On
August 6, 1945 the US
dropped an atomic bomb
on the city of Hiroshima,
Japan, and three days
later another one on Nagasaki.
More than 100,000 people,
mostly civilians, were
killed instantly and for
years afterwards, from
horrible burns and radiation
sickness.
Fortunately,
nuclear weapons have not
been used again on civilians,
but they continue to remain
a constant threat. Thousands
of nuclear weapons remain
on alert, ready to be
fired at a moment's notice.
These bombs could go off
at any time by accident
or at the hands of terrorists.
Recognizing
that there are enough
nuclear weapons to destroy
the planet, most nations
signed the Non-Proliferation
Treaty (NPT), agreeing
to prevent the spread
of nuclear weapons and
to work towards eliminating
them. The NPT went into
effect in 1970, but the
number of nations with
nukes has nearly doubled
and there is still no
timetable to eliminate
nuclear weapons. A people's
movement has grown to
convince governments to
rid the world of the nuclear
threat. 5 regions, covering
most of the Southern hemisphere
and more than 250 municipalities
around the world have
declared themselves as
Nuclear Free Zones.
No
Nukes Day, often called
Hiroshima Day,
is an opportunity to raise
awareness about the threat
of nuclear weapons and
the dangers of nuclear
energy. It's the perfect
time to urge your Mayor
to declare your city a
Nuclear Free Zone.
www.abolitionnow.org
www.wagingpeace.org/menu/issues/nuclear-weapons
www.betterworldlinks.org/book80.htm
