Not long ago my 36-year-old daughter and I were talking about what I was working on lately. She surprised me by confessing that in her youth she had had nightmares about nuclear weapons. That was decades ago, and the issue is back and on the front page. I work on this issue every day, but never knew my own family history with the drama of nuclear nightmares.
Many parents my age remember all too well those horrifying days when our children drew pictures of bombs exploding over the globe, of a global umbrella that could save us, or of endless fires from bombs burning endlessly. But I am just learning that my child was one of them. As a mother herself now, she admitted that there are so many dangers "now," she just didn't know what to do about this one.
Fortunately for my daughter and granddaughter, their Republican U.S. Senators in Georgia (where they live) support the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) that could be up for a vote any minute now. Here in Massachusetts, however, while Senator Kerry has been a driving force behind New START, we are still unsure about Senator Brown's stance on the subject. If the treaty is not immediately brought to a vote, the support of Georgia's senators, too, may be lost.
New START is an essential tool for managing horrifying dangers. I have been an activist working all my life on trying to move legislation and public policy to implementation. Never have I felt a moment when the time was either this ripe, or more pivotal, than now. We all cry out for more security. New START will make us safer -- globally.
Rarely has any piece of policy been more universally supported. The treaty is unanimously supported by our military leadership and backed by five former secretaries of defense, nine former secretaries of state, and seven former heads of the U.S. Strategic Command. Just recently, George W. Bush's secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, and his father, George H.W. Bush, also declared their support.
When an activist notes such widespread support, it's time to push hard for a vote. And when I, a mother who cares about her family and the families of the world, feels strengthened by this elite, expert collection of unusual bedfellows, it's time to have more than just hope. Action is nigh.
The treaty will enable us to "trust, but verify," as Ronald Reagan said. New START would establish an updated information exchange system and enhanced on-site inspections that would provide more information on the status of Russian strategic forces than was available under the original START accord. And if New START is not ratified now, Russian nuclear arms will continue to go uninspected as they have for over a year now.
What better gift is there at this time of year than to provide the present of a lifetime: greater safety? Check that one off our long to do list for this time of year. I plan to work harder on this, write it up as accomplished, and put it in an envelope as a gift to my children and grandchildren this year. I cannot go back and take away my daughter's nightmares, but I can push to make New START a reality.
Shaer is executive director of WAND, Women's Action for New Directions, a nationwide organization working to reduce the nuclear threat for 30 years. www.wand.org.
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