COUNTERPLAN/NUCLEAR ABOLITION

MOVEMENT: NUCLEAR ABOLITION MOVEMENT CAN SUCCEED AND BAN THESE WEAPONS

SMALL STEPS BY INDIVIDUALS TOWARDS NUCLEAR ABOLITION CAN HELP UPROOT THE CULTURE OF VIOLENCE

HOWARD BREMBECK, Fourth Freedom Foundation, 2000, IN SEARCH OF THE FOURTH FREEDOM // VT2002 acs p. 159-160

But no tradition is permanent. If the tradition of violence cannot be uprooted, it can, at least, be diminished by the faith, commitment, goodwill and leadership of everyday individuals in America and around the world. If we stand up for what we know is right, if we seize the power that now is available to us, we can renew the face of the earth. We can replace the rule of force with the force of law and create a society that is united in striving for goals that benefit all nations, all races, all people.

We do not need extraordinary intelligence, knowledge, wisdom or courage to join in this effort. We do need the determination to share our beliefs and our understanding with others. We need to increase our realization of the interdependence of today's world and, if we are Americans, to tell our fellow citizens about the role the United States must play in creating a new age of cooperative security. We need to communicate our strong belief in the rule of law and why it must be strengthened here at home and extended to all the world.

By taking these small steps, we can play a major role in shaping tomorrow. We can contribute to the momentum that is moving civilization upward.

IT IS INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL LEAD US TOWARDS ABOLITION OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

HOWARD BREMBECK, Fourth Freedom Foundation, 2000; IN SEARCH OF THE FOURTH FREEDOM // VT2002 acs p. 168-169

When everyday people look the present danger squarely in the eye, they will waste no time in forcing their leaders to do the same. Then humanity will be moving toward a consensus for survival, an awareness that nuclear and other weapons of mass murder are inherently evil. People will come to understand that these weapons are not armaments in any traditional sense. They are the instruments of global suicide. Once people accept this truth, they will see to it that weapons of annihilation are totally and permanently banished. They will not tolerate the possession of annihilating devices by any nation or group of nations.

I cannot predict exactly when or how this will happen, but I am entirely confident that it will. I am equally confident that the abolition of weapons of mass murder will be accompanied by other positive developments. People will accept the necessity and inevitability of international law. They will see that the law is the guarantor of a Fourth Freedom that is global and enduring. They may even be open to the possibility that the law created to govern relationships among nations will reflect the universal law instituted at the moment of creation and perpetuated through the ages by a power that we cannot hope to know.

THE INDIVIDUAL HAS MORE POWER NOW TO INFLUENCE EVENTS THAN EVER BEFORE

HOWARD BREMBECK, Fourth Freedom Foundation, 2000; IN SEARCH OF THE FOURTH FREEDOM // VT2002 acs p. 7

Never before has the individual possessed so much power to profoundly influence the present and the future. Today's expanding empowerment of the individual marks a turning point in the development of civilization. We have reached a moment in which we can begin to visualize a future dominated by hope. We have begun to cross the threshold into an age controlled by realistic thinking about the nature of international relationships. I strongly believe we are moving closer to a world in which aggression can be outlawed and security will be made genuine.

GANDHI AND MANDELA SHOW THAT NUCLEAR ABOLITION IS POSSIBLE AND EACH OF US CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

If Gandhi could lead the Indian subcontinent to independence from Britain and Nelson Mandela could spend 27 years in prison and come out to end apartheid in South Africa and become president of that country, each of us can also play a role in changing the world. We may not all be Gandhis or Mandelas, but we can play a role in meeting the challenges of the Nuclear Age. Each of us can make a difference.

CITIZEN ACTION HAS CREATED MANY IMPORTANT CHANGES, AND CAN CAUSE NUCLEAR ABOLITION

It took many years to negotiate treaties banning biological and chemical weapons, but it was accomplished. Similarly, the abolition of the slave trade was perceived as an idealistic dream when it was first advocated, but it too was realized by the involvement of citizens who acted upon their moral principles. The goal is very challenging, but numerous experts say it is do-able if we can generate the political will. Citizen action has been instrumental in reversing the nuclear arms race already; now it can be decisive in abolishing nuclear weapons altogether.

EACH PERSON WHO ADVOCATES NUCLEAR ABOLITION MEANS ADDITIONAL PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOAL

David Krieger, President of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.  11.28.2000 A World Without Nuclear Weapons

Those who are working to end the nuclear weapons threat to humanity may seem relatively weak in relation to the magnitude of the problem, but our moral imperative could not be more powerful.  We are making headway day by day, and I invite you to join us in this effort