May 2021 Edition
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peaceactionmich.org • [email protected] ISSUE 2 • SPRING 2021 Annual Fishman-Perrin Presentation The Intersection Between Race & Nuclear Weapons Expert on race, nukes and justice Vincent J. Intondi will present Via Zoom, June 10 at 7pm Vincent J. Intondi is a Professor of His- tory and the Director of the Institute for Race, Justice and Civic Engagement at Montgomery College in Maryland. He is the former Director of Research for Ameri- can University’s Nuclear Studies Institute in Washington, D.C. Prof. Intondi is the author of African Americans This is our Fishman-Perrin Against the Bomb—Nuclear Weapons, Colonialism, Presentation in honor of Al and The Black Freedom Movement. His book Fishman and Dr. Gene Perrin chronicles the resistance of African Americans (shown at left). They were peace against nuclear weapons beginning with the Hiro- activists and members of the shima and Nagasaki bombings. It includes the Board of Directors of Peace actions of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mrs. Action of Michigan. Coretta Scott King, who declared in 1982: “All of our hopes for equality, justice, economic security, and a To be sure you get your Zoom invitation send healthy environment depend on nuclear disarmament.” your email address to [email protected] Stop the Omnicider Peace Action President Kevin Martin calls the new “Ground time. That could build a massive wall to protect New York City Based Strategic Deterrent” nuclear-armed missile the “Omni- from sea level rise, or cover 8.58 million hospital stays for Covid- cider.” It is as long as a bowling lane and will 19 patients. travel some 6,000 miles to deliver a nuclear According to recent polling, Ameri- warhead 20 times more powerful than the cans say the number one thing that would atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima. make them feel safer is “a sense that Wouldn’t that be a nuclear nightmare Covid-19 is under control.” Overwhelm- leading to a nuclear winter? The U.S. Air ingly, they do not derive their sense of Force plans to order 600. safety from putting their tax dollars into The Physicians for Social Responsibility Physicians for Social Responsibility nuclear weapons, according to the Physi- calls it the “Money Pit Missile” because it opposes the Ground Based Strategic cians for Social Responsibility. will cost more than $260 billion over its life- Deterrent plan. Graphic: www.psr.org Continued on page 2 1 INSIGHTS & BRIEFS Council Highlights The Newsletter of By Dan Butts Peace Action of Michigan (formerly Michigan SANE/Freeze) This is the first column by Dan Butts, a semi-retired psychologist, health educator, massage therapist, eight-year Peace Action of Michigan Board Member, and co-editor of the FLASH! Newsletter. Dan has written hundreds of articles and newspaper columns and (co-)authored four books, including How Corporations $ Hurt Us All: Saving Our Rights, Democracy, Institutions, and Our Future (2003). Biden Affirms enrichment. There is no time to waste The views and opinions in this Nuclear Arms Control with Iranian elections coming in June. newsletter do not necessarily President Joe Biden has controversies We must continue to encourage Senators represent the position of with Russia but he says that nuclear arms Peters and Stabenow to tell President Peace Action of Michigan control can still be a source of coopera- Biden to take the initiative in reducing BOARD OF DIRECTORS tion. Please note — this is arms control, sanctions since we are the party who first Dan Butts but not the nuclear disarmament that is broke the deal. Kate Conway the necessary goal. Closing Overseas Military Bases Linda Darga, Co-Chair The ‘Skinny’ Budget Jeff Farrah The Council for a Livable World’s Execu- Trey Greene The “skinny” or condensed proposal for tive Director John Tierney is a member of Keith Gunter the Defense Budget from President Biden The Overseas Base Realignment and Kenneth Jenkins is an increase over President Trump’s Closure Coalition. The Coalition sent an Frank O’Donnell, Secretary final budget. Peace Action is recom- open letter to the Biden administration Rev. Rich Peacock, Co-Chair mending a cut of at least 10%. The Biden urging them to conduct a thorough pos- Terry Pritchet, Treasurer Administration is awaiting a program- ture review of U.S. forces and ultimately Sushma Rao matic review of the nuclear enterprise on close many of the United States’ more Rudy Simons, Emeritus topics such as building a new Interconti- than 800 bases in 80 foreign countries. Prasad Venugopal nental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), which is Push Back Against New Missiles Helen Weber sure to be a deep “money pit.” Peace The U.S. nuclear deterrent is sufficient and FLASH EDITORIAL TEAM Action also fears high costs for the unre- does not need “modernization.” The new Dan Butts, Rev. Rich Peacock & liable F-35 fighter