Two 75th Anniversaries.
Two Starkly Different Paths Forward.
A-bombs vs. the UN.
CCPJ WILL BE ON THE DOWNTOWN MALL SATURDAY AUGUST 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., TO MEMORIALIZE THE BOMBINGS OF HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI, JAPAN, IN 1945.
On August 6, 1945, United States forces exploded an atomic bomb over Hiroshima and on August 9 exploded a second atomic bomb over Nagasaki. These bombs destroyed both cities with more than 200,000 casualties, mostly civilian.* The use of those bombs led to the nuclear arms race and showed that humans had developed weapons powerful enough to destroy all humankind.
That same year, the United Nations was officially formed as an organization to enable nations to resolve disputes through diplomacy and work together to solve common problems. At the United Nations small countries would have a voice, even though large countries retained control. Despite its flaws, the United Nations was and is the best start to fulfill the dream of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt to create a world at peace.
This year, 2020, we will commemorate these two very different 75th anniversaries. On August 6 and 9, as we remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, we must resolve to turn our country away from the path of nuclear destruction. We must stop production of all nuclear weapons and coordinate the dismantling of nuclear arsenals by all countries. The absolute insanity of preparing for nuclear war is the product of militarists who see the world through a lens that filters out everything but battle and mistakes destructiveness for true power.
This year on October 24, we, as the people of the world, need to honor the founding of the United Nations by working to fulfill the promise offered seventy-five years ago. With people all around the world struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Climate Crisis, and racial, ethnic, and religious conflicts instigated by authoritarian leaders, we need global cooperation more than ever.
These two 75th anniversaries symbolize two different paths leading to starkly different futures. We must choose the path to cooperation and peace.
*for information on casualty statistics see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki; http://www.aasc.ucla.edu/cab/200708230009.html
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