The power of loving peace

Regarding the Aug. 6 story “Hiroshima marks 75th atomic bomb anniversary with call for unity in pandemic,” we remember each victim. Each “had a name. Each person was loved by someone,” as Setsuko Thurlow said in her Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech Dec. 10, 2017, on behalf of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). Each loved someone. Each was forced to leave this world suddenly.

How long are we going to continue our history with nuclear weapons? Our biggest problem today is the nuclear threat.

Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui spoke on the importance of uniting beyond differences to fight the nuclear threat.

Mayors for Peace is an international organization of cities that has been working to realize a nuclear-weapon-free world. As of Aug. 1, its membership came to 7,921 cities in 164 countries.

There are peace-loving countries, regions and cities around the world. Because of the exceedingly difficult and complicated political situations in various countries, it will take a little more time, yet I sincerely hope and pray that we will be witnessing a day sooner or later when the power of loving peace worldwide will lead us to abolishing all nuclear weapons.

Children’s representatives of Hiroshima spoke very clearly that “to be rid of nuclear weapons made by human hands, we need human will. Our future does not need nuclear weapons.” Our government should listen to the plea of the children’s representatives and the words “Never again” of the hibakusha.

Japan is expected to play a historical role as the only country to have suffer atomic bombings, that is, to strive for making a world without nuclear weapons, continuing to speak up “Never again” with appropriate actions to the entire world under any circumstances.

We must destroy all nuclear weapons before the nuclear weapons destroy us. All life, human lives, and all other forms of life on this beautiful planet of life must be protected.

Hiroshi Noro Hadano, Kanagawa Prefecture