75 years of Japan atomic bombings: An open letter from people of the US

In observance of the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Japan —

We, the undersigned, representing a coalition of concerned peace organisations and people of the United States, are advocating for abolition of nuclear weapons globally. We are gathering here to express our sincere regrets and apologies for our nation’s atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Although our government has not apologised officially for this war crime and crime against humanity, the members of our coalition would like to extend our deepest condolences to the atomic bomb survivors (Hibakusha) who have endured great mental and physical hardships for 75 years.

President Donald Trump is advocating restarting nuclear tests at the Nevada Test Site for the first time in 28 years. In less than four years of his presidency, he has already rejected or plans to withdraw from many important arms treaties and agreements — the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, the Open Skies Treaty, and the New START Treaty.

He is destroying the social safety net when more than 40 million American workers lost their jobs in the first four months of 2020 due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic and subsequent recession. What we need now is firm action with concrete policy goals to overcome this unprecedented global crisis, not another arms race.

Many of us believe that President Truman’s decision to use the atomic bombs in Japan, despite opposition from over 155 Manhattan Project scientists, was influenced primarily by racism. President Trump, who publicly promotes violence and a racist agenda, is creating divisions both at home and abroad.

He is increasing spending on nuclear weapons and funding institutions that promote violence. We need to make sure that not a single nuclear weapon is used under any circumstances.

After more than seven decades of a nuclear deterrence policy, it has been an undeniable global consensus that the world has become more dangerous under such policy.

We promise to keep raising our voices to our government regarding the importance of keeping arms control treaties and signing and ratifying the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which was adopted by the United Nations in 2017 with overwhelming support from 122 member states.

We also hope that Japan will be the first country in the US nuclear alliance to give up the US nuclear umbrella by swiftly signing, ratifying and playing a leadership role in promoting the Treaty. Our coalition also calls on Japan to preserve its peace constitution and to support the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.

Japan has been suffering from the 2011 nuclear accident in Fukushima, which is the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl. The triple meltdown and the explosions at Fukushima Daiichi forced some 160,000 residents to evacuate.

The storage tanks of radioactive water at the stricken nuclear facility are reaching capacity, and the government plans to dump the radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean. Thyroid cancer, one of the known adverse effects from radiation exposure, has been on the rise among children.

The use of nuclear technology, whether it is military or civilian, comes with enormous risks and incalculable consequences. Effective global nuclear disarmament will not be possible as long as we allow the commercial use of plutonium and highly enriched uranium.

Within the past year, we have experienced unprecedented destruction of our communities by natural disasters accelerated by the climate crisis. We are still in the midst of the global COVID- 19 pandemic and economic depression. Our communities continue to shed blood from the egregious police brutality against unarmed innocent people of color. White supremacy, nationalism, racism, fascism and hate are rising globally, quite often promoted by state leaders and institutions.

We have more than hope. Along with a growing list of cities and states, the New York City Council is poised to pass two bills with veto-proof support that call for our nation to uphold the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and to divest from nuclear weapons. Amalgamated Bank, one of the oldest banks in New York City, has stopped all investments and transactions with companies involved with nuclear weapons.

Achieving a nuclear-free society is not just about abolishing nuclear weapons. It is about dismantling the decades-long culture of normalization and glorification of violence that are deeply woven into our laws and policies.

We have to defund institutions that promote racism and militarization, and invest instead in peace, education, public health, affordable housing, feeding the poor, economic security, clean water and clean air, as well as creating many green jobs.

Let us continue to work in solidarity for a nuclear-free world where, as an introduction clause of your constitution states, “all peoples of the world have the right to live in peace, free from fear and want.”

NO MORE HIROSHIMA
NO MORE NAGASAKI
NO MORE FUKUSHIMA
NO MORE WAR

NO MORE HIBAKUSHA NEVER AGAIN!

