The Prague Project

If there was ever a time to become in engaged in nuclear issues, this is it.  Here are three reasons why you should start caring about U.S. nuclear policy:

1.  A fight is going on right now in the Senate, and you’ve got a dog in that fight.

Right now the Senate is considering the New START treaty, which would reduce the numbers of unneeded nuclear weapons in both countries.  New START will reduce the possibility that a nuclear weapon could be launched on the U.S. due to a terrorist attack, a misunderstanding, or a miscalculation, killing hundreds of thousands of Americans.  As President Kennedy said, “Every man, woman, and child lives under a nuclear sword of Damocles, capable of being cut at any moment.”

2.  This is a unique moment in history–one that doesn’t come around very often.

None of us really remember the Cold War, but we do remember 9/11.  President Obama has made preventing nuclear terrorism the focus of his arms control and nonproliferation policies.  Instead of expanding the roles of nuclear weapons, President Obama has reduced them.

This is a historic time for nuclear policy.  Under the Obama administration, the U.S. released the number of weapons in its stockpile for the first time (5,113, to be exact.)  President Obama also hosted an unprecedented summit of world leaders to coordinate nuclear terrorism prevention.  The president gets it.  He has the most ambitious arms control and nonproliferation agenda in decades, and he needs your support to achieve his goals and improve national security.

3.  A major public education movement is about to start, and you can help lead it.

Remember what An Inconvenient Truth did to educate people about climate change?  Well, that’s what Countdown to Zero is doing for nuclear weapons policy.  It is a powerful film that makes a compelling case for eliminating nuclear weapons from the face of the earth—a goal shared by leaders from Ronald Reagan to Barack Obama.  If you want to learn more, you can hear about it straight from the mouths of the world’s best experts at your local movie theatre in select cities.

The power of one.

So how can you make an impact?  Let your senator know that you think nuclear weapons are a liability and not an asset.  If you live in DC and don’t have senator, talk to your friends that work on the Hill about the urgency of New START ratification.  Finally, go see Countdown to Zero and ask five friends or family members to see it, too.

Nothing would be worse than a nuclear terrorist attack or an accidental detonation of a nuclear weapon in an American city.  Nuclear weapons represent the greatest threat to the American people.  Educate yourself on the urgency of this threat and speak out against these dangerous weapons.

The bipartisan support for the New START treaty has been so overwhelming that die-hard treaty opponents are having a hard time finding credible experts to back up their claims.  That doesn’t keep them from trying.

The Heritage Foundation, the center of all things anti-START,  recently posted a blog in which they listed the experts in opposition to New START.  They said:

One of the most egregious arguments peddled by New START proponents is that no reasonable arms control expert is opposed to New START. That is blatantly false. Americans deserve honesty in this debate…The list of experts is large…

Heritage wants to tally expert opinions on the treaty.  Challenge accepted.

Final Tally: 70 experts for, 6 against. [Click to Enlarge the Graph}

Supporters: 70                           Heritage: 6

Over Seventy former high-level government officials and senior military officers have come out in support of New START.  In addition, every administration official supported the treaty, from Hillary Clinton, to Bob Gates, and, representing the entire uniformed military, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Michael Mullen.

Heritage rounded up six – five George W. Bush appointees and a former Senator.

The scoreboard overwhelmingly favors New START.  The policy debate has been settled.  It’s time for the Senate to ratify this treaty so that the United States can reap the national security benefits that the treaty provides.

This video from the Center for American Progress’ Max Bergmann explains what the New START treaty is, who the treaty’s opponents are, and what would happen if the U.S. Senate fails to ratify New START.  As Max points out, the consequences of failing to ratify the treaty could be disastrous.

This past Friday, the Prague Project teamed up with the Connect U.S. Fund to host a premier night screening of Countdown to Zero in DC.

More than 125 young adults attended the screening at the E Street Cinema in Washington, DC.  Afterwards, attendees gathered at Elephant & Castle to celebrate the opening of the film and talk about the small things every person can do to make a difference in nuclear weapons policy.

At the after-party, guests also had the opportunity to test out newly acquired nuclear knowledge and compete for fabulous prizes (thanks, Participant Media!).

Check out the slideshow, below, to see photos from the event.  And thanks to everyone who attended for helping to make the evening a huge success!

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Countdown to Zero premiered in Washington, DC and New York City this past Friday.  While the scale of the nuclear problem presented in the film can be a bit overwhelming, there are several small – but critically important – things you can do to reduce the nuclear threat.

Participant Media put together a great list of suggestions for you to “get involved and take action.”  Read the suggestions below and take action to start making a difference today.