Nuclear Test Moratorium
World reknowned astronomer Carl Sagan writes that we are facing a historic opportunity to extricate ourselves from the nightmarish nuclear trap by matching the Soviet Union’s unilateral halt of testing nuclear weapons. He’s right!
Sagan has written, lectured and traveled the globe to make this point. Recently he took his message to the Nevada test site where he was arrested while petitioning our government to stop this nuclear madness.
Can he do more? He has, by challenging the U.S. government to match the Soviets in their nuclear test moratorium. What he has done is place the burden of responsibility firmly where it belongs--in the laps of each registered voter in America.
Currently, the House of Representatives is on record to end nuclear testing. The Senate is not. At this time there are not a majority of senators favoring binding legislation to end testing. There could be as a result of the 1986 November elections!
Thirty-four states are having Senate elections. The majority of candidates facing reelection in these states favor Ronald Reagan’s position that he will veto congressional legislation halting the testing of nuclear weapons. Voters must find out where the candidates stand on this issue before voting. This is a critical challenge to each of us. In most instances the positions are clear cut as is the case in California.
The buck stops with the voter. It is Congress that has the power to cut off the funds for testing. Will the vote be close?
If recent Senate votes on arms control measures have a bearing, consider these chilling facts: The MX missile program was able to advance because of a one-vote margin to build 21 additional missiles making it a viable program; chemical weapon production just passed by a one-vote margin; the Star Wars program just received the needed funding boost to make it possible to advance it beyond the research and development stage by a one-vote margin.
In November the choice is ours.
SUZY MARKS
Chair
Southern California Freeze Voter
Los Angeles
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