Obama’s Hiroshima visit: Act of healing the pain
16/6/16
The U.S. President Barack Obama will be marked in history
as the first acting U.S. President who has visited Hiroshima, the first city
that was destroyed by an atom bomb more seven decades ago.
Through the visit, President Obama want to send a strong
message of the world without nuclear bombs.
This historic step of the head of White House of the U.S.
had been welcomed and highly appreciated by Japanese public. During the visit,
President Obama hadn’t apologized for the U.S.’s atomic bombing to two cities
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in the late of the World War II, he just focused on
the lost of war and gave “vision” for the next generations of both countries.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said that the Obama
visit to Hishorima, witnessing the reality of atomic bombings and renewing his
determination for a world free of nuclear weapons “this gives great hope to
people all around the world who have never given up their hope for a world
without nuclear weapons.”
PM Abe said that he didn’t expect President Obama to offer
the apology for the bombing and the most important thing was the way that
President shared with the victims and people who were still suffering
unbearably from the bombings.
This historic visit had been awaited not only by the people
of Hiroshima, but also by all the Japanese people. According to a research of
NHK, 70% people, who were asked in the research, wanted President Obama to
visit Hiroshima. Despite the fact that no apology was given, the decision of
the head of the US to visit the city had been a positive step to Hiroshima
citizen.
“We don’t ask him to apologize. All that we want is to see
him offer flowers and show respect at the Peace Park. That will be the first
step to the objective of the world without atomic bombs” a 91-year old man -
the victim of the bombing said.
While Mr. Terumi Tanaka who has survived after the atomic
bombing in Nagasaki said: “The most important thing in the visit of President
Obama is to show sympathy with Japanese people. He don’t need to apologize if
he really feel sorry and understand what he must do to free the world of
nuclear weapons.”
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are stinging names in the
relationship between the US and Japan. 71 years ago, on August 6 1945, US Army
dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, killed 140.000 people. Three days
later, the US continued to drop the second bomb on Nagasaki, killed 70.000
people.
The drop of the two bombs has scarred in souls and fleshes
for many Japanese generations. Two incidents have been highly controversial
topics in the US so far.
71 years has passed and 11 US Presidents has been elected,
but no incumbent president has ever arrived this city. Therefore, what
President want to emphasize in this visit was the historical scar couldn’t
prevent the US and Japan from building a firm alliance and the visit to
Memorial Peace Park (nearby the place where the bomb dropped) is an evidence
for the commitment of Washington to pursue a world free of nuclear
weapons.
According to an official of Japan Ministry of Foreign
Affair, the important of the Hiroshima visit of President Obama is: the US, the
only country that used nuclear weapons and Japan, the only country that
suffered nuclear weapons together show determination of complete disarmament of
nuclear weapons.
The presence of the host of the White House in Hiroshima is
symbolic step that has been long awaited by many Japanese. The visit is the
gesture to show respect to Japanese and more important to contribute to
strengthen the alliance between the US and Japan. This historic step also
reminded not only the US and Japan but also the whole world of trying to
eliminate nuclear weapons and ending the pain that war caused to the innocent
people. /.
All comments [ 10 ]
The US is trying to fix its mistakes that have caused a lot of pains for other countries in wars and now
Initially, the idea of the visit was dropped due to concerns that it could risk opening old wounds rather than healing them,
The biggest obstacle was U.S. public opinion
Technological progress without an equivalent progress in human institutions can doom us
“We are determined to realize a world free of nuclear weapons,” Mr. Obama said.
Still, gaps remain between Japanese and Americans on their understanding of history.
a world without conflict is a vision we should all share
the world should be free of nuclear weapons or other mass destructive weapons.
When Obama laid flowers at the cenotaph for atomic bomb victims at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, he bowed his head only slightly, apparently to avoid his gesture being taken by the U.S. public as one of apology.
People should live in peace and harmony rather than die by atomic bombings or be killed in wars.
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