A world without nuclear weapons?

Even if this is a little late in coming, I wanted to touch briefly on the Humanities Symposium that Viterbo hosted two weeks ago.

To me, this year's symposium addressed an issue that the younger generation (mine) doesn't seem to consider with the appropriate amount of importance.

History professor Keith Knutson's presentation on the politics of nuclear war and nuclear diplomacy really brought attention to the fact that today we (as a global community) are faced with an even bigger nuclear threat than the world ever saw during the Cold War.

With North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan in possession of nuclear weapons, the United States must realize how close we could be to nuclear war. Perhaps the most dangerous of these countries is Pakistan, given that the country currently has a volatile relationship with India (another country with nuclear weapons) based on their conflict over Kashmir. In addition to the conflict with India, Pakistan is also known to harbor al Qaeda terrorists who currently control the northern part of the country. America's greatest concern in regards to the nuclear threat seems to be rooted in the fact that terrorists could get their hands on and possibly use these nuclear weapons.

Given that these groups have shown what seems to be little to no regard for human life in the places they target, I think it would be fairly safe to assume that a world that has terrorists with nuclear weapons would be a very dangerous one indeed.

That prospect alone should be enough of a motivator to do away with nuclear weapons worldwide.

If there was one thing learned from the symposium, it would be that nuclear weapons cause great destruction and suffering. Given that now weapons are more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped in Japan, perhaps we as a country should begin taking steps toward nuclear disarmament.

As a leader in the world, America's actions still set an example. It seems like the right time to take steps toward a world without nuclear weapons, so that there is still a world for future generations to enjoy.