In a year so chaotic and filled with so much pain, there is still so much that I, as a Fellowship Associate at Beyond the Bomb, am thankful for. As we celebrate Thanksgiving (safely!), I think we should take a moment to reflect on what this year has shown us, for better or for worse.
The Bomb Squad
To everyone who has signed the No First Use pledge, emailed their elected officials, signed up to write postcards, or found another way to support sensible nuclear policy: I’m thankful for you! Getting people to not only understand nuclear weapons issues, but to fight for them, is an accomplishment, and you have excelled in getting others involved. So, thank you for all of your hard work.
A Biden Win
We’ve finally voted Trump out!!!! For all the damage Donald Trump has done to U.S. foreign and national security policy, we’re so, so happy to see him go. This election outcome has given us something to celebrate, but we’re not resting yet. Even with Biden in the Oval Office, we still need voices from across the country putting pressure on their representatives to reform our reckless nuclear weapons policies.
Organizers for Racial Justice and Black Lives Matter
We at Beyond the Bomb strive for intersectionality in the nuclear space, and this would not be possible without the work of Black Lives Matter and so many other organizers for racial justice who have been leading their fight all year. We are thankful for you, and we encourage anyone who’s thinking of getting involved to start as soon as they can!
Growing Congressional Support for #NoFirstUse
This election, we were in contact with every candidate for the House and Senate., and found that over 125 of them support #NoFirstUse! This, of course, would not be possible without all of you spreading our message to them through emails, letters, lobby visits, and all the direct actions you’ve taken over the year. Thank you!
This year has made it more difficult than ever to communicate with everyone, from Congress to colleagues. Keeping up these connections, however, has proven to be super important in both getting our message out, and in keeping us healthy enough to keep going. Talking with your friends, family, and more is one of the best ways to galvanize people to take action against the nuclear threat. To everyone who’s conversed with us this year, and who’s spoken on our behalf: thank you!
Giving Thanks
Even though 2020 has been a year more known for its pitfalls than its promises, we’re still here, and louder than ever! We owe this in no small part to you, who’ve helped to make all of our organizing possible. Looking forward to 2021, our work is far from over, so thank you so much for being with us, and we can’t wait to get started with you.
This Thanksgiving, consider donating to Beyond the Bomb to help us with important work in 2021!