jet and the Navy’s plans Ground Based Nuclear Deterrent (ICBM) Helen Weber for more ships. We say: “Move the Money and the new nuclear-armed, sea-launched Graphic Design: Barbara Barefield to Pandemic-19 Relief Worldwide!” cruise missile (SLCM) are unnecessary. OUR MISSION With Iran — Who Goes First? There are several studies proposing we Peace Action of Michigan is a The stand-off between the U.S. and Iran actually reduce the number of readily democratic, grassroots movement on complying with the 2015 nuclear available nuclear warheads to 1,000 or less. organizing locally to achieve a new foreign policy leading to a just weapons deal is probably solidified by the But the current number is about 1,500. World Without Violence Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facility. The — Adapted from “The Council Front We seek: diplomatic stalemate is over who will go & Center: An update on arms control, • A demilitarized, sustainable first in compliance — the U.S. in reduc- national security and politics from the economy ing sanctions or Iran in rolling back some Council for a Livable World.” • The abolition of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction • Diplomatic resolutions to Stop the Omnicider shortens the decision time on whether to global conflict Continued from page 2 use nuclear weapons to less than 10 Your Email Needed Former Secretary of Defense William minutes. Join our email list to receive Perry has said these ICBMs are “some of Areas of the USA where our ICBMs Action Alerts and Peace Action the most dangerous weapons in the are currently in silos are targeted so FLASH digitally. Email [email protected] world.” That’s because ICBMs are targets heavily that these states (MT, CO, ND, for Russia as much as they are meant to be WY, NE) are sometimes referred to as weapons. Even worse, they are “sitting “the nuclear sponge.” ducks.” Therefore, they force the U.S. The “modernization” of ICBMs is President to “use them or lose them.” That redundant, costly, and dangerous. 2 3 You Need the Security of a World without Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons do not make The manufacturing of nuclear 1 you safer. Nukes did not deter the 7 weapons and their delivery systems attacks on 9/11. Despite the U.S. pos- requires unnecessary taxation on you. The sessing overwhelming numbers of nukes nuclear war making industry produces and their huge destructive capacity, “the fewer jobs than investments in education, Bomb” has not deterred countries like healthcare, or repairing our roads and North Korea, Israel, Pakistan, and North water lines. Korea from building nuclear missiles The nuclear weapons’ military- and warheads. Furthermore, nukes do 8 media-industrial-congressional nothing to stop domestic terrorists or complex deprives humanity of the minds white supremacists. and talents of too many bright men and You should not have to live under women. 2 mushroom clouds of bombs that It will take actions by you and me to are ecocidal and suicidal. Mutually create a world without nuclear weapons Assured Destruction is indeed “MAD.” and the fear of being obliterated. The pub- Even a small exchange will kill millions lic’s fear of nuclear war limited President and cause widespread “nuclear famine.” Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A “nuclear winter” in Detroit would be President Nixon complained bitterly that, much worse than Hiroshima — an unimaginable, poisonous had he used nuclear weapons in Vietnam, the resulting domestic wasteland unlivable for a century or two. uproar would have damaged U.S. foreign policy on all fronts. You do not need to compromise your conscience. Nuclear Now is the time for you to press for a world without nuclear 3 bombs are ethically wrong. They are monstrous weapons weapons. You will sleep better at night. of mass destruction indiscriminately slaughtering human beings, — Rev. Rich Peacock plants, and animals. Pope Francis and other religious leaders have called the possession of nuclear weapons “immoral.” As long as nuclear weapons exist, there remains the possi- Action Alert 4 bility of an accident or unintended nuclear war. On more Peace Action (national) emails Action Alerts so you than one occasion, there have been false alarms about an enemy can contact the President and Congress to advocate for nuclear attack that have nearly led to the other side launching legislation that makes for peace and justice. nuclear weapons. On January 25, 1995, Russia mistook a weather Go to www.peace-action.org and use the drop down rocket for a nuclear missile. Thank goodness President Boris menu, “To Get Involved.” Peace Action Calls for Advocacy! Yeltsin did not launch a retaliatory response. As long as nuclear weapons exist, there will be temptations 5 to use them. Why Commemorate Hiroshima? As long as nuclear weapons exist, there will be the danger Mark your calendar for Friday, 6 that terrorists could obtain and use them.