Monday event in Sioux Falls; Lobby for nonproliferation

[sarahlee]

From SD Peace and Justice:

EVENT: Monday, 1-3 pm, at federal courthouse in Sioux Falls
Memorial Day Witness of Grief over the war.
Wear something BLACK, bring a black umbrella, or get a black arm band at the gathering.

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The United Nations Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference concluded today, without any movement toward making the world more safe from nucear weapons.

Signers of the 1972 NPT agreed to forgo nuclear weapons if they did not already have them and to move with all due speed toward nuclear disarmament if they did possess nuclear weapons. US is breaking faith with that agreement. Now we say others must forgo nuclear weapons but

• we can keep ours, permanently
  
• we will build and test new classes of nuclear weapons --- tactical battlefield nukes, space nukes, and nuclear bunker busters
  
• we may respond with nuclear weapons to a non-nuclear attack
  
• we may pre-emptively attack underground bunkers that hold weapons of mass destruction

The international consensus is that the United States is undermining the treaty and dragging the whole world backward from some hopeful progress that was being made in the 1980's and 1990's. North Korea's and Iran's programs to acquire nuclear weapons seem to be in direct response to United States threats. India says they won't sign the NPT unless the US quits being a nuclear weapons hypocrite. Pakistan says it can't get rid of nukes as long as India has them.

This is awful. What can we do?

Congressional control is the only way now to rein in our nuke-loving Administration. There will be several more voting opportunities in the FY 20 budget-setting cycle to stop the nuclear weapons juggernaut. SUGGESTION: Contact Johnson, Thune, and Herseth WEEKLY to urge NO MONEY for BUNKER BUSTE

Rs or nuclear testing. Let's start honoring our international obligations. They are not just international law, they are the LAW of the LAND under the US Constitution.



Senator John Thune Sioux Falls field office 605/334-9596 fax[phone] N. Main Avenue, SF 57104 Washington, DC 866/850-3855 fax [phone] http://www.thune.senate.gov (Click "Contact Us")

Senator Tim Johnson Sioux Falls field office 800/537-0025 fax [phone] S. Minnesota Ave, SF 57104 Washington, DC 202/224-5842, fax [phone], http://www.johnson.senate.gov (Click "Contact Tim")

Representative Stephanie Herseth SF Field Office 866/371-8747 fax [phone] S. Minnesota Avenue, Suite 100 SF, SD 57105 Washington, DC [phone] fax [phone] [e-mail]