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SANTA BARBARA, CA -- October 25 -- Walter Cronkite, selected by the American people in the mid 1990s as the most trusted man in America, has called the upcoming presidential election the “most important since the Civil War.” Cronkite, who was in Santa Barbara on October 23rd to receive the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation’s 2004 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award, stated that the November presidential election provides an opportunity to reverse the Bush administration’s dangerous doctrine of preemptive war, a doctrine that he believes is setting the wrong example for countries throughout the world.
In a live interview with ABC news correspondent Sam Donaldson following the presentation of the Foundation’s award, Cronkite argued that the US is far less secure today as a result of initiating the war against Iraq. Cronkite added that the way to peace is through diplomacy and cooperation with international organizations such as the United Nations. As a solution to the Iraq War, Cronkite suggested convening high-ranking retired US military leaders who have opposed the war and asking them to design a plan to bring US soldiers home in six months. Cronkite further suggested that the returning soldiers should be greeted as heroes on the main street in every US city and that the government provide a “GI Bill” for their education and to get them back on their feet in business.
Referring to the importance of educating the public on critical issues such as the Iraq War, Cronkite stated, “We are on the precipice of being so ignorant that our democracy is threatened.”
The Distinguished Peace Leadership Award was presented to the former CBS Nightly News anchor for his “uncompromising integrity” in reporting the news to the American people and for his commitment to building a more peaceful world. David Krieger, president of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, stated, “The principal function of a journalist is to bring the truth to the people so that power will not be abused. That requires hard work and integrity, and it is what has characterized Walter Cronkite throughout his distinguished career. Mr. Cronkite has served democracy well, and set a high standard for all journalists to follow.”
For more than 20 years, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation has been committed to advancing initiatives to eliminate the nuclear weapons threat to all life, to fostering the global rule of law, and to building an enduring legacy of peace through education and advocacy. The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan international organization on the Roster in consultative status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Some of the previous recipients of the Foundation’s Distinguished Peace Leadership Award include Archbishop Desmond Tutu, The Dalai Lama, Jacques Cousteau, King Hussein of Jordan and Jody Williams.
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