8.6.2023 Hiroshima Day Commemoration

20 hours ago they had the they had the ceremony in uh in Hiroshima started at 7 55 a.m with a ceremonial offering of water to the victims and then they opened it they dedicated the register of the names of the people who died since the last one they made an address they've at one minute from 8 15 a.m to 8 16 a.m they ring the bell and with everybody being silent

and uh then they have the release of doves and the commitment to peace and the messages from the distinguished guests etc etc in the song in the closing so that's what they did this morning and what the Secretary General said was the Secretary General of the of the the United Nations said was nearly eight decades ago a nuclear weapon incinerated Hiroshima yet as anyone who has visited knows the memories Never Fade

the A-bomb Dome the cenotaph and The Dauntless Hiba Kusha who are the survivors of the the of the bombing are constant reminders of the catastrophic consequences of nuclear weapons for 78 years the city of Hiroshima and the hibakusa have worked tirelessly to ensure that nuclear weapons are never used again uh uh um I okay well uh more should more people should do so because the drums of

nuclear war are beating once again that's the point they wanted to make mistrust and division are on the rise the nuclear shadow that loomed over the Cold War has re-emerged and some countries are recklessly rattling the nuclear saber once again this would be Russia uh oh there's a war going on in Ukraine at the time that the Ukraine was founded in the modern era in 1991 uh it became the third largest nuclear

power in the world more it had more bombs than China or the great Great Britain or France combined or whatever it is the only countries that had more bombs than Ukraine did were Russia and the United States and that's because Russia had had put all their a lot of bombs in in the Ukrainian country but the Russians had all the codes the ukrainians had the scientists but they didn't have the codes they could not

have used them if they wanted to so there was a lot of negotiation and eventually they turned all the bombs were sent back to Russia and decommissioned and all the sites were with a lot of American Health all the sites were uh we're cleaned and uh there was a pact made that that they that wrestler would never use use those bombs that they turned on them and that that America England and Russia would would guarantee

their safety once they'd given up all the bombs that were supposed to be keeping them safe as a nuclear deterrent which who believes in that but I by the way I'm talking that way and you guys are all over there and it's annoying the heck out of me could you guys maybe come over here yeah yeah so oh oh okay well if you yeah okay let me finish this story then

um and and then then we can have have a prayer but um I forget where I was uh they made it they yeah right and then of course Russia attacked Ukraine and started and it didn't go as well as they expected it to when they started threatening nuclear weapons of All Sorts now there's another point I could make is that there were uh standard weapons which were for obliterating large areas and they

invented something called tactical nuclear weapons which are supposed to be used on the battlefield and are just for winning battles instead of for destroying countries now they they claim they I have a lot less Fallout and a lot less of that stuff but who knows anyhow uh in fact George George H.W bush had decided they were stupid and he got rid of them all when he was president from

1988 to 1992. he got rid of all of America's tactical nuclear weapons but they have been built really built since and better and better and some of them are three times as powerful as the non-tactical weapon that obliterated Hiroshima but anyhow uh it now seems likely that Russia is not planning to drop a giant bomb on on the Ukraine but it continues to threaten the technical ones and let me quote from the July 30th

of last month which is like a week ago Dimitri Medvedev who was the president of Russia at one point and is now the uh um Commissioner of National Security Council Deputy chairman said just imagine that the NATO supported offensive turned out successful and they took away a part of our land then we would have to following the president's degree use the nuclear weapon that's why our enemies must worship our Warriors

they are keeping new Global nuclear fire from flaring up Medvedev said referring to Russian efforts to stop the Ukrainian offensive Medvedev has not been shy in using Russia's nuclear Arsenal to threaten Ukraine and its Western supporters during Wagner Chief efguni pregoians failed coup Medvedev said the Rebellion could lead to a nuclear war before that Medvedev had said that the war in Ukraine could be brought to an

end within a few days by doing what the Americans did in 1945 when they deployed nuclear weapons and bombed two Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki what more can I say thank you Judy we're here to commemorate the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima 78 years ago today just as Judy outlined to us we're not just looking at something from the past but we're also facing the real divisions and the real possibility

of nuclear use again in Hiroshima it says that it was a mistake and that it should never happen again but we all know that wherever there is division wherever there is hate wherever there is an opposition where one looks to another person and sees them as less than there is the opportunity for Destruction and so as We Gather here today we're gathered here to stand against destruction against division

so I'm asking you if you would please bow your head spend a little time in silent reflection and think about the gift of life that you have and the gift of life that is shared not just among friends not just among family or Neighbors but among all people in all creation and then I'll close with prayer

