This document was created in 1985 and is still an important and positive alternative to our current crisis. May we all join in!
Dozens of persons (including me) signed this document on Fourth of July weekend of 1985 in a ceremony outside the Trident Nuclear Submarine base at Bangor in Kitsap County WA. Ten years later dozens more signed it in a renewal of the original ceremony. MAY WE ALL JOIN TOGETHER IN AFFIRMING IT NOW, decades later!
Declaration of Independence from Nuclear Weapons
We are people living in the shadow of nuclear annihilation.
We recognize that our present way of life creates and perpetuates psychological and economic forces that fuel the arms race.
We understand that our national pursuit of increased material wealth for ourselves has led to global suffering and inequality; our determination to protect our style of living has led to a siege mentality within our country.
We reaffirm the equality and dignity of all peoples, and our common right to life and liberty, food, shelter and education.
We declare our intention to change our lives so that we no longer need nuclear weapons to defend ourselves. We commit ourselves to the nonviolent struggle for peace and justice. We will work to develop methods of nonviolent civilian defense to make all weapons obsolete.
We declare our interdependence with all living beings; therefore we declare our independence from nuclear weapons.