Back from the Brink - Letter to the Editor

August 7,2026
Letter To The Editor - Asheville Citizen Times

Eighty-one years ago, The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima causing  unprecedented devastation. This event initiated a momentous change for humanity. Scientists had developed a mechanism of splitting atoms, releasing huge amounts of energy. It was recognized that this energy could be used to build powerful nuclear weapons arsenals or it might be used in positive ways such as a fuel to generate abundant electricity.  The United States, Russia and some other nations considered that whatever nation had the most nuclear weapons could dominate, intimidate and deter others nations and so began the nuclear arms race. As we know, wars have continued. Fortunately not nuclear wars, yet we do not have good safeguards to prevent nuclear weapons being used in military conflicts. One such example is the  worrisome state of affairs when we look at the decision makers of the use of nuclear weapons such as Trump, Putin and Kim Jong Un. 

By the early 1980’s the US and USSR, the two superpowers, had a combined 50,000 nuclear weapons between them. Some recognized that neither Russia nor US could prevail in an all-out nuclear war. Presidents Ronald Reagan and Michael Gorbachev in a 1986 summit in Reykjavik, Iceland wisely stated that in a nuclear war neither side could  prevail and the best approach was to eliminate nuclear weapons. There has been some hopeful nonproliferation steps. For example, through UN based treaties the combined number of nuclear weapons between the US and Russia have been reduced to approximate 7, 500.

 The most viable remaining treaty is the Nonproliferation Treaty. It outlines a plan for the eventual  elimination of nuclear weapons as well as widespread  peaceful use of nuclear energy, The treaty has gotten a bit shaky over wording and last month there was a disappointing review conference.

There is a recent important positive step; In 2021, over 100 nations ratified  The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, This treaty makes it against international law to make or possess nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, the US and other nuclear weapons possessing states have opposed the treaty. Essentially, the nuclear weapons possessing states want to hold onto their weapons yet are opposed to other nations developing such weapons.

There is a widespread  national grassroots campaign “Back from the Brink, The Call to prevent Nuclear War”  which is seeking to fundamentally change US. nuclear weapons policy and lead us away from the dangerous path we are on. It advocates for five common sense, practical policy solutions for what our nuclear policy ought to be. 

The campaign calls upon the US to lead a global effort to prevent nuclear war by:  

1. Renouncing the option of using nuclear weapons first

2. Ending the sole, unchecked authority of any US president to launch a nuclear attack

3. Taking US nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert.

 4. Canceling the plan to replace its entire nuclear arsenal with enhanced weapons

Hopefully, The United States will provide leadership in implementing these steps.

Terrence Clark, MD