we stand in the sunshine that Embraces our skin our Earth the grass the trees and the Seas We Stand Together connected through a loving web of life that seeks to encourage and nurture each other so that there might be a fruitfulness a fulfillment and a fullness in the Earth we gather together in thanks and in Hope for a future of abundance and one that is not racked by fear of scarcity we gather together

so that we might Stand Together acknowledging that we are each a part of one another and so we are created and so we are redeemed and so we are sustained none of us is beyond Redemption none of us is beyond forgiveness and on this day of commemoration we recognize that in ourselves in our nation in our world in those that we count as friends and those that we count as enemies We Stand Together being sustained

by life by peace by hope and by the spirit that knits us together that helps in our weakness to encourage one another to be strong our strength does not come from being divided but to be United across lands across oceans across the sky and so we are here to commemorate lives lost lives lived mistakes made and Promises to be renewed for this we do in the name of the god that creates redeems and sustains amen

walk down before you can see so before you can call him a man

yes how many times

yeah

the answer my friends how many years before it is yes how many years can some people exist before the answer my friend is the answer is

I copied two two um two eyewitness accounts one of them is three pages long and the other one is four pages long I think I don't know how many we want to read I didn't know how many people would show up okay

yeah yeah yeah that might that might work yeah yeah so this is uh called pursued by cries by um acai miyakoshi I was 25 when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in all the years since then I have not been able to forget what happened it is still very hard for me to talk about it at that time both my parents were dead and my husband had gone off to war

burned out of our home in Osaka by Air Raids my five children aged between one and four and I sought Refuge with my grandfather in Hiroshima I had lost the hearing in my left ear as a result of the Osaka bombings in Hiroshima I lived at hiratsuka show 1.8 kilometers from the hypocenter in a household of 10 including my 69 year old grandfather my sisters aged 21 and 18. a 16 year old cousin and my children

does anyone want to take over

show you want me to continue for another all right on the morning of August 6th I breathed a sigh of relief when they all clear sounded my cousin hiromi left for work at the military Shoe Factory in Fukushima show Michiko my youngest sister who normally would have been setting off for the Munitions Factory where she worked had gone out to do Labor Service in the neighborhood since she had the day off

my grandfather was a religious man and went to the Buddhist temple as he did every morning carrying my one-year-old on his back and holding my two-year-old twins by the hand my three and four-year-old daughters atsuko and Tamiko who had been playing in the garden attached themselves to him and scampered off music microphone

thus only my sister hizako and I were left at home I had been about to use the toilet as the all clear sounded but my sister had gone in before me I entered a few minutes later just as the bomb fell because of my partial deafness I did not hear anything suddenly I found the house collapsed around me and myself trapped in the lavatory perhaps irrationally I cried out for help over and over again

and finally a man broke the door in and pulled me out looking around for my sister I saw her lying sprawled in the corridor the right side of her body covered with terrible Birds she had probably been washing her hands with her right hand stretched over the wash basin when caught by the Searing Heat I put my sister on my back and fled Barefoot to hijiyama park her face was festering from her Burns

and her right eye was hanging out I pushed the eye back into its socket and tried to use a gauze mask to hold it in place but her ear had melted away and there was nothing to attach the mask to her mouth was twisted to the right and she could do no more than whimper for water only the first syllable of the word emerging distinctly

we're still going um uh on reaching is that where we're on reaching here Yarmouth Park

on reaching hijama Park I laid my sister down on the ground and set off to search for my children the files were still burning fiercely in A Streetcar that had burned bright red surrounding by people already killed by the fire I saw a woman still holding on to a strap and calling for help the intense heat prevented me from approaching her however there was nothing I could do to a man sitting on

some Stone steps I said come on let's get away from here and pulled him up by the hand but as I did so the skin came away from his hand and he fell slowly to the ground I could see how his shadow imprinted clearly on the wall behind where he had been sitting many people called out to me for help or water unburned because of having been in the laboratory I could

only bring my hands together and apologize to the people I passed as I searched for some sign of my children as it turned out none of those who had left that morning ever came home again not my five children my grandfather my sister mashiko or my cousin not a bone remained for me to find and treasure our house burned down so that I had not even photographed to remember them by my

sister hisako Drew her last breath four days later on the evening of August 10th in agony from her massive injuries I will never forget the expression on her face when I tried to give her a drop of water I was alone

