On August 8, 2022 thirteen activists blocked traffic entering Naval Abase Kitsap-Bangor in Washington State. Eleven of the activists were removed and cited by the Washington State Patrol, while the other two who crossed onto the Naval base were detained and cited by the Navy. Bangor is the U.S. Navy’s West Coast ballistic missile submarine base and nuclear weapons storage depot (known as Strategic Weapons Facility, Pacific or SWFPAC), and represents the largest operational concentration of nuclear weapons in the U.S. arsenal. So far, five defendants have appeared in Kitsap County District Court to present their testimonies explaining the actions they […]
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From nuclear sub commander to nuclear weapons abolitionist
Only way to prevent their use, says Tom Rogers – Get rid of them By Patrick Mazza; Originally published in The Raven; October 7, 2022; https://theraven.substack.com/p/from-nuclear-sub-commander-to-nuclear From handling nuclear weapons to protesting them Tom Rogers knows his way around a nuclear weapon. At various points of his career as a U.S. Navy submarine officer, he oversaw safety and security of nuclear weapons on board, conducted disaster drills, and was part of the team that would authenticate orders to use them. Rising to captain a sub, he was responsible for the whole picture. Later in his career, Rogers began to raise […]
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Love and Patience in this our Fall of Discontent
Dear Friends of a world free of the threat of nuclear annihilation, President Biden stated the obvious this past week: “We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.” Indeed we have not (although we certainly had far too many near misses)! And in yet another speech last week President Putin, in addition to saying he would use “all available means” to defend Russian territory (oh my!!!), reminded the world that the atomic bombs the United States dropped on Japan in 1945 had “created a precedent.” Hmmm… he does have a point there!!! All of this […]
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EVERY DAY SHOULD BE A DAY OF NONVIOLENCE!!!
Today is the International Day of Nonviolence (and YES, it’s pretty ironic, considering the tremendous amount of violence around the world)!!! The International Day of Nonviolence (initiated by the United Nations) is observed each year on October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence, and is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”. In a […]
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Former Nuclear Submarine Commander Speaks Out About Nukes!
Text of Tom Rogers address to the September 24th Seattle Rally for Nuclear Abolition Thank you. It’s an honor to be here. I had a 32 year career in the navy as a submarine officer. When I commanded a nuclear submarine, I was directly responsible for nuclear weapons. I understand that nuclear weapons are an existential threat to humanity. If I fail to oppose a national security strategy based on the threat of nuclear annihilation, then I am complicit. So, I’ve been a member of Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action for about 20 years. I’m often surprised that local […]
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