Stop nuclear madness

Re Anti-nuclear weapons group wins peace prize, Oct. 7, Nuclear quandary for Trudeau, Editorial, Oct. 8

Thanks for this article and editorial. It is important to get facts and various opinions on this important issue. What is the world to do when Canada and other leading countries are not leading? Civil society and non-leading countries operate within the framework of the United Nations to stigmatize and delegitimize nuclear weapons, rendering them illegal.

Your editorial points to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s difficult position of having to deal with U.S. President Donald Trump on various cross-border issues as justification for his refusal to support the Ban Treaty. The US Mission to NATO memo directing NATO membership to vote “no” to Bill L41(the 2016 resolution to establish a mandate for nations to negotiate a nuclear weapon ban treaty) was issued on Oct. 17, 2016, under former president Barack Obama’s government, with all indications pointing to an upcoming Hillary Clinton election win. Canada voted “no” without Trump’s input.

Politics and posturing have delayed nuclear weapons abolition for too long. Today, the deterrence argument is outdated with risks from computer errors, accidents, terrorism and cyberattacks. These are dangerous weapons of mass destruction designed to indiscriminately kill a huge number of people.

The multicultural population of Toronto does not have an “us vs. them” attitude. A nuclear explosion in any populated area on this planet will hurt Toronto. Toronto will weep with our friends, our neighbours, our co-workers and our children. We need leaders who will stop this madness. Dr. Vinay Jindal, president, Physicians for Global Survival (Canada), Toronto