Recently I visited with a mother and daughter from Hiroshima, Japan. The mother was two years old when the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on her city. She survived. Several members of her family were not so lucky.

Haunted by the cloud of Hiroshima, how can we, like Shoko, take steps for peace at a time when the nuclear threat seems to be re-emerging?

    Today, her daughter Shoko, haunted by the human capacity for doing harm, has pledged her life to making peace.

    What new peacemaking steps will each of us take as the world observes the 60th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, August 6th and 9th, respectively?

    Two bombs in 1945 killed as many as 150,000 persons instantly and as many as 300,000 over time.

    Tragically, the month before the United States dropped the bombs, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower advised Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, that using nuclear weapons was not necessary -- the Japanese were already basically defeated.

    Today there are eight declared nuclear states -- the United States, Russia, China, Great Britain, France, India, Pakistan and North Korea.  Israel also has nuclear weapons, but does not admit this fact. Many suspect that other nations have plans to develop such weapons.

    The Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) requires nuclear states to work toward disarming their weapons in exchange for a promise by non-nuclear states not to build nuclear weapons.

    Some 190 countries have signed the NPT.  But a recent NPT review conference in New York revealed that, after 35 years, many nations (including the United States) have been slow to honor their treaty commitments.

    The United States has some 10,000 nuclear weapons. Russia has almost twice as many. In 2002, U.S. President Bush and Russian President Putin signed a treaty requiring each country to reduce their nuclear stockpiles to no more than 2,200 warheads by 2012. Progress has been slow. 

    Given these U.S. commitments, it is especially troubling that the Bush administration is seeking funds to study a new generation of nuclear weapons.

    The Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator -- with 70 times the power of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs -- could be used against deep underground bunkers.  But scientists say that, even if it is exploded below ground, the "bunker buster" could still kill up to one million people if used near heavily populated areas.

    Proponents of the “bunker buster” say it is needed in light of today's new security threats.

    Haunted by the cloud of Hiroshima, how can we, like Shoko, take steps for peace at a time when the nuclear threat seems to be re-emerging?

    We can begin by reaffirming our trust in God.  The Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (1995) says that, “Prophets and other messengers of God continued to point the people of Israel toward trust in God rather than in weapons and military force” (Article 22).

    We can also endorse a statement by Christian and Muslim leaders, which affirms that "Christian and Muslim traditions are unambiguous on the sanctity of human life" and that nuclear weapons "are contrary to our religious and ethical principles."

    Finally, we can urge U.S. lawmakers to oppose funds for new nuclear weapons.

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted to cut nuclear research funds from the 2006 budget. But on June 30, the Senate voted, 53-43, to fund a study of new nuclear weapons. 

    A House-Senate conference committee will decide whether the funding stays in the final bill. A vote is expected in September.

    A recent poll revealed that two-thirds of Americans believe that no nation, including the United States, should have nuclear weapons.

Health Care Reform: Progress or Politics? - 2/5/2010 7:00:00 AM

Last week, President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, renewing his call for Congress to pass comprehensive health care reform: By the time I’m finished speaking tonight, more Americans will have lost their health insurance. Millions will lose it this year. Our deficit will grow. Premiums will go up. Patients will be denied the care they need. Small business owners will continue to drop coverage altogether. I will not walk away from these Americans, and neither should the people in this chamber. | Read More...

Haiti's Un-Natural Disaster - 1/25/2010 7:00:00 AM

Rebuilding Broken Trust in Communities - 1/8/2010 7:00:00 AM

When a crime is committed, the mistrust and broken faith that follow are all-encompassing, often affecting the entire community where the crime occurs. | Read More...

Re-thinking Aid to Columbia - 12/18/2009 7:00:00 AM

For the past nine years, the U.S. relationship with Colombia has reflected strong-armed thinking. Since 2000, the United States has given more than $6 billion in aid, with more than $5 billion in military and police support efforts to fight drug trafficking and paramilitary groups. | Read More...

On the Origin of the Torch - 12/11/2009 7:00:00 AM

In three months my country will host the Winter Olympic Games. Vancouver and Whistler are incredibly beautiful places and that, like everywhere else on the planet, has its dark side (See here and here and here). The beauty and problems of a city are magnified the moment it is awarded the right to go into debt to schmooze the world.  | Read More...

No Silver Bullet to End the LRA - 12/4/2009 7:00:00 AM

While the Obama administration is preoccupied with deliberations over Afghanistan, the Senate has recently focused some attention on east Africa. The Northern Uganda Recovery and Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament Act of 2009 (S.1067) was reported out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on November 17. This bill authorizes substantial funding for long term reconstruction efforts and transitional justice mechanisms.  | Read More...

Let Love Be Genuine - 11/20/2009 7:00:00 AM

Iraqis are amazingly generous hosts who truly “do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers.” (Hebrews 13:2). But they are also keen observers, assessing the character of their guests very quickly. | Read More...

Forgive Us Our Debts - 11/6/2009 7:00:00 AM