Elijah Parish Lovejoy (1802-1837) is a heroic abolitionist of slavery who carried on his campaign in Alton, Illinois. In their first assault, pro slavery advocates beat Lovejoy. He continued until the second assault when the ruffians who supported slavery beat him again then threw his printing press into the Mississippi river. Undaunted, Lovejoy carried on his struggle against slavery. On the third and final assault the pro slavery group murdered Lovejoy.
During the 1930’s, a deadly addiction to planetary destroying weapons emerged in Los Alamos, New Mexico as the first atomic bomb was detonated August 1945. This extinction addiction has mushroomed from only two weapons held by the USA in 1945 to more than 15,000 in arsenals of nine nations in 2017.
July 7, 2017 in the United Nations General Assembly 122 nations voted unanimously to ban nuclear weapons. All nations with nuclear weapons exhibiting their enslavement to such planetary destroying devices boycotted the gathering. US Ambassador to the UN Mrs. Nikki Haley was foremost in opposition. News sources in the USA did not cover such a dramatic momentum for abolition of nuclear weapons.
To the chagrin of military commanders, US Navy Admiral Noel Gayler (1914-2011) with 45 years active duty emerged as one of the most powerful opponents of nuclear weapons. Hiroshima Memorial Day, August 6, 1984 Gayler spoke at Haverford College in Philadelphia with emotion about abolition of nuclear weapons.
“The day we dropped an atomic bomb on Japan, we made ourselves completely defenseless. The day we detonated a hydrogen bomb we made ourselves 1000 times more defenseless. His voice rising with emotion, the admiral exclaimed: “Our only defense against nuclear weapons is to stop making them!”
A standing ovation of three minutes followed in the crowded auditorium.
“Stop making nuclear weapons” is tantamount to abolition. 2017 is our victory for sanity.
Religious leaders such as Pope John XXIII fifty years ago joined military officers in calling for abolition of nuclear weapons.
With the persistence of Elijah Lovejoy, Physicians For Social Responsibility (PSR) International Physicians For Prevention Of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Pax Christi USA (an international Catholic peace group) and hundreds of peace organizations globally are elated to be parties in abolition of suicidal weapons.
A retired US general from Louisiana believes our enslavement to a trillion dollar enterprise which employs tens of thousands is the major reason our national leaders do not wish to abolish nuclear weapons. Elijah Lovejoy, Admiral Gayler and thousands of peace advocates know enslavement must end. Third use of such weapons is unthinkable for the future of all life on our planet in peril.
