The Key to Abolishing Nuclear Weapons
The fundamental basis for the abolition of nucear weapons, other weapons of
mass destruction, and general disarmament, is the same: A change in the
moral position of the population of the United States of America, the only
nation to ever use nuclear weapons against human beings.
The key factor in correcting this moral position is the reevaluation of the
hidden histroy behind the atomic bombings of Hirsoshima and Nagasaki and
with this deeper understanding to change the popular American attitude that
"even though it was horrible and should never be repeated, these bombings
were justified because...."
In February of 1945 a then secret meeting took place between the leaders of
the Allied Powers, with the expected imminent defeat of Germany that
happened in April, to plan not only the boundaries of Eastern Europe but the
plans to finish the war with Japan. At this meeting it was agreed that the
Soviet Union would bear the responsibility of the final attack on Japan and
that Japan after the war would be a Soviet satellite nation. On the eve of
the atomic bombings the Soviets were massing troups at the Manchurian border
preparing to execute this agreement. By this time the US was resolved that
this agreement should not be kept. The public justification of the US for
these bombings, of civilian populations with no war industries in their
cities populated by women, children, and elderly because the male population
was away at war, is that it was "to save American soldiers' lives". But
behind the scenes these bombings were calculated human tests of this
fearsome new weapon done primarily to threaten the Soviets, begin the Cold
War, and to ensure that Japan became an American "possession" after the war.
Until the American public and its government adopts the postition that no
matter what the reasons at the time, in retrospect it is clear that it was
morally WRONG to execute these bombings, there is no hope of nuclear
abolition.
Many people are still reluctant to criticize a still popular President
Truman. Because of his knowledge of these facts, the man whom Gandhi called
his revered teacher (Guruji), Nichidatsu Fujii, in 1978 at the end of the
American Indians' Longest Walk in Washington, DC, spontaneously added to his
prepared speech the message that because of the motivations of these
bombings and that they initiated today's threat of nuclear conflagration,
and that they violated the principles of the United Nations Charter against
such weapons which was executed in San Francisco in June of 1945 two months
before these bombings, that the United States is a violater of the UN
Charter, an enemy of humanity, and that "Truman was ten times worse a war
criminal that Adolph Hitler". This is from one of Gandhi's teachers.
Until Americans adopt the corrected moral position that it was a crime to
execute these bombings in light of these suppressed historical details,
there will be no hope for the abolition of nuclear weapons, other weapons of
mass destruction, and for the general disarmament necessary for a lasting
global peace.
Therefore, I urge that the Nuclear Abolition 2000 movement include this
simple line in its position documents being created this weekend, "It was
wrong to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki".
Any great movement for deep social change requires the demonstration of
popular support of people actually taking to the streets and demonstrating
publicly their resolve for such change, in large numbers. This is the
opportunity of the Global Peace Walk project to motivate local Global
Community Peace Walks in communities across the country and around the world
to correct human thinking and abolish nulear weapons and all weapons of mass
destruction as a realistic step towards true global peace. Please also
embrace the Global Peace Walk and popularize local Global Community Peace Walks right away
this year on a regular weekly basis in your communities.
David Crockett Williams, February 11, 1999