To the editor:

Nuclear weapons issues have seldom been in the headlines in recent years. The Cold War ended, and nuclear confrontation between superpowers ended. But the nuclear threat remains very real. If you’ve forgotten how destructive a nuclear weapon can be, I suggest you view “The Day After,” a movie that shows refugees streaming into Lawrence following a nuclear attack on Kansas City.

Now the Bush administration risks restarting a nuclear arms race with new nuclear tests. Because the new weapons are small, they claim that other nations ought not to be concerned. This is a little like the biggest kid in the school yard assuring others, “these are only brass knuckles, I wouldn’t hold a gun on you.”

Instead of pursuing nuclear arms control through negotiations, ratified treaties and thorough inspections, this policy invites nuclear proliferation in other countries, such as Iran and North Korea. An anti-missile system, new submarines, or space platforms for targeting weapons below cannot stop nuclear weapons brought into port among uninspected cargo. Bush largely ignores the actual ways that nuclear materials are likely to be used by terrorists. Our top priority should be to increase security in these areas and help secure nuclear weapons material in Russia and elsewhere.

Mark Larson,

Lawrence