Mr. McCain, I would officially request that my vote for you in the Republican primary of 2008 be rescinded. At that time, Michigan was barred from a Democratic primary election, so I decided to vote for you, as the most palatable of all the Republican candidates (Romney? Huckabee? Wait, who was the other one?). Mostly, I don’t like you, but you do have moments of clarity.

Nuclear weapons are the most disgusting invention known to man. The proof in this assertion lies in not only the dead in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but also in those who survived, and subsequent generations of radiation affected individuals. Yes, what took a second to drop, continues to create still births, deformities, sudden radiation sickness and cancer. The American public, having been the victim of intense revisionist and cover-up schemes by the Truman admin, is largely unaware.

Hence, it is no surprise that the American people, and by proxy, the US Senate do not take nuclear weapons seriously. New START is a treaty between the United States and Russia which calls for significant reductions in nuclear stockpiles, in specific types of delivery systems and for large scale inspections to verify compliance. It is clearly not enough, the world will only be safe once nuclear weapons are eliminated from the planet, but it’s a “start.” The treaty was signed between both countries in Prague in April of this year, but awaits ratification from the United States Senate, and ultimately the executive branch. Ratification of New START by the Senate has been held up by endless partisan political wrangling, despite calls for it’s ratification from venerable members of the Republican party.

Recently, Mr. McCain attempted to hold ratification of New START hostage by demanding that the Senate halt calls for the repeal of DADT. Thankfully, the Senate ignored him, but the implications of McCain’s threats are massive. Clearly, there are members of the Republican and Democratic parties that are unwilling or unable to see the incredible threat posed by the existence of nuclear weapons. By holding New START hostage in favor of divisive social issues such as DADT, they clearly prove that they are more willing to tout their own personal and religious agendas, than take the safety of humanity seriously.

Nuclear disarmament is a moral issue. As long as we, as the only country that has ever unleashed this greatest of technological crimes against humanity, do not act as leaders of peace, nuclear weapons will continue to stand as a bargaining chip in international politics. We cannot seriously expect Iran or North Korea or Pakistan to abandon their nuclear programs unless we are also willing to make our own sacrifices. New START isn’t enough, but it’s all we have.

Mr. McCain, you served in direct combat. You know the disgusting spoils of war. Now get a conscience and get out of the way.