| HELP END CIVILIAN TOLL FROM CLUSTER BOMBS
In May, the nations of the world along with the United Nations completed
the draft of a treaty which would outlaw the production, stockpiling and
use of a type of munition commonly referred to as a cluster bomb. The small
"bomblets" that are packed into the munition are cheaply made and have
a high failure rate. Scattered in areas frequented by civilians, these
duds sometimes explode spontaneously or when picked up (often by children).
The international treaty will open for signatures in December and go
into effect after the last of 30 signatory nations has officially ratified
the document. The United States did not participate in drafting the treaty
and has no plans currently to sign the treaty.
Although the United States in not currently playing any role in this
effort, bills have been introduced in both the Senate (S.594) and the House
of Representatives (H.R. 1755) which would restrict the use of these weapons
by the US military and would restrict sales to other countries.
The Peace and Justice Committee urge you to take the following steps
in order to help move our country toward eliminating this class of weapon.
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Contact Michigan Senator Carl Levin, and urge him to cosponsor S.594. You
should also contact your representative in the US House of Representatives.
As of the end of May, neither Senator Levin nor any of Michigan’s representatives
had co-sponsored this legislation. (link to sample letter)
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Contact Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow and thank her for co-sponsoring
S.594. Ask her to actively support passage of the legislation. While passage
of this bill is no substitute for signing and, ultimately, ratifying the
international treaty banning cluster bombs, it is a step in the right direction.
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Make the effort to learn more about the issue. Any number of websites will
provide information on both the international treaty and the bills in Congress.
Complete copies of the treaty and the bills in Congress are available.
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Educate your friends and colleagues; write letters to the editor of the
newspaper etc. When you are contacted by supporters of Senators McCain
and Obama this fall, tell them where you stand on the issue. Cluster bombs
are indiscriminate weapons that take an inordinately high toll on civilians.
The next president will have a historic opportunity to help rid the world
of these weapons. It is not too early to let them know how you feel.
Sample letters are also available on line here: Contact
our
Michigan senators... Sample-Letter.doc.
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