Several British newspapers, including the Guardian, the Herald (Glasgow) and the Morning
Star have reported from the United States that three anti-nuclear
WMD activists, including an 84 year old nun, have just been jailed
for breaking into a major military nuclear production plant. This raises
major questions over what is legitimate for concerned citizens to do about
nuclear weapons of mass destruction
The nun, Sister Megan Rice, who actually
received a 35 month sentence and two other defendants Michael Walli (64)
and Greg Boertje-Obed (58) - the latter two being jailed for 62 months each
- were also fined a massive $53,000 for entering the Y-12 nuclear
explosives (fissile materials) production facility at the giant Oak Ridge
uranium enrichment plant in Tennessee, and daubing it with Biblical
messages
Despite a 14,000-signature petition pleading
for leniency in the case, the US government lawyers argued the three are
"recidivists and habitual offenders".
Yet at his celebrated speech at the Brandenburg Gate in
Berlin on 19 June last year, President Obama said” “We may no longer live in
fear of global annihilation, but so long as nuclear weapons exist, we are not
truly safe…”and added “.And so, as President, I've strengthened our efforts to
stop the spread of nuclear weapons, and reduced the number and role of
America’s nuclear weapons. Peace with justice means pursuing the security of a
world without nuclear weapons -- no matter how distant that dream may be.”
He also revealed “America will host a summit in 2016 to
continue our efforts to secure nuclear materials around the world…and call on
all nations to begin negotiations on a treaty that ends the production of
fissile materials for nuclear weapons. These are steps we can take to
create a world of peace with justice.”
These three brave activists should be released
immediately, and thanked by the US Government for taking seriously the
President’s pledges on nuclear disarmament.
The UK Government could directly assist, and should
publicly lobby President Obama to live up to his promises, prove they are more
than warm words, and pardon the activists.
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