I HAVE been absolutely opposed to nuclear weapons ever since I heard the news of the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945 in the front room of my then home.

I have been active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament ever since it was formed in 1958. Professor Terry Eagleton has memorably articulated what I consider the basic argument against nuclear weapons with admirable clarity "It is absolutely wrong to prepare to commit genocide, the term 'absolute' meaning wrong irrespective of any concrete historical circumstances which could be stipulated as a justificatory context for such an action"

When you are prepared to conditionally massacre millions of your fellow human beings it poisons the mind and contracts the heart. You lose the respect for human life,without which it is impossible to build a just society.

You become a prey to imaginary fears, and you can become stupid and brutal in your other social attitudes. Look at the present state of the Labour Party; instead of uniting behind Jeremy Corbyn, who has similar views to my own on nuclear weapons, many in the Parliamentary Labour Party are willing to split the Party and deprive it of all hope of coming to power rather than even question their insane attachment to a genocidal weapon of mass destruction. They pretend to be opposed to cuts in social services, but they are not sincere, because opposition to Trident renewal would guarantee that the cuts would not be as harsh as they are now. But Trident renewal, even it costs this country £150 billion in the long run must come first.

There will be a national demonstration against Trident renewal in London on February 15. I hope as many people will join it as possible.Coach tickets are available from Greater Manchester CND 0161 273 82893 or at gmdcnd@gn.apc.org

Malcolm Pittock

St James Avenue

Bolton