Dear Editor:
Tuesday, Aug. 5 is again Universal Peace Day. It is the 69th Anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, a day that forever changed our world. The Universal Peace Initiative asks for the ringing of bells throughout the world and calls it “A Peal for Peace”. Their mission is:
• To bring people around the world together to share their vision of peace.
• To commemorate the exact moment of the bombing, 7:15 p.m., our time.
• To transform a remembrance of horror into a rededication to life.
The hope is that the sound of these bells will trigger an awakening for all that hear them. If there are no bells within ear shot, you, alone or with others, can ring your own bell. Stop for a moment, remember Hiroshima and reflect on the present state of our world.
Do we want to spend finite resources on arming other nations and even more on rebuilding what we helped to destroy? Do we want to send more of our young into battle creating more wounded warriors that the VA then fails when they return home? What about our inadequate support for those who, damaged by combat experiences, develop PTSD? What about the alarming suicide rate among our armed forces?
There are options to war. Perhaps together we can find a way to “give peace a chance”
You can learn more about the aftermath of Hiroshima, this peace project and Tuesday’s activities by visiting www.universalpeaceday.com.
This is not the time for silence.
Rose Orozco