Anti-Land Mine Treaty

An old story that we need to keep in the public eye. How do Americans feel that their country is in bed with China, Iran, North Korea, South Korea, Pakistan and Russia as the only ones not to sign a treaty banning land mines? I wonder what would be said if they knew that thousands of kids have had their legs blown off by land mines.

The Bush administration of course in their first term rejected a 150-nation anti-land mine treaty. In Afghanistan and Cambodia, among other countries, the buried land mines serve no military purpose and are a menace to farmers, children and other people who accidentally trip over them. The mines maim or kill. Stephen Goose, executive director of the arms control division of Human Rights Watch, said the United States is isolated by its insistence on using land mines in its defense programs. Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., a leading opponent of land mines said,

On the whole it is a deeply disappointing step backward. This is another squandered opportunity for U.S. leadership on a crucial arms control and humanitarian issue," he said. "Worst of all, in a sharp departure from past policy, it says the United States will continue using land mines indefinitely.

Conservatives are worried about gay folks who love each other getting married, but don't care that their country will countenance killing innocent people with land mines. Makes sense to me.