Minty Candy
“You look sad.” A security guard broke into my thoughts, “Here, have a candy”
I was sad.
I was walking to work thinking about nuclear proliferation.
I’d been listening to a discussion on the radio about last night’s Meet the Press episode, in which several experts on the subject warned that there is a 50% chance that the U.S. will be attacked with a nuclear weapon in the next 6-10 years. They stressed that we are not doing nearly enough to prevent this from happening.
The greatest danger of another catastrophic attack in the United States will materialize if the world’s most dangerous terrorists acquire the world’s most dangerous weapons. …al Qaeda has tried to acquire or make nuclear weapons for at least ten years. …officials worriedly [discussed] in 1998 reports that bin Laden’s associates thought their leader was intent on carrying out a `Hiroshima.’ These ambitions continue.
The gist of the discussion was that we should forget about Iraq, and spend all our energy taking inventory of the nuclear material in the world, and locating the stuff that has gone missing if we don’t want it to come and find us.
SEN. JAY ROCKEFELLER, (D-WV): And I’d ask you, sir: Is the material missing from Russian nuclear facilities sufficient to construct a nuclear weapon?
MR. GOSS: Senator, the way I would prefer to answer that question is: There is sufficient material unaccounted for so that it would be possible for those with know-how to construct a nuclear weapon.
SEN. ROCKEFELLER: Can you assure the American people that the material missing from Russian nuclear sites has not found its way into terrorist hands?
MR. GOSS: No, I can’t make that assurance. I can’t account for some of the material so I can’t make the assurance about its whereabouts.
(End videotape)
MR. RUSSERT: Senator Nunn, that’s chilling.
From a clip played on Meet The Press
New Yorkers live our lives accepting that we are all targets. Until now, I’ve been at peace with this fact.
But life has been changing for me. Dreams are coming true. I’ve got more to lose than I’ve ever had.
During this hopeful moment, where I am painting my new apartment, settling into my marriage, building my career, and looking forward to a future filled with writing, travel, and family, I found the prospect of a nuclear attack horrifying in a more deeply personal way than ever before.
Forget about building equity.
Forget about eating organic and exercising.
Forget about saving for the educations of my future children.
My home, my body, my future could all be obliterated in the blink of an eye.
Is it a rational decision to stay here, or should I be looking for a job in Norway like my friend Ben?
All of these thoughts were rolling like dark marbles in my mind as I approached the office.
The securtiy guard shook two Mentos into my hand, and I popped one into my mouth.
Minty candy won’t bring about world peace.
But the friendly gesture did help me get this day off the ground.
