Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration

TRAPROCK INVITES COMMUNITY TO REMEMBER U.S. BOMBING OF HIROSHIIMA-NAGASAKI WITH CALLS
FOR NUCLEAR DISARMAMENT, CEASEFIRES NOW IN UKRAINE AND GAZA

The Traprock Center for Peace and Justice will remember the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, with a silent vigil on the Greenfield Common from 9 to 9:20, followed by speakers and information against nuclear weapons and war in the library’s Community Meeting Room. This year’s commemoration is dedicated to the work and memory of Traprock’s co-founder Randy Kehler.

This August 6th and 9th mark the 79th anniversary of the destruction of two civilian cities in Japan in 1945: Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “A 1998 study posited a figure of 202,118 registered deaths resulting from the Hiroshima bombing, a number that had swollen by 62,000 since the 1946 death toll of 140,000… the estimated number of people killed by the “Fat Man” bomb (on Nagasaki) at the end of 1945 ranges from 39,000 to 80,000.”[1]

A weapon of previously unknown power, based on splitting the building block of life — the atom — was used by the United States government and military to show the world its power at a point when Germany had surrendered, and Japan was close to doing so.

The bombings opened up and spurred an international arms race of untold personal costs, as atomic radiation affected people and the planet through atomic weapons testing, uranium mining, production and radioactive waste.

And the financial costs, even now?  “In its report Surge: 2023 Global Nuclear Weapons Spending the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons shows in 2023, the nuclear-armed states spent $91,393,404,739 on their arsenals – equivalent to $2,898 a second. The report shows a $10.7 billion increase in spending on nuclear weapons in 2023 compared to 2022 with the United States accounting for 80% of that increase.” [2]

Traprock supports the International Campaign ICAN, a coalition of non-governmental organizations promoting adherence to and implementation of the United Nations nuclear weapon ban treaty.

For this year’s commemoration, the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice invites the public to a program in two parts:

From 9 am to 9:20 a silent vigil on the Greenfield Town Common will be led by members of the New England Peace Pagoda.

From there, the vigilers will walk with banners and drumming to the nearby Greenfield Public Library at 412 Main St., where they will join others for an hour long program in the ground floor Community Room, open to all.

Recently deceased activist Randy Kehler’s life’s work for peace and nuclear disarmament will be honored, with personal remembrances welcomed from those present.

Greenfield resident Paki Wieland will discuss the increased militarism and nuclear escalation expressed during recent NATO meetings in Washington, DC, which she opposed along with other US and international peace activists.

Literature and information on nuclear weapons, war and peace will be on display, and a variety of free articles will be available for participants to take home.

For more information contact:

Anna Gyorgy, Traprock Communications
traprockinfo@crocker.com

978-544-1815 (office landline, leave message)

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From the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice, active since 1979.
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