I can do it Steve if you want okay I'll continue when the war ended on August 15th I kept I wept to think that the surrender had not come just a few days earlier my misery was compounded when I learned that my husband had been killed in battle in New Guinea in a short while I began suffering the physical effects of the atomic bombing diarrhea fever and bleeding gums even now I continue to have nightmares

of my children crying out that their feet are burning did they really suffer like that I had not even been able to give a cup of water to those who had called out to me for help was there ever suffering like theirs however much I tried to put these memories behind me the cries continue to pursue me my own physical suffering continues I remarried after the war but physically I have

gradually deteriorated and now can do no more than hobble around the house with a stick I detest the United States I feel anger toward the Japanese government for its present policy of cooperation with a country that could inflict such suffering on another people listen to me wherever you are the suffering of those who experience the atomic bombing continues even now and the effects of the radiation are being

passed on to their children and their children's children I beg that never again May nuclear weapons be inflicted on anyone anywhere

okay we have Tracy speech to make and Muriel and has his speech to make and then whoever else wants citizens

good evening fellow peace activists Today We Gather here to reflect upon one of the most consequential and controversial decisions in human history the United States decision to drop the atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II 78 years have passed since those fateful days in August 1945 and the legacy of those events continues to shape our understanding of the use of nuclear

weapons and the pursuit of peace in August 1945 the world was engulfed in the Flames of war the Pacific battles of World War II had seen tremendous loss of life and destruction the Japanese forces had displayed their unwavering resolve to fight to The Bitter End and Allied Leaders faced a difficult choice to continue the war and risk countless more lives or to attempt to bring the conflict to a swift

conclusion through a new and devastating weapon the atomic bomb on August 6 1945 the first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima instantly claiming tens of thousands of lives and leaving the city in Ruins despite the horror and Devastation Japan did not surrender immediately on August 9th a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki adding to the death toll and devastation in the context of World War II it is

important to note that Japan initiates the conflict by bombing Pearl Harbor a military base while the United States made the difficult decision to drop the atomic bombs on civilian targets to achieve a swift end to the war the decision to drop the atomic bombs remains a topic of intense debate even to this day critics argue that the bombings were unnecessary inhumane and constituted an act of Terror against

civilian populations they contend that Japan was already weakened and a combination of factors including the Soviet Union's entry into the war and the prospects of a naval blockade would have likely led to Japan's surrender on the other hand proponent to the decision argued the bombings were instrumental in ending the war swiftly potentially saving millions of lives that would have been lost in a

protracted land invasion of Japan they emphasized the concept of Total War that had characterized the conflict and the Japanese leadership's determination to fight until the last man following the successful development and deployment of the atomic bomb J Robert Oppenheimer one of the key scientists behind the project expressed deep remorse and inner conflict over his role in creating such a devastating weapon of

mass destruction he famously quoted the bahaga Vita saying quote now I become death the Destroyers of Worlds reflecting on the profound ethical dilemmas and moral responsibility involved in unleashing the destructive power of nuclear technology upon Humanity oppenheimer's sentiments served as a reminder of the complexities and moral implications inherent in scientific advancement and the grave consequences

that can follow you can learn more about Oppenheimer in theaters with the recent release of the film in his name which is actually based off of a book As We Gather here today it is essential that we approach the historical moment with empathy understanding and a commitment to learning from the past the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki remind us of the unimaginable human cost of armed conflict and the terrible power

of nuclear weapons they serve as a stark warning of the consequences that can be Unleashed when diplomacy and peace efforts fail in the aftermath of World War II the International Community came together to establish the United Nations and promote Global cooperation and peaceful resolutions to conflicts we must strive to preserve and strengthen these diplomatic channels for only through

dialogue and understanding can we prevent the horrors of War and the new the use of nuclear weapons from ever occurring again today let us remember the innocent lives lost in those bombings and let us recommit ourselves to the pursuit of peace and the establishment of a world free from the threat of nuclear destruction may we learn that the lessons of history and and work to together a future where peace compassion

and understanding Prevail thank you

hi everyone most of you know me as Mary Ellen kirkulis um I'm actually here to tell you a little bit more about what this commemoration the somber commemoration has meant to lots of people not just across the state but across the world and how we've um we were actually at a moment where there's an opportunity to move forward and potentially abolish nuclear weapons right now there are we are part of more

than two dozen events that are that are occurring and will be occurring in the coming days across the state from Pittsfield to Worcester Andover Bridgewater Watertown and more and this represents a movement that is not quite in its infancy it's preceded beyond that but it's um still needs some power to grow that where people here in Massachusetts in the U.S and across the world are

working hard to ensure that such Horrors never happen again and to abolish nuclear weapons and as part of that I'd like to tell you about the Treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons it is a campaign that stems from the um the treaty the international treaty that entered into Force two years ago two and a half years ago that treaty UN treaty prohibits both the development and sale or participation of any kind in

nuclear weapons and it is international law that provides a way for the nuclear powers to disarm so far 92 countries have signed on to this treaty and 68 have ratified meaning they're on the way to be signatories it was a years-long effort that was led by Mexico Norway and Austria spurred by activists in countries largely in the global South who were very alarmed by certain developments especially how the

protective scaffolding of arms treaties that ended the Cold War and lowered our risk of a nuclear war are gone now um they had provided a measure of safety but the nuclear excuse me but that and also the abandonment by the nuclear powers of a historic non-proliferation treaty that was um uh enacted and signed upon by the nuclear powers in 1970.

