Something as catastrophic as the possibility of nuclear war is seldom thought about. And yet, the very real weapons of mass-destruction exist, as do plans for their potential use. The world population now lives under the unrealistic ‘political-think’ of deterrence. Meaning, that if anyone were actually irresponsible enough to launch one or more nuclear weapons at another country they would face the certainty of a retaliatory strike before their own weapons could reach their intended destination.
As mentioned in yesterday’s blog, the explosive force of today’s nuclear weapons will kill millions of people. At the same time, large metropolitan areas will be obliterated, governments will be decapitated, emergency response and medical centers will be wiped out and anyone left among the living will be forced to fend for themselves.
Annie Jacobsen’s book, Nuclear War makes it pretty clear that there really is little to no defense against nuclear attacks. Once one weapon is launched, the only ‘defense’ is to retaliate, which only unleashes more devastation upon other parts of the world and the killing of additional millions of people.
I took the opportunity today (a free day before the program begins tomorrow) to walk to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. I wanted to pray and reflect upon the lives lost and the vast wasteland that remained after the detonation of the first atomic bomb 80 years ago. I was totally soaked from the heat and humidity of the early morning walk and knew this was nothing compared to the horrors experienced by the survivors of the bombing.
As I gazed once again upon the A-Bomb Dome of what previously had been the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall, (pictured above) I tried to picture what a present US city would look like today if it were to experience such a moment of mass-destruction. Would it take the lives of any family or friends? Would I be in the trajectory of the radiation fallout? How many other nuclear bombs were deployed in response before its impact?
My friends, during this 80th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, please allow this historic moment and its tragic reality to shake us from our indifference to the threat of nuclear weapons in our world today. Our prayers and advocacy are needed today to change the course of political and military ways of thinking. Our families and loved ones should never experience what the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki did 80 years ago. No one should.
And yet, nuclear weapons exist, and they are aimed and ready to launch in a very short period of time – minutes. It only takes one command. Whether by plane, fixed land-based silo or submarine, thousands of nuclear warheads are ready for deployment upon short notice. During this anniversary we are called to reflect upon this sober reality. We are called to wake up and begin the journey of peace which will eventually eliminate the existence of all nuclear weapons.
At the Hiroshima Peace Memorial a flame burns and will continue to burn until the last nuclear weapon ceases to exist. Let’s do our part to extinguish that flame as we work for peace and a brighter future for all humanity.
Peace!