FCNL Receives a Letter from the Pentagon

Last fall, while the presidential campaign was in full swing, FCNL and the Back from the Brink Campaign began a special project to take nuclear weapons off hair-trigger alert.

First, a letter to the new President (whoever that would be) was drafted. The letter, which urged the President to de-alert nuclear weapons, was circulated to leaders of diverse religious bodies and faith-based organizations. Ultimately, 62 leaders signed the letter.

In January, the letter, with all its signatures, was sent to Pres. Bush. At the same time, national call-in days to the White House were organized so that people from across the U.S. could convey, in their own voices, the urgent need to de-alert. Although the White House never reveals the actual number of calls received on any issue, White House representatives told members of the Brink Campaign that they received “a lot of calls,” “many calls,” and a “significant number of calls” about de-alerting.

Ultimately, FCNL received a letter from the Pentagon which confirmed that de-alerting would be included in the Department of Defense review. Thank you for your thoughtful calls and letters to the White House.