Nuclear weapons

“ Make sure that nobody pays a wrong for a wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and everyone else. “ I Thessalonians 5:15

Last evening I attended a conversation with Setsuko Thurlow. She is part of ICAN, International Campaign for the Abolition of Nuclear Weapons. Last year, 2017, was a great year for the campaign. In July, the United Nations passed a resolution saying that it was illegal to obtain or use nuclear weapons. So, the nine countries who have these kinds of weapons are doing something illegal in the world community. Then in October, ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in our world. Setsuko was one of two women from the organization that accepted the award.

Setsuko is a survivor of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945 by the United States. She was thirteen years old on that day. She has told her story thousands of times, each time to a different audience, and she said it brings back the trauma each time. She puts herself in a vulnerable position every time she tells of that horrible day.

Survivors of that day are called “hibakusha”. There are fewer of these people still alive, and Setsuko is now 86, and its is still important for her to tell here story. This week she received an honorary doctorate for the University of Waterloo for her work in attempting to abolish nuclear weapons. She became an activist soon after she arrived for a visit to the United States at the age of twenty. She was harassed and blamed for the bombing because she was from Japan. She has told her story ever since those accusations were directed at her.

What are the nuclear numbers : Russia has 7000, the United States has 6800, France 300, China 270, the United Kingdom 215, Pakistan 120-130, India 110-120, Israel 80, North Korea 10-60.  It is only nine countries, but the firepower of all these weapons is off the charts. We can be destroyed if only a few of these weapons would be used. It is an abomination to our humanity to have these weapons in our possession.

Although Canada does not have any nuclear weapons, it has been part of the history. They had scientists on the Manhattan Project, that produced the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki., It was uranium from the Northwest Territories that was in those early bombs. Canada sold  CANDU nuclear reactors to India. These reactors were used to make bombs for the Indian subcontinent’s Cold War. Finally, Canada voted against the U.N. resolution abolishing nuclear weapons last year. It is complex. We are part of NATO, and so we have to vote alongside the U.S..,England, France and other countries of NATO. It not easy to voice another opinion on the world stage ( look at the talks on trade recently ) . But we should do it. It is the right thing .

Setsuko said the following at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, “ To every president and prime minister of every nation of the world, I beseech you: Join this treaty ; forever eradicate the threat of nuclear annihilation.”

Please write to the federal government to challenge them to sign onto the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons in the world. The governments of the world spend $1.5 trillion on the military  every year. We need to honour the requests of those who died and those survived the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Please write today.

Fred Redekop