What we learned from the speech of President Obama in Hiroshima
Moderator：三浦 一男
We picked up the speech of President Obama in Hiroshima City performed on May 27, 2016 for discussion held this month.
Our first impression of the text was that it was very sophisticated and sonorous and that it gave us his quiet but strong will for peace and for nuclear weapon-free world.
We divided the speech into four chapters for our comprehension.
Chapter 1 History of Human Beings So Far
Chapter 2 Meaning of Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Chapter3 How to Refrain From War
Chapter4 Future of Our Society, what will we be
Chapter 1 History of Human Beings So Far
President Obama stated why he came to Hiroshima, and commented: civilization has brought physically great cities and magnificent art, and spiritually justice, harmony, truth. But scarcity of grain or hunger for gold, nationalist fever or religious zeal resulted domination and conquest and finally war, based on the same instinct of the simplest tribes.
Discussion: President Obama visited not to apologize but to ponder the incident and to mourn the dead by the bombing. But participants of today agreed that President Obama’s visit itself and his all actions on that day showed his strong will against nuclear war and ardent pray for Hiroshima people.
Chapter2 Meaning of Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
Spark that marks us as species is thoughts, imagination, language, tool-making, and power to control nature. But its ultimate contradiction is capacity for unmatched destruction. What blind us to destruction is material advancement and social innovation. These have brought ever-more efficient killing machine. What Hiroshima tells us is that technological and human institution’s progress must accompany moral revolution. We must watch the history and do differently to curb such suffering again.
Chapter3 How to Refrain From Warfare
After the World War II, various efforts have been extended including independence of oppressed nations, establishment of EU, various international institutions and treaties to avoid war and to constrict, roll back and eliminate the existence of nuclear weapons. But still warfare is seen everywhere on the earth and nuclear weapons are increasing. What is important is to defense ourselves but must have the courage to escape the logic of fear and to pursue a world without nuclear stockpiles. The methodology of refraining from war be DIPLOMACY, not with violent competition but with peaceful cooperation, not with capacity to destroy but with what we build. We must realize that we are members of one human race. We have to learn the history.
Discussion: President Obama picked up a story regarding a Japanese woman who forgave the pilot of the bomb-carrier B29, but he never discussed it. One of our members stated 70 years have already passed and anti-feeling or hatred was relieved. We discussed the necessity of forgiveness in its negotiation for ending of warfare at the final stage, though it is most difficult.
Chapter4 Future of Our Society, what will we be
President Obama stated US nation’s story about it. He especially emphasized three points. They are worth of every person, insistence that life is precious, and notion that we are single human family. Ordinary people’s desire is no war and science to be focused on improving life and not eliminating it. His ideal everyday life scene is that with first smile from children, with gentle touch from spouse, and with comforting embrace of a parent. Hiroshima now realizes the above scene. Thus it can be said that Hiroshima is done. Hiroshima is not dawn of atomic warfare, but start of moral awakening.
Discussion: His speech referred to even background of human beings and is indeed magnificent and grand and yet very familiar to us -ordinary people. After discussion we could well understand the story and what President Obama wanted to stress was necessity of moral revolution. That was our conclusion.
