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  • Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

    Just got back from a very moving twilight commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It was a beautiful "ecumenical" program, with a sutra from a Shinto priest (who happens to be caucasian), koto music, taiko drummers, a moving chant by Native American drummers and a play about Sadako Sasaki, who became the symbol of the peace movement in Japan. There is a statue of Sadako, holding a paper crane, atop the Hiroshima Atomic Blast museum in Japan. Seattle has a smaller statue of Sadako too, in a peace park. At the end, everyone launched these little lanterns (called Toro Nagashi) onto the placid lake. Each lantern had calligraphy on it. Mine said "Peace to my ancestors." It was a really awesome sight to see thousands of these twinkling messages to heaven slowly travel across the lake.

    Seems that the children of the world know more about peace and harmony than the adults do. We need to ensure that all children, regardless of the country they live in, have the right to grow up in a safe world.

    Miulang
    "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

  • #2
    Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

    Thanks for bringing Sadako Sasaki back to mind. I remember her story from long ago sometime when I was in elementary school. May we all strive for peace... the greatest gift to give our children.
    Life is either an adventure... or you're not doing it right!!!

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

      for those who don't know the background to the sadako story, just click the link below for a short summary. that page also has a link to the sadako statue in seattle that miulang referred to:

      http://www.sadako.org/sadakostory.htm

      when i think about her story, i can't help but shake my head at the contrast between the idea of a child wanting to live and the way in which adults have managed the world.

      at the bottom of the statue in hiroshima, it reads, "This is our cry, This is our prayer, Peace in the world".
      525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

        Where most people of the world remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with solemn ceremonies, ringing of peace bells, and a call for world peace without nukes, there is one silly little state in the USA that still celebrates what was once known as "V-J Day"..the state for whatever the fates somehow decided I would live in after leaving Hawai'i..the state of Rhode Island. Though it is not officially known as V-J Day..it has since been renamed with some sort of euphemistic title..the day is still an official "holiday" in Rhode Island. It's the only state in the union that still celebrates it as an official holiday. About the only people who "celebrate" this day are state office workers; very few private employers give this day off to their employees anymore.

        Most citizens of Rhode Island would like to see this holiday gone. Most RIers agree that the day is hardly a day to celebrate, and there are calls for the government of the state of RI to eliminate this day as a state holiday off for employees. Yesterday, there were numerous protests in Providence, (especially in the Brown University area), for the state to end the holiday status the day officially has.

        The state seems adament about not giving it up though. Perhaps as there is too much power wielded by the state unions to give up this day. I'm not sure if many of the state workers who get this day off are aware of the significance of the day...for many of them, it's just an excuse for another three day weekend between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

        Frankly, most Rhode Islanders are embarressed that it still exists as a holiday, and I, as an ex-kama'aina from Ka'u who, for the time being, has a Rhode Island address, am too.

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

          I am curious about peoples opinions on the theory that the bombings actually saved lives. It is the official gvt. position that invading Japan would have cost about a million US casualties and tens of millions of Japanese casualties, so the bombings, as bad as they were, actually saved lives. And they explain not running a demonstration bombing by saying they weren't sure it would go off, so if for example the top of Fuji hadn't been blown off the Japanese would have just continued fighting. To me it seems undeniable that the real people the bombings were meant to influence were the Russians, to show them the US meant business, and in fact to stop them from invading Japan from the north. If defeating Japan was all it was about, a simple blockade would have done it. Comments?

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

            Originally posted by Surfingfarmboy
            Where most people of the world remember the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with solemn ceremonies, ringing of peace bells, and a call for world peace without nukes, there is one silly little state in the USA that still celebrates what was once known as "V-J Day"..the state for whatever the fates somehow decided I would live in after leaving Hawai'i..the state of Rhode Island. Though it is not officially known as V-J Day..it has since been renamed with some sort of euphemistic title..the day is still an official "holiday" in Rhode Island. It's the only state in the union that still celebrates it as an official holiday. About the only people who "celebrate" this day are state office workers; very few private employers give this day off to their employees anymore.

            Most citizens of Rhode Island would like to see this holiday gone. Most RIers agree that the day is hardly a day to celebrate, and there are calls for the government of the state of RI to eliminate this day as a state holiday off for employees. Yesterday, there were numerous protests in Providence, (especially in the Brown University area), for the state to end the holiday status the day officially has.

