It is said that a person who folds 1000 Paper Cranes will be granted one wish.
August 6, 1945 was the real day that will live in Infamy. On that date, the United States became the first, and so far, only nation, to use Nuclear Weapons against other human beings. And we did it again, three days later. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki created a class of people known as the hibakusha (A-bomb victims and survivors). It is essential to learn from them. They survived the most inhumane act, infernal pain and suffering, and have opted for a path of reconciliation. Their wish: “I want no one else to suffer the way I did”.
But the Hibakusha's average age is over 70 years - they will not be with us forever. They have so far effectively prevented the third use of atomic weaopons; their goal is a complete elimination of such weapons. War is not the answer, and this genie must be put back in the bottle.
And as my own country devolves further and further into a totalitarian regime devoid of conscience and decency, I see it all falls to us. To me. If I must fold 1000 paper cranes to create peace, I will do so. I don't believe that the citizens of the United States are inherently evil; so why do we allow evil in our government? I will fold 1000 paper cranes, and this is also my wish:
This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.
8 comments:
The Japanese government is currently attempting to change their constitution so they will no longer be a "pacifist" country but one that has weapons, military, etc.
I often wonder why there is no memorial day for the victims of the Bataan Death March, or the victims of the Rape of Nanking, the victims of the horrifying human "medical" experiments, the POWs of WWII, the Korean slaves, etc etc etc
Then again, if we had memorial days for every tragedy in the world, our calendars would be full.
As tragic as dropping a nuclear bomb on Hiroshima was, isn't it just as tragic that Japan did not stop their assault on the world after it happened?
There's a lot wrong with our current Administration, and it can be frightening, but our country is NOT totalitarian. If the citizens of America have allowed evil to penetrate their government, I can only assume it is because the American people are lazy, apathetic sheep. After all, a lie only works if it is believed.
Good one Diva...thought provoking.
we need to drop two more, if we want a relative peace for the next 62 years. One on Mecca....one on Tehran. That will shut these bastards who want us to return to the 7th century islamic way of life; it will also serve fair warning to Venezuela's madman, n. korea, and every other dictator who wants to profit by American generosity and US misery and fear.
Dick Cheney? Is that you?
Sorry, I'm not with you on this one DivaJood. A very good friend of mine was a Marine who served in the South Pacific, including Tinian and Iwo Jima.
If we had not dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, the loss of life on both sides of the conflict would have been even more horrific.
Just one fact to set folks thinking. The War Deparment ordered a huge number of Purple Hearts for that campaign. So many, in fact that they were used for Korea, Viet Nam, Greneda, Panama, Gulf I, and Gulf II and they still haven't run out.
Horrible tragedy? Yes. But it was a necessary one.
Traveling Man
Instead of folding cranes why not hire a crane and lift George out of the White House and deposit him in San Quentin along with Dick.
The two of them can share delusions! Think how happy they'll be.
And the rest of the world.
After you've folded your 1000 cranes, you can send them to Hiroshima and they'll drape them over the Children's Memorial.
This link has the address.
Tree "Then again, if we had memorial days for every tragedy in the world, our calendars would be full." That says a lot about how bloodthirsty humans are.
Sumo, once again I have more questions than answers.
Anonymous, whatever.
Travelling Man, I don't know what to think, honestly. If the use of atomic weapons in 1945 prevents the future use of these weapons, then it is not futile. It was war, and it was a different climate from today - a different war, indeed. Interesting comment about the Purple Hearts!
Daniel, I wish I could hire a crane to hoist those criminals out of Washington DC, and drop them in The Hague. Sigh.
Thomaslb, thank you for the link. Thanks for visiting, as well.
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