Way, way back a long time ago–all the way in May, which seems like it was practically a different decade at this point–I asked you whether you’d heard of a particular lawsuit.
This wasn’t a salacious suit that involved sexy secrets or faulty products.
This was a suit filed against the United States by a people who got tired of our country using their home for target practice, and they figured that it was time to take their argument to our home turf: the U.S. Federal District Court.
Oh, and they did roughly the similar thing to more than half a dozen other countries via the International Court of Justice.
Yes, we found ourselves on trial along with the U.K., Russia, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
I mentioned that, rather than aiming for a big payout with major punitive damages and other civil-suit-type awards, the suit—filed by the Marshall Islands—seems intended more to be held up as a metaphorical spotlight on the more nuclear-happy members of this global community.
If you forgot that first column (because surely you read it, right?) and don’t know much about local-vs.-planetary geography (more likely), allow me to refresh your mind: The Marshall Islands include the Kwajalein Atoll, which has regularly found itself the target of test missiles fired from our very own Vandenberg Air Force Base. Oh, and about 70 nuclear detonations in the 1940s and ’50s.
In other words, this little spot in the Pacific Ocean is prime Godzilla-breeding territory. If ever our frequent flexing of military might were to give birth to some radioactive monster that begins to wreak havoc on the coastal communities of the world like some sort of symbolic avenging beast, this would be where it hatches.
But for now, the only remotely threatening thing spawned from the islands’ paradise-like shores is a lawsuit—not as scaly as a multi-story lizard. And not really as threatening either. It’s actually rather polite, like Godzilla looming up out of the ocean, gently extending one claw to gingerly rap at the White House’s door, and calmly requesting the leaders of the most powerful nations on Earth to reconsider their obsession with split-atom soup.
I’m writing about this lawsuit again for two reasons.
First, it’s appearing in my column because you forgot all about it. I know, I know. There’s been ISIS and Ebola to worry about. I don’t blame you, but you can’t deny it.
Second, it hasn’t gone away. In fact, a whole mess of people just signed their names to a document of support for the Marshall Islands—in essence throwing their weight behind what are known as the “Nuclear Zero” lawsuits. This is sort of like a petition, with the first signatory being Archbishop and Nobel Peace Laureate Desmond Tutu, followed immediately by fellow Nobel Peace Laureate Maired Maguire.
The list goes on from there, including names from the United States, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Norway, Denmark, Germany, France, Spain, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Japan, and Canada. I probably missed some countries in there, too.
Here’s what they wrote to the people and parliament of the Marshall Islands. I quote it here in its entirety, because I couldn’t say it any better myself:
“The world salutes your initiative in taking legal action for negotiations leading to nuclear disarmament in all its aspects under Article VI of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and customary international law against the nine nuclear-armed “Goliaths” (the United States, Russia, UK, France, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea).
“We hope that you will be joined in these lawsuits by as many governments as possible, and we will urge them to do so.
“In taking this action, you, and any governments that choose to join you, are acting on behalf of all the seven billion people who now live on Earth and on behalf of the generations yet unborn who could never be born if nuclear weapons are ever used in large numbers.
“You are also acting on behalf of all our ancestors throughout tens of millennia who will have their intellectual, cultural and scientific achievements cancelled should humanity terminate itself through the inadvertent or deliberate use of nuclear weapons.
“In addition, you are acting on behalf of untold thousands of other species who will surely perish in the catastrophic global climatic effects of a nuclear conflict.
“Win or lose in the coming legal arguments, what you, and any who join you, will do has the deepest moral significance, going far beyond the specific interests of any country or government and beyond the usual calculations of national self-interest.
“The unprecedented outburst of resounding applause that Foreign Minister Tony de Brum received in the plenary of the Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee meeting on 28 April 2014 shows that, for the world, you are all heroes.
“If you stay the course, alone or with a host of others, then what you will be doing is—to recycle a phrase already well-used—‘not so much making history, as making history possible.’
“All people and all governments that have the welfare and survival of humanity and the planet at heart must support you wholeheartedly in your courageous legal action.”
Good stuff, yeah?
You know, I made a David-and-Goliath reference in my column back in May. Think they were inspired to include similar language in their own letter because they read mine? That has to be the case.
So Archbishop Tutu, if you’re reading this, I have a message for you: I haven’t forgotten that $10 you borrowed from me for lunch back in the mid-’90s. I don’t mean to be a pest, but I would sure appreciate it back.
Oh, and keep up the good work!
The Canary may be mixing up a Nobel Peace laureate with Terry, a goldfinch from down the block. Send comments or ideas to canary@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Oct 16-23, 2014.