62 years ago today August 6, 1945 the atomic bomb exploded over Hiroshima, and then 2 days later over Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands in one bright flash, and many more dying later.
Words cannot describe the horrors of what many went through on that day, and continue to go through. As family members of 9/11 victims, we have had some of these victims reach out to us, share the stories on what had happened when the bombs went off. Many of us have found solace in their stories of hope and activism against atomic weapons – and how to make a more peaceful world.
In 2007, The United States and other nuclear powers have an opportunity to lead the world – not by wielding power through the threats of the use of nuclear weapons, but through a dedication to non-proliferation and abolition of all nuclear weapons. We need diplomacy – a dedication to finding a solution to the nuclear issue.
The U.S. is now in violation of several major points of the Non Proliferation Treaty, with renewed weapons programs and expressed pre-emptive first strikes. Leadership is needed to make the right choices – to become a leader in the world in abolition of nuclear weapons.
Little talked about are the "Victims of the Nuclear Age" – those downwind from nuclear testing and native peoples stripped of their lands due to uranium mining and testing. We memorialize those who have died or are sick due to the production and use of nuclear weapons. We implore individuals and nation states to actively work for their abolition.
Let us pause for reflection on these days of the anniversary of the first use of atomic weapons, and work actively for a world where no one would ever go through the horrors experience on this day again.
