New ICAN supporter

Legendary Australian cricketer and sports commentator Ian Chappell has released a statement expressing his support for the work of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.

“When I think about nuclear weapons a few things come to mind. We all have family or know of friends who have young ones; in what sort of world would we like them to grow up? Certainly not one that could be devastated by the exploding of a nuclear device; the consequences are too horrible to imagine when it involves any human being let alone someone close to you.

Then, when you read exactly how much can be saved per year if we eradicated nuclear arsenals, it makes sense to want a world without these devastating weapons. The money saved each year in a world free of nuclear weapons is enough to resolve many of the major issues that are currently troubling this planet. If we want our legacy to future generations to be one we’re proud of, then pushing for a world that is devoid of nuclear weapons would have an enormously positive effect on the planet our kids and their offspring inherit.

And finally, there’s the futility of war. War kills millions of people, many of them innocent bystanders and worse still leaves behind the physically and mentally maimed, all because grown men don’t see eye-to-eye. When I think of war there’s one recurring thought; if fighting is so important, how come those who make the decision to engage never go anywhere near the firing line? For all these reasons, I support the work of ICAN.”

Ian Chappell – March 2010