Janruary 1984 Home   Newsletters

February 1984

March 1984

Matching Nuclear Weapons to Strategy (Mark Garrison)
President's Message (Arlene Woo)
Initiative Committee Fundraiser
Reminder [Neighborhood Boards] (Mildred Walston)
National Security Study Committee Reports (Dottie Gullicksen)
Pre-Consensus Regional Meetings
General Membership Meeting
League Enters National Debate on Arms Control
Mahalo
Coming Vote Counts
News Bits
Membership Update
Calendar

League Enters National Debate on Arms Control

ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR A NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREEZE

(News release dated Dec. 9) In its first foray into the arms control debate, the League of Women Voters of the United States today announced its support for a bilateral, mutually verifiable freeze on the testing, production, and deployment of nuclear weapons, followed by reduction of those weapons.

In a related action, the League announced its deep regret that the INF and START talks have been suspended and will urge the merger and resumption of these negotiations.

These two actions are results of the League's newly determined position in support of arms control measures. The League's 111,000 members across the country participated in the development of this new position which was ratified yesterday by the League's national board of directors.

In announcing the new position, League President Dorothy S. Ridings said, "The League is entering the debate at a critical juncture. World tensions are high, the government's commitment to arms control is being challenged, and citizens are looking for some progress towards arms reductions. The League brings a well-informed, politically active grassroots network to the debate to help citizens translate their concerns into concrete actions. "

Other actions resulting from the new position include:

- support for a Comprehensive Test Ban

- support for negotiations to prohibit deployment of anti-satellite weapons

- opposition to the deployment of space weapons that would violate the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

Ridings noted that the League strongly supports both multilateral and bilateral negotiations to achieve agreement in all arms control areas. The League believes that unilateral initiatives are not the most appropriate means to achieve arms control.

Janruary 1984 Home   Newsletters March 1984