|
|
|
|
| Navigation Bar Submit Feedback |
It has been almost twenty years since the Department of Energy last presented plans for a new nuclear weapons complex to the people of the United States. That plan was called Complex 21, and it looked and smelled like the current version—Complex Transformation. In both cases, the proposals called for billion dollar construction projects that were justified by no military or security need; in both cases, the proposals stood in defiant contradiction of US commitments under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.
In 1991, the people rose up and told the government it couldn’t have it’s new Bombplex—in Oak Ridge hundreds and hundreds came to the hearings and we heard, over and over, the firm and powerful “NO” from people who believe peace comes not at the hands of nuclear bullies, but through developing relationships of cooperation based on mutual understanding and common interests. The Oak Ridge hearing in 1991 was mirrored in several places across the country as activists devoted themselves to organizing opposition to bomb plants. As soon as the announced pre-registration for the hearings, the announcement came: a second day of hearings; then another hearing concurrently with the first, in another auditorium; in the end dual hearings spanned two days. A brave fifth grader from an Oak Ridge school standing before the microphone: “It’s as if I had a closet crammed full of basketball shoes from top to bottom so I could barely close the door, and I started asking my mom to buy me another pair. We have more bombs now than we can use. Why do we need more?” Labor Unions were out in force, too, at the hearing, wearing specially printed T-shirts and jeering at the speakers until the police took two of them out and Monroe Gilmour from North Carolina took the microphone and said “Shame on you. If you can’t show these speakers respect, at least police your own. Don’t make security take your people out.” Things were quieter after that. In the end, Complex 21 went away. Administrations changed, and with them the political tides shifted and the new bomb plants were all swept out to sea. Fast-forward a decade…. It was a conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico, billed as the Nuclear Decision Makes Forum, held in the early days of the Bush Administration in 2001. One of the keynote speakers addresses the “three challenges facing the Enterprise,” by which he meant bomb building. The first challenge was to “take advantage of the window of opportunity provided by the Bush Administration.” And now here they are. It took them seven years and a couple of false starts, but the proposal is launched—Complex Transformation. We know what it takes to stop the new weapons complex because we did it before. It takes every on of us—every single one of us—showing up and speaking. And announcing it at church, synagogue, temple, mosque, work, school, wherever you see people who care about the future. Ralph Hutchinson OREPA |
|
|
Peacehq Home |
|
|
FootPrints For Peace Home |
Feedback |
|
Help |
 Jeff |
 Tyler |
 Larry |
 Jim |
 Marcus |
 Jason |
 K-A |
 Ray |
 Hattie |
 Yusha |
 "MadCow" |
|
|