AVOIDANCE behaviour is entirely understandable and in many contexts is essential to enable us to get on with life and stay sane. So I don't blame people for wanting to forget the reality of nuclear weapons.
In UK politics and media there is a long history of normalising "nukes" and presenting them in patriotic British imagery.
But sometimes avoidance is a massive risk. It is like sitting on a sunny beach and ignoring the person shouting "tsunami".
We have the same problem with climate change which together with nuclear weapons are the twin threats to life as we know it on our planet. Especially in Scotland, we cannot risk not thinking about nuclear weapons; they are on our doorstep.
So congratulations to the BBC for showing the drama Vigil set on a Trident submarine and in Faslane/Coulport. Obviously, these are not the actual locations but they are very accurately reconstructed. Irrespective of how the plot develops, the drama shows the mundane reality of delivering mass destruction.
READ MORE: BBC viewers have one major complaint about the new Martin Compston series
We have about 200 nuclear bombs based in Scotland. There was supposed to be reduction taking place to a cap of 180 but the UK Government announced last year that it was increasing that cap to 240 showing complete contempt for the commitments it signed up to in the Non-Proliferation Treaty. One of these bombs could devastate a city.
These warheads are transported to and from Burghfield in the South of England for servicing in road convoys that pass through our towns and cities. Few people know this is happening but they can be easily traced. This is one example of potential terrorist risk which is never mentioned.
Even if through the lens of drama, it is still a valuable starting point to see the physical reality of these warheads, their delivery systems and the human vulnerability of those who operate them in very stressful environments. But only a starting point. We need to engage people in the wider understanding of why the weapons are there and why there has been so little progress in disarmament.
The "British" bomb is a fantasy. It is entirely dependent on the US and has been for well over 50 years. The UK does make its own warheads but it has to rent the delivery system from the US, the submarines have to be designed for US missiles and these missiles go back regularly to the US for servicing.
READ MORE: Lorna Slater: Why we must never forget the horrors of Hiroshima
No-one seriously believes that the US does not keep effective control over targeting. The British bomb is and always has been a political project, not about defending but about trying to cling onto great power status.
But making people aware of the terrible risk and the phoney justifications is not enough. Without hope that change is possible, people may feel that avoidance is the best option – forget it and assume that it will never happen.
There is hope but only if we become an independent state. Having watched this crucial issue play out at the British level for 60 years, despite the many very committed peace movement people there are in England, that is a realistic assessment.
READ MORE: George Kerevan: How Scotland could be dragged into an accelerating nuclear arms race
Even Jeremy Corbyn (above), a life-long CND activist, did not change Labour policy on this issue because it was considered to be politically impossible.
The whole delivery system is in Scotland. There is no other suitable location as SCND (Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) in its report, Trident Nowhere To Go has shown.
If Scotland immediately ratifies the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, commits to a clear roadmap for removal and makes this a very red-line issue, we will be making the greatest contribution that a small nation can to starting to roll back the nuclear arms race.
Isobel Lindsay is the co vice-chair of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a not-for-profit organisation looking to abolish nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction as well as advancing knowledge of these weapons and informing the public of them and their possession
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel