Vermonters: Fighting Russia, U.S. militarization around the world, and neglecting diplomacy can lead to nuclear war and more killing. The war in Europe is, among other risks, an ecological crisisWe demand that our Vermont delegation to Washington get to work opposing these endless wars. 

 

An Open Letter to Our Vermont Delegation in Washington

September 19, 2023

We are a diverse coalition of Vermonters who want peace and justice. We bring your attention, Senators Sanders and Welch and Representative Balint, to topics that concern us very much.  We realize that you have a large constituency who also have needs, such as Vermonters who recently experienced flooding which created havoc in their lives.

At the same time havoc has been created by U.S. foreign policy in other countries, most  recently in Ukraine due to our government participating in a coup of their elected government in 2014, and presently sending them many billions of dollars and weaponry which you voted for.   By doing so, our federal government and war planners have put us — and the world — in harm’s way by fueling this unwinnable proxy war with another nuclear-armed country, Russia.  Do you realize that the Doomsday Clock has never been as close to midnight as it is right now?  We demand that you publicly oppose U.S. foreign policy that threatens Vermonters and, truly, the whole world.

More specifically, we demand that you issue an immediate public statement calling for a ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in Ukraine.  The majority of the people of the world are against this war with its risks to food and economic security worldwide. 

The Pentagon and our government continue to send our troops, including the Vermont National Guard, around the world.  To what end? Congress funds wars and conflicts that risk our lives while instituting unacceptable future debt. We cannot afford paying for these wasteful weapons systems which line the pockets of global corporations while causing destruction in other countries and causing economic hardships here at home. 

One example of the most wasteful weapons systems is the F-35 nuclear-capable fighter jet based in Burlington. Its extreme noise is causing real harm to the citizenry there on a daily basis. The F-35 is also currently deployed to U.S. military bases in countries very close to the borders of Russia and Ukraine, thus contributing to the increasing risk of nuclear war. We also call for you to pull back our provocative forces and maneuvers in Asia and to start closing the over 800 U.S. military bases around the world. We point out that ours is a government tasked with serving its people, not with world domination. 

This must stop.  We are not asking anymore for crumbs of legislation.  We are demanding an overhaul of our foreign policy for the sake of life on earth.

On average, Vermonters currently pay in their federal taxes $5 on climate resilience, and $58 on nuclear weapons (National Priorities Project, 2022). These skewed priorities are unacceptable.

We demand that you stop funding nuclear weapons and act to pull us back from nuclear war as well as to re-enter the nuclear treaties the U.S. has either violated or withdrawn from.

In summary, the existential danger of over-militarization and the threat of nuclear war require action, not mere words. It is your job to help keep us safe, not support war as your letters and statements to us have indicated.  We look forward to learning of your plans to implement actions addressing these concerns.  It is our heart-felt wish that you join us in creating a better world — a peaceful world which will not melt down or blow up!

Sincerely, 

Steering Committee,

Vermont Peace/Anti-war Coalition  

And other signers (with names of towns where they live and any affiliations they may wish to include).