Nuclear danger from forgetting the past

 

August 6 and August 8 1945 were the days when the first nuclear weapons were used by the USA on two cities in Japan, killing 200,000 people. These days are marked all over the world with “Never Again” rallies, public meetings, concerts and other events. In Sydney our major event will begin at 12 noon on Saturday 3 August.

In 2019, just 74 years after the devastating first use of these nuclear bombs, most of Australia has forgotten that to use or threaten to use these atomic bombs is a crime against humanity.

Most of Australia has forgotten that the human and environmental devastation caused by these weapons is so grossly out of proportion to a civilised nation’s values and so threatening to our entire planet that they should be immediately eliminated for all time.

This collective amnesia opens the way for the current debate about the possibility of Australia adopting nuclear power and even nuclear weapons.

This would be a terrifying step backwards for the more nuclear weapons, the more likely thy will end up in the hands of terrorists and the more likely it is that they will be used by accident or design.

The lesson of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is just as true now as it ever was. A nuclear conflict must never happen, and no country can legitimately hold nuclear weapons ready for war.  The only answer to the nuclear threat is to abolish all weapons.

Saturday 3 August

Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park

12 – rally followed by march to PM’s office

Speakers: Dr Keith Suter, Hector Ramage, David Shoebridge MLC