No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis!

Dear Friends,

I wrote about the Interfaith Journey of Repentance in a previous post. Members of this delegation traveled to Hiroshima and Nagasaki for the 64th anniversaries of the atomic bombings to listen to the stories of the Hibakusha and engage in the global movement to abolish all nuclear weapons. If you haven't yet read about their journey, I highly recommend their blog (click here or see the link below). There is also another link with photos of Father Louis Vitale, who was one of the participants, at Pace e Bene.

Hiroshima's mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba, presented the city's annual Peace Declaration on August 6th, a document that expresses the "Spirit of Hiroshima", that spirit being characterized by forgiveness, the struggle for peace, and the determination that no other city shall ever suffer the fates of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The United States, being the only nation to have ever used nuclear weapons on another, has a unique responsibility to set the example for other nations to move towards a world without nuclear weapons.

As the survivors of the atomic bombings grow older, we are gradually losing the living memories of these tragedies; and collective memory is so important if we are to keep the torch of nuclear abolition alive. It is through the dedication of people such as those engaged in the Journey of Repentance that we will help keep the memories alive and spread the word of peace and reconciliation so necessary in a world awash in violence. The struggle to rid the world of nuclear weapons will only be won through the principles of nonviolence.

Repentance is much more than a simple apology. The Journey of Repentance is a model for the commitment to working (in a deep, sincere way) for nuclear abolition. I hope that reading their blog will give you a sense of their deep commitment, and demonstrate the hope that exists through the actions of people like these. May we all journey along with them in our own repentance for the sins of the past, while we work to ensure that we will never again commit such egregious sins as were committed on the people of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki - Never Again!

Peace,

Leonard

Click here to read the Journey of Repentance Blog.

Click here to see photos of Father Louis Vitale's participation in the Journey of Repentance.

Sign the Statement of Repentance at the Journey of Repentance Website.

Ladders and Missiles Don't Mix!

Well Blow me down Mateys. It appears that the U.S. Navy has scuttled another command at Sub Base Bangor, more politely known these days as Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor. According to the Navy, Captain Timothy J. Block, the commanding officer of Bangor’s nuclear weapons facility was given the heave-ho because of a loss of confidence in his ability to continue to lead, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

The Pentagon also said that there was no “specific issue or incident” that led to Block’s removal and that public safety was not jeopardized at the facility, which assembles, stores and places nuclear weapons on submarines. Phew - We can all breathe easy now. But then again, this IS the second time in just six years that a Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific (SWFPAC) commander has been relieved of his command for "a loss of confidence", and this is the facility where the U.S. stores roughly a quarter of its nuclear weapons!

In case you aren't familiar with the previous (serious) incident that ultimately caused heads to roll, here is the one minute version. November 7, 2003. Missile handling crew preparing to remove a Trident C4 missile from missile tube number 16 (on the USS Georgia) opens tube hatch, lowers access ladder into tube (ladder used to attach hoist to lift missile out of the tube), crew member attaches hoist, and they all take a break. Now comes the fun part. They come back from their break, start hoisting the missile (not a good idea since they had not yet removed the ladder), and the missile's nose cone is impaled by the ladder, slicing a 9-inch hole in the nose cone. And by the way, the ladder came within inches (quite literally) of one of the nuclear warheads before the crew stopped hoisting!!!

The Bangor explosives handling wharf

Just a few more inches, and the 2003 accident could have resulted in non-nuclear explosions, dispersal of plutonium into the air and water, and even fire involving missile propellant. SWFPAC failed a week long nuclear weapons inspection conducted in December 2003, resulting in multiple reassignments and courts-marshal.

Although we have heard nothing specific as to the recent dismissal of Captain Black, the 2003 incident only became public knowledge when the Kitsap County Sheriff heard about it from a reporter. One can only wonder why the Navy has relieved another commander of one of the largest nuclear weapons depots anywhere. If the December, 2003 Seattle PI article is an indicator, we should all be watching. Rear Admiral C.B. Young, director of the Navy's strategic weapons systems programs in Washington, D.C., cited only "a lack of confidence" as the reason for sacking Bangor's commanding officer after the most serious (known) nuclear weapons-related accident in recent years. Isn't that the exact phrase used by the Pentagon to describe the most recent dismissal???

