The utmost necessity of preparedness! As we despair over the devastation of the southwest shores and islands of Florida, we rest assured that the state prepared as best they could: facilitating timely evacuations from coastal communities. Being the long sandbar that comprises most of the Sunshine State, it took little convincing to have them comply. Even so, those without means of transportation or a place of refuge, found themselves in peril. When it comes to an even greater potential disaster such as a nuclear attack — virtually affecting every state — we realize that very little if any serious attention has been paid regarding readiness.
To this end, since 2019, a good number of nuclear abolitionist groups have been faithfully advocating to establish a statewide Citizens’ Nuclear Commission to address both the existential threat they pose and also plans for preparedness. Two bills in the form of Resolutions, H.3688 and S.1555, were approved this spring by the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. Presently they gather dust on the desk of Senate President Pro Tempore Will Brownsberger. Their fate seems to be death by proverbial committee. Members of Back From The Brink and NuclearBan.US, among others, have spent hours driving to speak at hearings on Beacon Hill, to no avail. Four of us once spent five hours round trip in traffic for a three-minute presentation. By the time my turn came along, at least half of the Committee had left (and just imagine what they missed!) Perhaps our Resolution will be revived under the next governor. Perhaps our peace advocates will try another way to get the attention the cause so badly deserves. After all, not only the commonwealth, but also the nation’s, if not world’s, survival is at stake. We dread to think of even a single missile landing anywhere. Yet with the warnings from Moscow growing more intense by the day, Massachusetts has no time to lose to prepare for a strike from which, in our lifetimes at least, we will never recover. Deaf though Beacon Hill be to our cries, we will keep on shouting until the Nuclear Commission resurrects, to help save us and our children’s children, everywhere.
Peter Kakos
Northampton