Campaign for Responsible Defense
Local Groups to work in coalition to halt wasteful military spending
by Wells Staley-Mays and Sally Breen
Several state-wide groups, including Physicians for Social
Responsibility/Maine, Peace Action Maine, 20/20 Vision of Maine, and the
Friends Committee on National Legislation, are heading up efforts to halt
wasteful spending on National Missile Defense (NMD), and to work towards
bolstering real security of our nation through reasonable fiscal
appropriations towards homeland defense.
Maine is presented with a unique opportunity right now. Senator Susan
Collins has recently taken a position on the Armed Services Committee. As a
moderate Republican, Senator Collins is likely to be open to a strong
constituent message calling for restraint on wasteful defense spending such
as funding National Missile Defense. In the aftermath of September 11th, it
is time to integrate the lessons our nation has learned about our true
vulnerability to terrorist attacks, and how we must rethink the defense
systems we currently rely on. It is clear to many that deploying or further
funding NMD will jeopardize international relations due to broken treaties,
and will ultimately not provide us with any guarantee of increased security.
The campaign is proposing the following steps towards educating Senator
Collins and developing advocacy in Maine around the issue of NMD:
- Develop a broad-based coalition to participate in this campaign.
- Facilitate a series of regional town meetings centered around
Bangor, Bar Harbor, Norway, Houlton, Portland, Kennebunk,
Brunswick, Rockland, and Augusta.
With the activist base in 41 towns across Maine, generated from our
Nuclear Abolition campaign, we plan to form locally-run core groups of
activists and influential citizens who can generate letters and visits to
Senator Collins' offices statewide.
If you would like to be involved in this campaign, call Raina Rippel at
772-6714.
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