SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 44
(By Senators Hunter, Prezioso, Burnette, Rowe, Caldwell, Unger,
Chafin, Helmick, Sharpe, Ross, Redd and Love)
Urging the passage of the Landmine Elimination and Victim
Assistance Act of 2001 and the International Landmine Ban
Treaty by Congress.
Whereas, Every 22 minutes a man, woman or child is killed or
horrifically maimed by landmines which lay indiscernible, just
below the surface of the ground until triggered by the movement of
any person, animal, machine, mechanism or implement; and
Whereas, Tragically, a great portion of the victims of
landmines are children; and
Whereas, The carnage inflicted from these deadly devices of
war leave unimaginable devastation, especially in small, poor
agrarian countries, with the recent world focus on the plight of
landmine victims in Afghanistan providing the most compelling
reason to eliminate these devices from the landscape and from the
arsenals of civilized countries; and
Whereas, In 2000, Afghanistan had an estimated eight to ten
million land mines deployed along and within its landscape,
resulting in approximately 100 incidents per month of death and
maiming; and
Whereas, In addition to the killing and maiming of civilians, the adverse impact of these insidious devices upon the already
teetering economies and environments of small, farming nations is
enormous; and
Whereas, The preeminent consideration one must ponder in
determining the proper course that must be followed to adequately
address this problem is the astronomical toll of human lives that
is exacted by the use of these devices; and
Whereas, March 1 through March 8 is "Ban Landmines Week";
therefore, this is an appropriate time to urge our congressional
representatives, as well as President George W. Bush, to
demonstrate support for the International Landmine Ban Treaty and
to make a bold and unequivocal stand to ban these nefarious devices
from the arsenals of civilized countries; therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate:
That the Senate hereby urges Congress to pass the Landmine
Elimination and Victim Assistance Act of 2001 and the International
Landmine Ban Treaty; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Clerk is hereby directed to forward
a copy of this resolution to the President of the United States,
the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the United
States House of Representatives and West Virginia's congressional
delegation.