Hello Friends of Peace,

Please sign and share this petition with your friends and neighbors. Once we have enough signatures, we will present them with this letter to our representative Becca Balint, asking her to co-sign this important legislation H. Res. 77. 

 

August 6, 2024

Dear Congressperson Becca Balint,

We, your constituents, write to address the profoundly serious matter of nuclear weapons and war. The purpose of this communique is to ask that you co-sponsor Representative McGovern’s House Resolution 77 which embraces the goals and provisions of the Treaty to Prohibit Nuclear Weapons. The resolution has 43 Congressional Co-Sponsors and, as Vermonters who recognize the tenuous times in which we live, and the all-too-real threat of nuclear war, we are dismayed not to see your name among the co-sponsors of this vital piece of legislation. To be clear, this legislation does not call for the U.S. to unilaterally disarm, but simply to engage in multilateral efforts toward prohibiting nuclear weapons.

Regarding proliferation and war planning over recent years, we have been watching leaders of the world bandy around the nuclear option as if it is a viable solution, rather than a deadly threat that could/would destroy all life as we know it. Frankly, we see reckless behavior from 1945 when the first atom bomb was tested in the New Mexico desert, then used to decimate Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to the current threats from Putin and North Korea. The U.S. arsenal contains about 5,400 nuclear weapons, 1,744 of which are deployed and ready to be delivered.

With tensions in all corners of the world rising at fever pitch, and only a year ago the Doomsday Clock moved to 90 seconds to midnight, it is long past time to take the threat of nuclear annihilation seriously. It boggles the mind to think that after a period of significant and verifiable reductions (80%) in warheads since the Reagan and Gorbachev administrations, things have reverted to a point where we should all be quaking in our boots. Even a "limited nuclear war" has been foolishly toyed with. In a long litany of remarks to the Arms Control Association on June 2, 2023, Jake Sullivan rationalized modernizing and building up the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal: “Together with our NATO Allies, we’ve been laser focused on modernizing the Alliance’s nuclear capabilities—from ensuring broad participation in the Alliance’s nuclear deterrent mission, to certifying our F-35 aircraft to be able to deliver modern nuclear gravity bombs.” There is no mention of the fact that nuclear war will almost certainly lead to mass starvation, disease, and a depleted planet.

Rather than "being laser focused" on a new nuclear arms race, we want our government to step back from the brink and redefine "national security" to mean "common or collective security" based on our common humanity. We must begin to lay the groundwork now for being a trustworthy partner with other nations. To begin this process, Congressperson Balint, we urge you to co-sponsor House Resolution 77. Please feel free to contact us for any reason. We look forward to hearing your position on this legislation. We believe the eventual elimination of all nuclear weapons is possible and by joining with us, and other co-sponsors in the House, we will make it so.

Signed, Vermont Peace/Antiwar Coalition (VPAC) Steering Committee, Crystal Zevon (West Barnet), Henry Nichols (Thetford), Nancy Rice (Randolph Center), Robin Lloyd (Burlington), Duncan Nichols (Thetford, petition coordinator)

and;

Vermonters from all over the State. (please see attached petition with names and town/city of residence - Petition I.D. #)