Summer of peace
From the UUA ...This year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the dropping of the first atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), Japan. Those two explosions caused the deaths of over 200,000 people and injured hundreds of thousands more. In his report to the 2003 General Assembly, UUA President William G. Sinkford recalled his trip to Japan that year. He said, "While I was in Japan, I took a day to visit the Hiroshima Peace Park, the memorial to the 250,000 Japanese who were killed when we dropped a weapon of mass destruction on that city. "I asked our Japanese hosts, 'How could you possibly have forgiven us for our use of the atomic bomb?' After thinking for a moment [our host] replied, 'If we had not lost...we would have become you and it would have crippled the soul of our nation.'" Today, the danger of another nuclear holocaust still exists. More nations are pursuing nuclear weapons, and tons of nuclear bomb-making material remain unsecured and vulnerable to theft by those who would not be deterred from using a nuclear weapon. This summer, as war and death continue in Iraq, offers us an opportunity to increase our public witness for peace and prepare for the fall when Congress will debate the The Homeward Bound Act (bipartisan legislation for a phased withdrawal of US troops from Iraq). Several other bills headed for hearings this fall will address nuclear proliferation. Let us make this summer a summer of peace. Visit http://www.uua.org/news/2005/050720_hiroshima/ to learn about the many intergenerational activities UU congregations can participate in that will mobilize congregants to work for peace and the hope of a better world. From building churchyard memorials, to participating in the Shadow Project, to engaging in advocacy with elected representatives, there are ways for you to get involved! Deborah J. Weiner Director of Electronic Communication Unitarian Universalist Association 25 Beacon Street Boston, MA 02108 617-948-6104 617-742-7025 (FAX)
posted by Paul Wilczynski @ 1:15 PM
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