Endorsed by:
Endorsers: US organizations and individuals
Veterans For Peace, National
VFP – Chapter 034 – New York NY
VFP – Chapter 007 – Los Angeles, CA
VFP – 009 – Eastern MA – Smedley Butler Chapter VFP – Chapter 014 – Gainesville, FL
VFP – Chapter 021 – Northern NJ
VFP – Chapter 023 – Rochester, NY
VFP – 026 – Chicago IL – Jane Addams/Joe Powers Chapter
VFP – Chapter 035 – Spokane, WA
VFP – 057 – Green Mountains VT – Will Miller Chapter
VFP – 074 – Metro Detroit MI – Michael Gramlich Chapter
VFP – Chapter 080 – Lake Superior MN/WI
VFP – Chapter 090 – Broome County, NY
VFP – 091 – San Diego CA – Hugh Thompson Memorial Chapter
VFP – 093 – Washtenaw/Ypsilanti MI – Utah Phillips/J. David Singer Chapter VFP – 105 – Baltimore MD – Phil Berrigan Memorial Chapter
VFP – 110 – Orange County CA – Jim Brown Chapter
VFP Golden Rule Project
Beyond Nuclear
Brooklyn For Peace
Coalition Against Nukes
CODEPINK
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space Grandmothers for Peace International
Grandmothers for Peace Northland Chapter
Granny Peace Brigade
Green Party of New York County
Environmentalists Against War
Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York
Hibakusha Stories/Youth Arts New York
Kings Bay Plowshares 7
Live Peace Japan
Manhattan Project for a Nuclear-Free World
New York Catholic Worker: Maryhouse
New York Catholic Worker: St Joseph House
New York Catholic Worker: The Peter Maurin Farm
NGO Committee on Sustainable Development – NY
Nuclear Age Peace Foundation
NuclearBan.US
NYC Metro Raging Grannies
NYC War Resisters League
Pacific Asian Nuclear-Free Peace Alliance
Pax Christi Metro New York
Peace Action NYS
Peace Boat US
Popular Resistance
Pressenza IPA
RootsAction.org
Samuel Lawrence Foundation
Shut Down Indian Point Now
Stand with Okinawa
The Nuclear Resister
The Ribbon International
Unitarian Universalist
World BEYOND War, US Chapters
Fukiko Aoki (Writer, Journalist)
Ellen E Barfield
Helen Caldicott
Scott Camil
Noam Chomsky
Rachel Clark
Sam Coleman (Professor, CSU Long Beach)
Ellen Davidson
Anthony Donovan
Joseph Essertier
Rory Fanning (author and peace activist)
Sister Jean Fallon
Norma Field (Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago) Margaret Flowers
Tsukuru Fors
Bruce Gagnon
Martha Hennessy
Mari Inoue (Attorney)
Cathy Iwane
Helen Jaccard
Tarak Kauff
Joanne Kennedy
Bruce Knotts
David Krieger
Lorraine Krofchok
Peter Kuznick (Professor, American University)
Rev. T Kenjitsu Nakagaki
Hideko Otake
Jane Sammon
Catherine Skopic
Gar Smith
David Swanson
Alice Slater
Priscilla Star
Timmon Wallis (NuclearBan.US)
Rick Wayman
Kevin Zeese
Supporters: non-US organisations and individuals

