Letter from the President

A strong advocate for grassroots level organizing, I hold what may be the unique distinction of having served as President of two different PSR chapters — Wisconsin and Washington. A PSR activist for over 20 years, it is an honor to serve now as National Board President.

It is a further privilege to take on this role in 2009, a historic year when a new administration in Washington DC brings unprecedented opportunities. We may be in a better position to further our agenda than we have been in the nearly 50 years since PSR was founded.

Our nation has once again been embroiled in violent conflicts far from home, with devastating public health consequences. As a VA psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, I confront daily the terrible price we pay for continuing to attempt to solve problems by warfare.

In the transition from politics of fear to politics of hope, PSR has a critical role to play. President Obama has expressed desire for a world without nuclear weapons and preference for diplomacy over military intervention. PSR is intimately familiar with the necessity as well as the challenges in accomplishing this. We are determined to transform this rhetoric into substance.

There is also a window of opportunity to invest in clean, renewable energy and to address global warming. We can not afford to continue ignoring or denying the environmental and social consequences of our unsustainable behavior and fossil fuel energy use. PSR has critical medical evidence about the impacts of coal fired power plant emissions and the dangers posed by nuclear power plants. PSR will, as we have always done, apply sound science and the values of clinical medicine to achieving true security.

Working with PSR helps relieve the stress of a busy practice, deepens my connection to community, and sustains my hope for the future. At this pivotal moment, I urge you to volunteer with a local chapter, become an e-activist, or provide critical financial support. Help PSR to achieve a healthy, peaceful, and sustainable world.

Sincerely,

Evan Kanter, MD, PhD