Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace

P.O. Box 363 Geneseo, NY 14454

FAX: 716-243-4002 e-mail: <PeaceHank@aol.com>

Web Site: <www.gvcp.org>

"HUMAN RACE NOT ARMS RACE"

June 10, 2000

NEXT GVCP MEETING: SATURDAY, JUNE 24th, 2:00 PM, 2290 Anderson Rd, Linwood, NY 14486. [Anderson Rd runs west off Rte. 36, one road south of Rte. 20. 2290 is 1.7 miles west along Anderson, on the south side of the road, in the woods.]

Save the Dates: Sunday, July 16^th, 12:00 noon, Mendon Pond Park, Southview Shelter (note new location), Ciudad Hermana/ROCLA PicNica. This event is no longer a fundraiser—it’s a celebration of the triumph of the Sandinista revolution, and a chance to have an outdoor potluck lunch with friends. We have often held the July GVCP meeting at the PicNica, and we have been asked to do this next month. The decision about this can be made at our June 24^th meeting. For more information about PicNica, call Michael Argaman at 716-262-5600 or Peter Mott at 716-381-5606.

THIS MONTH’S LETTERS: SAY NO TO NATIONAL MISSILE DEFENSE! Star Wars has again risen from its grave, now using the name National Missile Defense (NMD). At first glance, the concept of a system that will shoot down incoming nuclear missiles is appealing. In reality, NMD is a program that is wrong in every possible way:

The cost of NMD is appalling. Estimates are that NMD will cost $60 to $120 billion over 15 years, even for a limited system.

NMD responds to the wrong threat, and doesn’t work even against that threat. A terrorist state could far more easily ship a nuclear weapon to a U.S. harbor city, or smuggle the weapon across U.S. borders. Why would a nation launch a nuclear missile, and insure its own destruction, when it could accomplish the same result with relative safety? Furthermore, the NMD hasn’t been demonstrated to do what’s it’s supposed to do. NMD is supposed to be tested nineteen times—President Clinton is going to make a decision about the program after the third test. Most independent scientists say NMD will never reliably protect the U.S. from an incoming missile.

NMD encourages a new arms race. By rejecting the nuclear test ban, and building NMD, the U.S. is sending a clear message to the rest of the world—the Cold War is over, but we still want a nuclear arms race. There has never been a better time to negotiate deep cuts in our nuclear weapons stockpiles. Instead of doing this, our leaders apparently intend to ignore this historic opportunity.

WRITE to President Clinton, The White House, Washington DC 20500 or <president@whitehouse.gov> and tell him why he should NOT begin NMD deployment: cost, wrong threat, unproven technology, arms race. DO THIS TODAY!

[This information was modified from an excellent synthesis provided by 20/20 Vision, 1828 Jefferson Place, NW, Washington, DC 20036. 202-833-2020 <www.2020vision.org> <vision@2020vision.org> In my opinion, a subscription to this organization is a great investment.]

LORI BERENSON CONGRESSIONAL CALL-IN CAMPAIGN HAPPENING NOW! The Senate and House "Dear Colleague" letters urging President Clinton to secure Lori’s release will be sent out at the end of July. NOW is the time to call your Representative and ask him/her to sign on to the letter. Sen. Moynihan has sponsored the letter, and Sen. Schumer has signed it. In the House, Rep. Slaughter has signed, and so has Senate candidate Lazio. So far, Reps. Houghton, LaFalce, and Reynolds haven’t signed! Why not?

Action: Call the Capitol switchboard in Washington at 202-225-3121. Ask for the Reps. Legislative aid for foreign relations. If she/he is not there—ask to be called back. (They actually do call sometimes. If not, call back.) Respectfully ask the aide to convince the Representative to sign on to the letter sponsored by Representative Carolyn Maloney. This can be presented as a matter of fairness, justice, national dignity—whatever you think will work best. PLEASE DO THIS NOW!

Peace,