact Ellen
Thomas,
PROPOSITION ONE COMMITTEE
PO BOX 27217, WASHINGTON, DC 20038 USA
202-462-0757-- (voice) | 202-265-5389 -- (fax)
[EMAIL PROTECTED] -- (e-mail) | http://prop1.org -- (World-Wide-Web)
Global Peace Walk2000 was initiated in Fall 1998 in response to the call to
the Nuclear Abolition Coalition by Proposition One for such a
transcontinental peacewalk to begin the new millennium by uniting all
survival issue messages and activists behind this goal of global nuclear
abolition and in support of the prayer for "Global Peace Now!" as a
universal human resolve. This call was accepted by Rev. Yusen Yamato who
initiated the Global Peace Walk project with its walk from New York to San
Francisco for the United Nations 50th anniversary in 1995. Rev. Yamato, a
Zen Buddhist Monk from Japan living in San Francisco for over 20years has
agreed to conduct Global Peace Walk2000 in support of this call from the
American Nuclear Abolition acitivists and in respect of the efforts of
Proposition One and its initiators' 19year ongoing night and day, winter and
summer, antinuclear peace park vigil across Pennsylvania Avenue from The
White House. We hope you will support these projects and check our
continually updated website for how you can participate and help with this
great New Millennium Peace Project at http://www.globalpeacenow.org
Thank you very much,
David Crockett Williams [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Global Emergency Alert Response
http://www.angelfire.com/on/GEAR2000
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