            The state seems adament about not giving it up though. Perhaps as there is too much power wielded by the state unions to give up this day. I'm not sure if many of the state workers who get this day off are aware of the significance of the day...for many of them, it's just an excuse for another three day weekend between the Fourth of July and Labor Day.

            Frankly, most Rhode Islanders are embarressed that it still exists as a holiday, and I, as an ex-kama'aina from Ka'u who, for the time being, has a Rhode Island address, am too.
            Why are you embarrassed? The Japanese were the most inhumane enemies we have ever fought. Seems to me that defeating them is something worth celebrating.
            “First we fought the preliminary round for the k***s and now we’re gonna fight the main event for the n*****s."
            http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/review...=416&printer=1

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

              Originally posted by sinjin
              Why are you embarrassed? The Japanese were the most inhumane enemies we have ever fought. Seems to me that defeating them is something worth celebrating.
              And WE are the most inhumane occupiers that the innocent people of Iraq have ever encountered. Will they eventually have a national holiday to celebrate when we pull out of their country, too?

              There is absolutely no joy in killing another human being. Period.

              Miulang
              "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

                Originally posted by Miulang
                And WE are the most inhumane occupiers that the innocent people of Iraq have ever encountered. Will they eventually have a national holiday to celebrate when we pull out of their country, too?

                There is absolutely no joy in killing another human being. Period.

                Miulang
                You may speak for the Iraqis if you wish but I suspect we are not the most inhumane occupiers that region has ever known. They very well may celebrate our withdrawl date for years to come.

                I could see myself taking joy in killing my enemies but that's me. When you say there's no joy I doubt you speak from experience, correct? I'm not looking for a fight so I'm sorry if my initial comment upsets you. Many Allied POW's lost their lives at the cruel hands of the Japanese military.
                “First we fought the preliminary round for the k***s and now we’re gonna fight the main event for the n*****s."
                http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/review...=416&printer=1

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

                  Originally posted by sinjin
                  I could see myself taking joy in killing my enemies but that's me. When you say there's no joy I doubt you speak from experience, correct? I'm not looking for a fight so I'm sorry if my initial comment upsets you. Many Allied POW's lost their lives at the cruel hands of the Japanese military.
                  Killing someone because they directly threaten your life is one thing. The mass slaughter of innocents to prove that one government is more powerful than another is not right. For all I know, I may have cousins in Hiroshima who relive the disaster there every day even today: cancer, birth defects, leukemia...

                  Many Iraqi civilians have been napalmed, strafed, murdered, and tortured at the hands of the occupying forces. And we negate their existence as human beings by calling them "collateral damage". I doubt their deaths are "collateral damage" to their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters or cousins.

                  Soon the world will know the whole truth about Abu Ghraib because there are more pictures of the atrocities there that are supposed to be made public.

                  Miulang
                  Last edited by Miulang; October 3, 2005, 09:15 AM.
                  "Americans believe in three freedoms. Freedom of speech; freedom of religion; and the freedom to deny the other two to folks they don`t like.” --Mark Twain

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

                    Originally posted by Miulang
                    Killing someone because they directly threaten your life is one thing. The mass slaughter of innocents to prove that one government is more powerful than another is not right. For all I know, I may have cousins in Hiroshima who relive the disaster there every day even today: cancer, birth defects, leukemia...

                    Many Iraqi civilians have been napalmed, strafed, murdered, and tortured at the hands of the occupying forces. And we negate their existence as human beings by calling them "collateral damage". I doubt their deaths are "collateral damage" to their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters or cousins.

                    Soon the world will know the whole truth about Abu Ghraib because there are more pictures of the atrocities there that are supposed to be made public.

                    Miulang
                    While I share some of your sentiments with regard to our actions in Iraq I do not believe U.S. military personnel are in the habit of tossing babies in the air and catching them on their bayonets.
                    “First we fought the preliminary round for the k***s and now we’re gonna fight the main event for the n*****s."
                    http://hollywoodbitchslap.com/review...=416&printer=1

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Remembering Hiroshima & Nagasaki 60 years later...

                      to kalalau's question, i think one could make a strong case for arguing that the number who died is less than the number that might have died if the bombs weren't dropped (speaking as a total lay person; i'll leave it those who are more qualified to speak on that topic); however, the thing that i find deplorable/inexcusable is the dropping of the bombs on civilians! that's what i find totally sick and infuriating.
                      525,600 minutes, 525,000 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes - how do you measure, measure a year?

                      Comment

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