The Ban Bus

(Portland, ME: November 26, 1997) The Ban Bus crew left Boston bright and early in the morning for a special stop in Portsmouth New Hampshire at the town square where they were greeted by State Senator Burt Cohen and a crowd of supporters. Senator Cohen announced at a news conference held with the Ban Bus that Unitrode, a Merrimack, New Hampshire-based corporation, has pledged that it will not “knowingly design, produce or sell” components of anti-personnel land mines. “All those who understand the devastation caused by land mines congratulate Unitrode on its pledge,” Senator Cohen said.

Unitrode was one of forty-one companies involved with producing and supplying land mine components, according to a study by the Human Rights Watch Arms Project. In a letter to Arnold Alpert of the American Friends Service Committee’s New Hampshire Office, Unitrode said: “Unitrode no longer produces any components which are, to our knowledge, used in land mines, nor have we sold the component in question during the past two years. We do not intend to knowingly design, produce or sell parts intended for such use in the future.” Unitrode joins seventeen other U.S. companies which have issued similar statements over the course of the past eighteen months.

After the brief presentations by the Ban Bus, Micheal Hands did a demining demontration. The Ban Bus received great press coverage on all the major local TV stations, and newspapers. The Ban Bus asked New Hampshire Senators (Senators Bob Smith and Judd Gregg) and Representatives (Representative Charles F. Bass and John E. Sununu) to support the Landmine Elimination Act banning antipersonnel landmines.

The Ban Bus then raced to Portland, Maine for a welcome at Monument Square on Congress Street. Despite very cold, (frigid!) and cloudy weather, the welcome we received from supporters warmed them. The Ban Bus spoke to local media before doing a presentation to the Maine Medical Center. The Ban Bus thanked Senators Olympia J, Snowe and Susan Collins and Representatives John Elias Baldacci and Thomas H. Allen for supporting legislation banning antipersonnel landmines. All Maine Senators and Representatives currently sponsor or cosponsor the Landmine Elimination Act.

Many thanks to the Maine Coalition to Ban Landmines and its member organizations: Maine Medical Center, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Women’s International Leaque for Peace and Freedom, Mid-Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross, Physicians for Human Rights, Veterans for Peace, Maine Council of Churches, and many special thanks to Wells Stately-Mays of Peace Action, Maine, and David Kuhns of Doctors without Borders. Many thanks to the event coordinators; Arnie Alperts, AFSC; Sean Donahue, Peace Action, Maine; Senator Burt Cohen; Steve Cruishank; and all the supporters that showed up at the
events.