Peace,

Leonard

Navy Fires Top Officer at Bangor Nuclear Weapons Facility, Kitsap Sun, Friday, August 21, 2009
Nuclear missile allegedly damaged, about the 2003 accident, Seattle PI, Thursday, March 11, 2004
Bangor officer in charge of key missile systems loses his command, Seattle PI, Thursday, December 25, 2003

Ground Zero Needs Your Vote!

Friends,

As you can see, this is a non-commercial blog. As much as I would love to rake in some money, I avoid plastering my blog with advertising, or anything commercial for that matter. But when it comes to raising money for a worthy cause, I take no prisoners (so too speak). Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action (GZ), which you have seen reference to many times in this blog, is one such worthy cause. GZ has been faithfully resisting Trident (no small task) and working to abolish nuclear weapons for over 30 years, and with the subject of nuclear weapons having been brought into the mainstream recently, GZ is primed to reach more people with its message of nonviolence and nuclear abolition. But it takes MONEY!

GZ is competing for a $10,000 grant in a contest sponsored by Nau, a clothing company based in Portland, Oregon, which runs the Grant for Change program. The Grant for Change program is meant to support "activists who are seeding positive change in their communities, and moving others to do the same." This grant will help GZ increase its reach to build awareness of the issues, and educate and train many more people to work for nuclear abolition. To win this grant we need as many people as possible to vote for GZ. If we are among the top five vote getters, we will go into the final round. And there will be another vote. The deadline to vote is August 31. And we need at least 100 votes to be in the running! We can do it with your help.

There are two steps to voting.

1) Click here to register with Nau. All you need is your name, email and a password; NO strings attached.

2) Then click on the link below. Once you're on the Grant for Change site, you can read the "who" and "why" of our nomination. Then click on the "rate/share" option at the far right where you can rate our nomination. I hope you agree that 5 stars is appropriate, but you decide. As soon as you rate the nomination, your vote is recorded. Here's the link to vote:

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action

at Grant for Change

Thanks for supporting GZ and nuclear abolition!

Peace,

Leonard

P.S. - Don't forget to ask your friends to vote for us! Am I mercenary, or what??? But hey, this really IS a good cause.

Original Child Bomb

Friends ,

In the year 1945 an Original Child was born.The name Original Child was given to it by the Japanese people, who recognized that it was the first of its kind. So begins Thomas Merton's Original Child Bomb: Points for meditation to be scratched on the walls of a cave.

The Original Child Bomb to which Merton refers "exploded within 100 feet of the aiming point. The fireball was 18,000 feet across. The temperature at the center of the fireball was 100,000,000 degrees. The people who were near the center became nothing. The whole city was blown to bits and the ruins all caught fire instantly everywhere, burning briskly. 70,000 people were killed right away or died within a few hours. Those who did not die at once suffered great pain. Few of them were soldiers" (from Original Child Bomb).

Before dawn on Monday, August 10, 2009, a participant in Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action's vigil and nonviolent direct action at the Bangor Trident nuclear submarine base read an excerpt from Merton's poem in preparation for the day's event. At the 3 1/2 day annual witness at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, NE, hosted by the Des Moines and Omaha Catholic Worker communities, the entire poem was read as part of the closing ceremony.

I thought it worth sharing Merton's poem as a closing to a weekend of remembrance, action and planning for the future of the nuclear abolition movement. May we all continue to find strength to continue the struggle to abolish nuclear weapons.

Peace,

Leonard

Click here to read Original Child Bomb.

Hiroshima-Nagasaki Event News Release

Friends,

Here is the news release for this past weekend's event at Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action.

Peace,

Leonard

P.S. - See the previous post for a slideshow of part of the weekend.

*************

Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action
16159 Clear Creek Road NW Poulsbo, WA 98370
Website: www.gzcenter.org, E-mail: info@gzcenter.org

10 people arrested at Trident nuclear submarine base at Bangor, marking the 64th Anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

87 people participated in a vigil and nonviolent direct action against the Trident nuclear weapons system at the Main (Trident Avenue) gate to Bangor nuclear submarine base early Monday morning .

