]]]]  CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION ON NUCLEAR WAR PREPAREDNESS  [[[ 
                                                               (1983)

     While you may have been hearing a lot of noise about the Physi-
cians for Social Responsibility and their refusal to cooperate in 
disaster preparedness because it "invites nuclear war," an organiza-
tion of physicians taking their Hippocratic Oath more seriously has 
been established: Doctors for Disaster Preparedness. Probably under 
their influence, the California Medical Association has resolved to 
"work with state authorities in in developing statewide contingency 
plans for dealing with the medical consequences of limited or all-out 
nuclear war." Here is the full text:

     CALIFORNIA MEDICAL ASSOCIATION NUCLEAR WAR PREPAREDNESS
                    (Resolution #1783)
Sponsor: William Hall, M.D.             Author: Arthur L. Dick, M.D.

WHEREAS: The thought of human destruction from nuclear war is 
appalling, 
AND WHEREAS the present CMA position is that the only defense against 
     nuclear war is prevention,
AND WHEREAS the CMA preoccupation with prevention has resulted in 
     total lack of preparation for the unthinkable, should it occur,
AND WHEREAS nuclear war could well occur during this generation 
     because--
     1) the good deeds and intentions of the major powers will not 
        necessarily control other nations, 
     2) dozens f minor and irresponsible nations now have access to 
        weapons grade plutonium,
     3) the US has practically no defense against attack except for 
        the threat of retaliation,
AND WHEREAS a nuclear explosion or war does not mean the end of all 
     life (almost 2,000 nuclear war explosions have occurred, many 
     above ground, without seriously hurting life on earth),
AND WHEREAS the exploding of one nuclear weapon does not automatically 
     mean that all other nuclear weapons will inevitably be exploded, 
AND WHEREAS it is likely that even after an all-out nuclear war there 
     will be many pockets of survivors who are relatively unscathed, 
AND WHEREAS it is appalling that organized medicine has not prepared 
     plans to assist these survivors,
                    BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED:
that the California Medical Association will work with state authori-
ties in developing statewide contingency plans for dealing with the 
medical consequences of nuclear war, 
                    AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:
that the California delegation of the AMA be instructed to present a 
similar resolution to deal with the public health consequences of 
nuclear war.

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          PLEASE SHOW THIS RESOLUTION TO YOUR DOCTOR 
     and to your City Council if it rejects civil defense!

[For more information, to the contrary, on the irresponsibility of the 
"Physicians for Social Responsibility," send $2 for "Doctors Against 
Health" to Golem Press, Box 1342, Boulder, CO 80306.]

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[Note added in 1988:
     The Doctors for Disaster Preparedness organization is alive and, 
in at least one state, well. The state is Arizona, thanks to the inde-
fatigable Jane Orient, M.D. Her address is 1601 N. Tucson Blvd., Suite 
9, Tucson, AZ 85716. The Arizona M.A. passed a resolution similar to 
the above in 1987.
     Other civil defense organizations are:
The American Civil Defense Assn., Box 1057, Starke, FL 32091;
Amer. Homeland Defense Alliance, Box 1159, Cave Junction, OR 97523.]
 
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