so these groups and activists across the world were part of an international campaign against nuclear weapons and they won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2017 for this work now this important treaty is not surprisingly opposed by all nine nuclear Powers they've refused to consider it and in fact the U.S has worked actively behind the scenes to strong-armed countries to prevent them from ratifying it

the next thing I want to say is how today some are comparing the danger the very true danger that the other speakers explained to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.

but in fact the reality is that today's danger is far greater but not appreciated unlike that crisis some in the U.S now are openly considering and even recommending using nuclear weapons keep in mind that experts at the bulletin of the atomic scientists have set the iconic Doomsday Clock at 90 Seconds To Midnight the closest it has ever been to midnight in other words nuclear Armageddon

people don't understand that the reason that this nuclear the treaty scaffolding has eroded is because George W bush withdrew from the ABM the anti-ballistic missile treaty and then Trump who withdrew from the intermediate nuclear forces treaty the INF that historic agreement between Reagan and Gorbachev at the end of uh of the 80s and he also withdrew from the open Skies treaty that prohibits Warfare and

nuclear warfare um in space we should be disarming our nuclear Arsenal so this never happens again and beyond that people are not aware of what the U.S has embarked upon a two trillion dollar nuclear modernization program launched by Obama and strongly supported by President Biden this program creates newer more Nimble in other words more usable nuclear weapons and Massachusetts is at the core

of it our company's Raytheon and Boston's Draper Labs including as well as Hanscom Air Force Base are right at the center and that's why I believe and many many people around the world are fighting for this Nuclear Ban Treaty to be enacted by the United States and in fact we can all do something because in the in the Massachusetts legislature three bills have been submitted by a peace and Justice Network

in the Commonwealth this is a legislative initiative led by mass-piece action nuclearband.us that's based in Northampton and Ira helfand of the Greater Boston Physicians for social responsibility two of these bills have been heard before committees the nuclear weapons divestment act which would divest State pensions from corporations involved in the manufacture of Maintenance and of nuclear weapons

manufacture or maintenance of nuclear weapons as well as a nuclear weapons and climate commission to investigate study and recommend actions for the state to take to better protect our citizens from both nuclear weapons and climate change because these are in fact the two existential threats we face we will be able to help this effort these efforts by contacting our state legislators and to meaning that we can

advance those bills to the floor of the legislature so that they can be up for votes a third platform the back from the brink platform will be heard in committee soon and that will be an opportunity for us to offer oral and or written testimony to support it as I have done so in the past now further than just the Massachusetts legislature in Congress the there is a back from the brink initiative that is

sponsored by Jim McGovern of Worcester H res house resolution 77 and this calls on the U.S to sign the the Nuclear Ban Treaty and also pursue five steps to immediately reduce the danger of nuclear war first the U.S should adopt a no first use policy this would end the president's sole authority to launch a nuclear attack second it would take the weapons off of hair trigger alert and third it would cancel this nuclear

modernization program so far there have been 36 members of Congress that have joined representative McGovern as well as our own Ayanna Presley and surprisingly Richard Neal of Springfield who is one of the more conservative Democrats in in the house rep everyone else including representative Jake alkenclos of Newton along with the rest of the Massachusetts house delegation yes Jay and Kloss

is fall River's representative in Congress they have all failed to do so so this is an opportunity for us to lobby jaycock and Kloss and have him co-sponsor this very important uh legislative initiative and additionally we would also like to encourage the Senators Elizabeth Warren and our own as well as Ed Markey to file similar legislation in the Senate I mean their record on nuclear weapons is much better than most

um certainly in Congress but they could be doing more so if anyone wants more information from me about these initiatives and the movement to abolish nuclear weapons and have the United States take the lead in this direction I have some materials and I can also Supply you with more information thanks a lot

does anyone else have anything that they'd like to say on the subject Susan do you want oh the next thing we have to do is float our flowers down the river I'll just say a couple words good afternoon I'm Reverend Susan Lee retired member of the Episcopal clergy in this area and um I just will see how grateful I am to Judy and to Mary Ellen and others who have organized uh this this remembrance

you know August uh 6 1945 and August 9th uh 1945 were the only times nuclear weapons have been used in the history of the world both times by the United States and so uh you know as American citizens I feel we have a special responsibility to try to move the needle and certainly move our country including the Democrats to a position of uh of um of abolishing nuclear weapons thank you Judy anything to say

over there where we can actually get the flowers into the river who needs flowers

flowers

perfect thank you where have all the flowers