Endorsers: in Japan
Allen Nelson Peace Project (Japan)
Anti-Nuclear Delivery Shop (Japan)
Article 9 Society for Global Peace Charter (Japan)
Chofu Congress Against A-and H-Bombs (Japan)
Citizens’ Radioactive Laboratory “morinosokuteishitsu namegawa”
CODEPINK OSAKA (Japan)
COVID-19 Global Solidarity Coalition (Global)
Flowers and Bombs: Stop the Violence of the War Now! (Japan)
General Incorporated Association CO-BLUE (Japan)
Grassroots Society for Education in Nakano (Japan)
Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition (Canada)
Japan Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms
Japan Congress against A-and H-Bombs (GENSUIKIN)
Japan Council against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo)
Citizens Network for Evacuation From Radiation
Liaison of Fukushima Nuclear Accident Victims’ Groups
Japanese Liaison Council of Second-Generation Atomic Bomb Survivors (Japan)
Mashiko Radioactive Laboratory (Japan)
Montreal KIZUNA (Canada)
Nakano Action for the Nuclear-Free Future (Japan)
Nakano Appeal for the Abolition of the Security Law (Japan)
Okinawa Environmental Justice Project (Japan)
Peace Candle in Kamakura (Japan)
Stop the State Secrecy Law-Kanagawa (Japan)
Tokai No Nukes Network for Future Generations,
Citizen’s Radiation Measuring Center (C-lab) Tokyo
Managers Union Anti-Nuclear Power Division(Japan)
Wind from Christchurch (New Zealand)
World Peace Bell (New Zealand)
Yokosuka Citizens for Peace (Japan)
Yokosuka Peace Flotilla (Japan)
Yorozu Peace Band (Japan)
Katsuaki Ando (Hanshin Citizens’ Radioactivity Measuring Center) Naohiko Ando (Japan)
Mihoko Aoki (Hkaruccha)
Kate Dewes (New Zealand)
Hideaki Ebara (Japan)
Yasushi Fujikawa (Japan)
Kayoko Hosono (Japan)
Tokino Kawahara (Hakaruccha)
Naoko Kitamura (Japan)
Kaoru Kobashi (Japan)
Mika Funakoshi (Japan)
Hiroshi Hasegawa (Japan)
Atsushi Hinata (Japan)
Michimasa Hirata (Hibakusha)
Chiharu Hisaichi (Japan)
Teruhisa Horio (Japan) Yayoi Hosihno (Japan)
Naoko Ichijo (Fulushima, Japan)
Toshio Ishigaki (Attorney – Japan)
Satoko Itani (Assistant Prof. Kansai University)
Seiki Ito (Attorney – Japan)
Michiko Iwaki (Japan)
Yuri Kadoya-Ogata (Japan)
Toru Kageyama (Hanshin Citizens’ Radioactivity Measuring Center) Hiroshi Kato (Mashiko Radioactive lab. Japan)
Syoji Kihara (Japan)
Hisako Kato (Japan)
Tooru Kawaguchi (Japan)
Yukari Kohigashi (Japan)
Tomoko Komatsu (Japan)
Sumio Konno (Japan)
Tooru Kouda (Japan)
Hiroo Kubo (Japan)
Chikako Masuda (Hakaruccha)
Naho Matsui (Japan)
Mayumi Michinaga (Hkaruccha)
Toshiko Mizukoshi (Japan)
Kyosuke Mizukawa (Japan)
Youko Mizutani (Japan)
Akiko Morimatsu (Japan, IDP by the Fukushima NPP accident)
Kazue Mori (Japan Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms)
Seishi Morikawa (2nd generation Hibakusha)
Masato Morimura (Japan)
Kazue Morizono (Fukushima, Japan)
Ruiko Mutou (Fukushima, Japan)
Miki Nakai (Japan)
Kohachi Nakakita (Japan)
Masato Nakamura (Japan)
Nahoko Nakamura (Japan)
Ayako Nakanishi (Japan)
Sadato Nakao (Japan)
Mizuho Nakayama (Japan)
Kenichi Narikawa (Japan)
Osamu Niikura (Attorney, Professor Emeritus, Aoyamagakuin University) Susumu Nirasawa (Japan)
Sonoe Nshimura (Japan)
Seijiro Mera (Japan)
Yoko MItsuta (Japan)
Makito Niwa (Japan)
Akiko Oguchi (Japan)
Yasutugu Ogura (Prof. Rikkyo University)
Miki Ohashi (Japan)
Junichi Onuma (Japan)
Shoko Onuma (Japan)
Izumi Ohzawa (Professor, Osaka University) Toshiko Okada (Canada)
Saki Okawara (Japan)
Kiyumi Oyama (Japan)
Tetsuo Ozawa (Japan)
Nana Saito (Japan)
Yukari Saito (Japan)
Hiroko Sakaguchi (2nd Generation Hibakusha, Nagasaki)
Tatsuo Sekiguchi (Japan) Roy Sinclair (New Zealand)
Ryo SASAKI PhD. (Lecturer, Univ. of the Sacred Heart, Japan)
Yumiko Sato (Japan)
Hiroki Sugihara (Measurement Request place in Onomichi)
Kunio Suzuki (Japan)
Naoko Suzuki (Japan)
Miharu Takahama (Japan)
Toru Takahashi (Japan)
Fusako Takashima (Hanshin Citizens’ Radioactivity Measuring Center)
Hideki Takekoshi (Japan)
Yasuko Tanaka (Japan)
MInoru Taniyama (Japan)
Satomi Teruya (Japan)
Setsuko Thurlow (Hibakusha, Peace Activist, Canada)
Takako Tsumoto (Hakaruccha)
Kenji Urata (Professor Emeritus, Waseda University)
Taeko Ushizaki (Labo Asunaro)
Kasumi Yagi (Japan)
Ryoko Yamaguchi (Japan)
Harumi Yamamoto (Japan)
Takaaki Yamamoto (Japan)
Yoshiko Yamaoka (Japan)
Motonori Yasaka (Japan)
Ryozo Yuge (New Zealand)

Contact info:
Veterans For Peace NYC Chapter 34 P.O. Box 8173
JAF Station
New York, NY 10116-8173
Hitoshi Yomogida (Hanshin Citizens’ Radioactivity Measuring Center)
Hideki Yoshikawa (Director・Okinawa Environmental Justice Project)

The article has been republished from Pressenza. Read the original article here.

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