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.

Grocery List Morality - 8/20/2010 7:00:00 AM

On Wednesdays over the past year, I could be found at the grocery store, list in hand.  Apples, cereal, pretzels… Check!  I brought reusable bags to save plastic, and having smiled at the cashier, assumed that I was a positive influence. | Read More...

Growing Insecurity in Latin America - 8/13/2010 7:00:00 AM

Since mid-2009, the Obama administration's relations with its Latin American counterparts have become increasingly strained. | Read More...

Summer Obesssions - 7/23/2010 7:00:00 AM

My summer has been filled to overflowing in Washington, DC, and marked by several highlights. For a section of the summer, my biggest obsession was undoubtedly football…I mean soccer…I mean World Cup. I love everything about World Cup. I love—for better or for worse—that Africa finally hosted one of the biggest tournaments in the world. I love the hype, the excitement, the crazy fans, the spectacular stories, the drama of red cards, the killer penalty shots, and the joy of players and fans when their dreams come to fruition. World Cup was glorious. World Cup had the world falling before their television sets. | Read More...

A Six Month 'Progress' Report - 7/9/2010 7:00:00 AM

Two months ago I reported on the dire situation faced by the Haitian population. July 12 will mark the six-month anniversary of the earthquake. Unfortunately, little has changed in the past two months. As international organizations and governments continue their response with well-meaning plans designed in Washington or in board rooms, most Haitians experience little progress. Hundreds of thousands are living without adequate shelter in the debris-filled city of Port-au-Prince. | Read More...

Justice Through Transparency - 7/2/2010 7:00:00 AM

In a cruel twist of irony, more than two thirds of the world’s poorest people live in countries that are rich in natural resources. Tragically, these countries’ biggest potential for economic growth and well-being is often its greatest downfall. Rather than making prudent investments, revenue from lucrative extractive industries is often mismanaged, diverted to the military, or swallowed up by corruption. | Read More...

Inherited Responsibility - 6/18/2010 7:00:00 AM

Each day, my walk to and from work takes me through old neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. The cement and buildings disguise the fact that some of the federal city was once wetlands, but during the summer the nourishing rain, humidity and mosquitoes quickly remind me. | Read More...

Gaza Resources, Upcoming Middle East Peace Conference - 6/4/2010 7:00:00 AM

Israel-Palestine has been in the headlines this week, after Israel intercepted a flotilla of ships headed to Gaza with humanitarian supplies. | Read More...

"Secure the Border!" - 5/21/2010 7:00:00 AM

Its closure didn’t make the national news. It’s not a place that many from northern states have visited. But the Sabal Palm Sanctuary is a special place indeed. | Read More...