Joy Goldstein, 74, 0f Vashon, WA, and her passenger, Swaneagle (Mary Tremblay), 59, of Vashon, WA, drove onto the base, were told to leave or receive citations. The pair were allowed to leave in their vehicle.

Jessica Arteaga, 24, of Tacoma, WA, Lynne Greenwald, 60, of Bremerton, WA, and Tom Shea, 80, of Snoqualmie, WA crossed the blue line onto the submarine base and attempted to block traffic entering the base while holding a large banner with a sunflower and broken Trident missile saying, "Abolish Nuclear Weapons: Resist Trident", and a peace flag. All three were detained by Naval security, processed and released. Shea offered the Naval security personnel copies of an article by Larry Kerschner, titled "August 9, 1945: Ruminations on Nagasaki." Greenwald was given a citation for trespassing (violation 18 USC 1382); court date pending.

While vigilers held a variety of banners, flags and signs calling for peace and the abolition of nuclear weapons a second group broke the yellow "caution" tape designating the "free speech zone", and strung it across the County roadway, blocking traffic entering the base. One member of this group walked among the vehicles waiting to enter the base, offering drivers sunflowers, a symbol of nuclear disarmament. Anne Hall, 64, of Seattle,WA, Jackie Hudson, 74, of Bremerton, WA, Brenda McMillan, 75, of Port Townsend, WA, Jean Sundborg, 69, of Seattle, WA, and Alice Zillah, 36, of Olympia, WA, were arrested by Washington State Patrol officers.

Following the release of the three Federal arrestees, Arteaga and Greenwald, who had already been processed and released by Naval authorities, re-entered the roadway on the County side carrying the same banner as before, and were arrested by the State Patrol. All those arrested by the State Patrol were taken to Kitsap County Justice Center in Port Orchard where they were booked and released. Veterans For Peace, Squadron 13, who brought their Peace Bus to Ground Zero Center for the weekend, which marked the anniversaries of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, picked up the arrestees after their release and returned them to Ground Zero Center.

Besides welcoming the Interfaith Peace Walk (from Los Alamos, New Mexico to Ground Zero Center) and speaking by telephone with members of the Journey of Repentance who were in Hiroshima, Japan, the weekend included Charlie Meconis speaking on Energy, Environment & Nuclear Weapons, and an engaging panel discussion with Vietnam Vet, Lawyer and Peace Activist, Brian Willson, and Ground Zero founders, Jim and Shelley Douglass, long time Ground Zero member, Lynne Greenwald, and folksinger, Tom Rawson.

The Trident submarine base at Bangor, just 20 miles from Seattle, is home to the largest single stockpile of nuclear warheads in the U.S. arsenal. In November 2006, the Natural Resources Defense Council declared that the 2,364 nuclear warheads at Bangor are approximately 24 percent of the entire U.S. arsenal. The Ground Zero Center for Nonviolence has, for over 30 years, resised Trident, and offers education, training, and action for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Note: The photo, taken in front of the new Ground Zero Center house nearing completion, is of the 10 people who risked arrest on Monday morning.

Nuclear Abolition: Yes We Will!

Friends,

Did you notice the silence in the corporate media over the course of the weekend surrounding the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Well, despite the lack of compassion shown towards the victims of the most horrific, instantaneous mass killing in all of recorded history, there were plenty of people honoring the memories of those killed and working towards a nuclear weapons-free world.

One of those gatherings occurred over the course of the weekend at Ground Zero Center for Nonviolent Action in Poulsbo, Washington, also the site of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor (known still to some as Submarine Base Bangor), home of one of the largest concentrations of nuclear weapons in the world as well as the West coast home port of the Navy's Trident nuclear submarine fleet. It was a humbling experience for me to join my fellow Ground Zero members and guests, many who have been involved in the movement to abolish nuclear weapons for decades, never losing their dedication to the core values of peace and nonviolence.

As I decompress following such a gratifying weekend, I find it hard to articulate the many thoughts and feelings, so for now I will share a slide show of part of the weekend (Sunday and Monday) that I hope will convey the spirit of the event. As the banner at the top of this blog says, "No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis".

Peace,

Leonard

P.S. - Click "View all" to go to the photo page where you can click on "Slideshow" for a full screen version. Enjoy the show!

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