Monday, Nov. 5: National Day to Call the Senate to ban use/export of cluster bombs, which kill and harm civilians. (Over 98% victims are civilians.)
Call your Senators today. Urge them to cosponsor S.594 – the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act.
Take action now! Call: 1-800-352-1897 (a toll free number just for Monday)
Cluster bombs are indiscriminate killers that spew deadly shrapnel over large swathes of land, and leave behind fields of landmines. Over the last 40 years 98% of cluster bomb casualties have been civilians.
More than 80 governments have agreed to negotiate a ban on these killers in the coming year. The U.S. government is not one of them; they say that the military’s need overrides humanitarian concerns. However, these weapons are a liability for the military as well: unexploded bomblets impede troop movement and kill our own troops (dozens of them in Iraq).
Join WAND, FCNL, and others on Monday – as thousands of Americans call the Senate on a special toll free number. This initiative takes place as part of a broader Global Day of Action on Cluster Bombs, called by the worldwide Cluster Munitions Coalition to help propel the global cluster bomb treaty negotiations.
BACKGROUND
S.594 would substantially restrict both the use and export of cluster bombs by:
* requiring that they not be used in areas where civilians are known to be present, and
* requiring that they have a dud rate of less than 1% (meaning that they will leave behind fewer deadly submunitions on the ground after the combat ends).
Make calls on Monday, any time. Regular business hours are better, as you will get to talk to a real person (instead of leaving a message). Calls on other days are also encouraged but the more we can concentrate on Nov. 5, the better.
Calls to the Senate can be made for free on (800) 352-1897. Callers will automatically be redirected to the Capitol Switchboard. They will need to ask for their Senator by name. Once directed to the office, ask for the Legislative Assistant who deals with military and national security issues. Urge them to become a co-sponsor of S.594 and to work for its passage in the coming year.