Prohibiting the First Use of Nuclear Weapons
Presented by our friends and colleagues at Physicians for Social Responsibility

A nuclear exchange between the US and Russia would incinerate hundreds of millions of people immediately, and lead to a Nuclear Winter which would slaughter an estimated 7 billion of the Earth’s 7.7 billion people, mostly through starvation. Building back civilization would require over 1,000 years [Daniel Ellsberg talk, 12/13/2020]. A U.S. nuclear first-strike against China would result in a similar catastrophe.

These are the stakes. As a step toward reducing the danger of Nuclear War, a coalition of groups has called upon Congress to legislate – and the President to declare – that the United States will neither initiate nor threaten to initiate the first use of Nuclear Weapons.

Declaring and legislating a No First Use policy would be a major step to help avoid:

• A US nuclear attack that escalates Russia or China attacking the US due to a false alarm

• Violating the US Constitution by a first strike act of war

• US threats of a nuclear attack which amount to bullying and blackmailing other

• countries, and which carry unacceptable risk of starting a general nuclear war.

• With the support of a growing number of members of Congress, and President Biden’s 2019 statement that he has supported “No First Use” for twenty years, we have a real chance to take an important step toward reducing the risks of nuclear war in the next year by getting a No First Use policy declared and legislated into law!

Join us on May 15 at a conference to discuss and implement “Prohibiting the First Use of Nuclear Weapons.”

Confirmed Speakers include William Perry, Tom Collina, Kennette Benedict, Elaine Scarry, Ira Helfand, Zia Mian, Joe Cirincione, Joseph Gerson, and a special greeting from Sen. Ed Markey

Cosponsors: Campaign for Peace, Disarmament and Common Security (CPDCS); Massachusetts Peace Action; Council for a Livable World; CodePINK; Chicago Area Peace Action; NY Peace Action; Maine Peace Action; Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; Greater Boston Physicians