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Do you ever read an article in the newspaper and wish
you could speak the truth to what the article is saying? Well...DO
IT! Write a letter to the editor. It only takes a few
minutes, and you can increase your chances of publication
by following a few basic tips:
1. Keep it short and to the point (under 200 words is best)
2. Refer to a specific article printed in that newspaper
-- cite the title of the article and the date of publication
3. Back up your assertions with quotes or facts
4. Don't be discouraged if your letter isn't published
-- keep submitting new letters every time you feel something
needs a response
Remember, the Letters to the Editor page is one of the
most widely read parts of every newspaper. People want
to hear your opinion -- take the time to give it to them.
Rick Wayman, the Director of Programs at NAPF, followed
the tips above and his letter was published in the September
6 Wall Street Journal!
Let's Not Play the Deadly Deterrent Game
The Wall Street Journal
September 6, 2007
Page A15
Linton Brooks ("Bombs Away, For Good," editorial page,
Aug. 29) is asking all the wrong questions when it comes
to the "Reliable Replacement Warhead" program. Why isn't
he asking, "Will building new nuclear weapons make other
states (such as Iran) more or less likely to pursue a nuclear
weapons program of their own?" Or what about, "In a world
where we face no superpower threat, is it really necessary
to keep thousands of nuclear weapons deployed around the
world, ready to launch at a moment's notice?"
Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) calls
for the U.S. and other Nuclear Weapon States to "pursue
negotiations in good faith . . . on a Treaty on general
and complete disarmament under strict and effective international
control." Such negotiations have not happened in the 37
years since the NPT came into effect.
Building thousands of new nuclear weapons under the Reliable
Replacement Warhead program will not bring us closer to
the ultimate goal of the NPT; rather, it will perpetuate
life under the shadow of nuclear destruction for decades
to come.
Rick Wayman
Santa Barbara, Calif.
Rick Wayman is Director of Programs for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.