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A lot of people think the end of the cold war meant we don't have to worry about nuclear weapons anymore. Nothing could be further from the truth.
With 23,000 nuclear weapons in the world and 13 new countries on the verge of building them—including aggressive regimes like Iran and North Korea—there's a terribly high risk that one of these weapons could fall into the hands of an extremist group.1
President Obama is taking this threat very seriously. On Wednesday, he signed a historic treaty with Russian President Medvedev to cut arsenals by a third and get serious about preventing other countries from moving forward with their nuclear programs.2 And next week, world leaders will come together for a historic summit to tackle this very challenge.
But the right-wing hawks are up in arms. They're trying to scare the country into thinking that having more nuclear weapons makes us safer.3 President Obama needs to know we have his back as he takes a bold stand on this issue. Can you sign this petition from our friends at Global Zero to support eliminating these dangerous weapons from the face of the earth?
Global Zero is a campaign to eliminate nuclear weapons completely in the next 20 years. They have support from national security experts and leaders around the world.4 But we need to show that there is grassroots support from ordinary Americans for this goal.
With fears of a Mideast nuclear arms race mounting, and tensions in the Korean Peninsula and Pakistan far from over, the chance of a military or terrorist nuclear attack remains a chilling threat. Experts say we can't maintain the status quo—the risks of regional nuclear war, nuclear terrorism, or catastrophic accidents are rising daily.
Next week's historic summit could be the beginning of the end of all these monstrous weapons. And Global Zero will be there in Washington to deliver these petition signatures to President Obama and remind world leaders that we can't afford more nuclear weapons.
Experts are pleading with governments to disarm or risk disaster, but politicians often cite the lack of public attention for not acting on this issue. The Presidents of the US and Russia have agreed in principle to Global Zero, but the hard part is getting them to do it in practice. The Washington summit next week is a major chance to hold them to their word.
Can you add your voice to the hundreds of thousands to make sure our leaders hear a powerful call for Global Zero? The number of signers will be announced at the summit!
Thanks for all you do,
–Justin, Ilyse, Laura, Joan and the rest of the team
1. "Reaching Zero," The Nation, April 1, 2010. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20100419/schell2. "Obama and Medvedev sign disarmament treaty," Reuters, April 8, 2010. http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6365Y420100408
3. "Palin Says Obama's Nuke Stance Is Like a Kid Who Says 'Punch Me in the Face'", ABC News, April 7, 2010. http://www.moveon.org/r?r=87801&id=19773-10220574-Zy9qKnx&t=5
4. http://www.globalzero.org/full-list-signatories
Want to support our work? We're entirely funded by our 5 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
PAID FOR BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's committee. This email was sent to eddie alfaro on April 9, 2010. To change your email address or update your contact info, click here. To remove yourself from this list, click here.
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