Commentary: In visiting Hiroshima, President Obama would fulfill pledge
Apr. 23, 2016
by Kohei Okata, Staff Writer
Seven years on, the time has come for U.S. President Barack Obama to fulfill his pledge to visit Hiroshima since taking office in 2009. This expectation could be realized when Mr. Obama travels to Japan in May to participate in the Group of Seven (G7) summit (Ise Shima summit). Our hope is that the head of the nuclear superpower that dropped an atomic bomb on this city will deepen his understanding of the devastating consequences of that day, and strengthen his nation’s determination to advance a world without nuclear weapons.
“I certainly would be honored. It would be meaningful for me to visit those two cities (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) in the future.” This is what Mr. Obama said during a press conference held in the office of the prime minister when he visited Japan for the first time in November 2009. In a speech he gave in Prague in April of that same year, he said that, as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. The young president’s words gave hope to atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima.
But the events that have unfolded since then have betrayed their expectations. As commander-in-chief of the U.S. military, Mr. Obama has stood by the policy of nuclear deterrence and has authorized nuclear tests in the name of maintaining the performance of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. His pragmatic side has always been conspicuous. And due to deteriorating relations with Russia, there has been no progress in bilateral disarmament negotiations. Moreover, there is no sign that he will pursue compromise with the non-nuclear nations which seek to highlight the inhumane nature of nuclear arms and are pressing for a nuclear weapons convention.
From the viewpoint of Hiroshima, the world without nuclear weapons that President Obama has advocated has become less likely to materialize as a result of the past seven years.
With Mr. Obama leaving office in January 2017, it is unrealistic to expect that he will pursue a bold shift in the country’s nuclear policy. Some point out that Mr. Obama is seeking to cement his legacy as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. But such a visit must not end up a mere personal legacy.
He must mourn for the innocent civilians who were killed in an instant, comfort the elderly survivors to the degree he can, and consider the sentiment of those survivors who believe an apology for the bombings should be made. People all over the world are eager to hear President Obama’s “Hiroshima Speech,” which would mark a turning point in the quest to create a world without nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on April 23, 2016)
Seven years on, the time has come for U.S. President Barack Obama to fulfill his pledge to visit Hiroshima since taking office in 2009. This expectation could be realized when Mr. Obama travels to Japan in May to participate in the Group of Seven (G7) summit (Ise Shima summit). Our hope is that the head of the nuclear superpower that dropped an atomic bomb on this city will deepen his understanding of the devastating consequences of that day, and strengthen his nation’s determination to advance a world without nuclear weapons.
“I certainly would be honored. It would be meaningful for me to visit those two cities (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) in the future.” This is what Mr. Obama said during a press conference held in the office of the prime minister when he visited Japan for the first time in November 2009. In a speech he gave in Prague in April of that same year, he said that, as the only nuclear power to have used a nuclear weapon, the United States has a moral responsibility to act. The young president’s words gave hope to atomic bomb survivors and citizens of Hiroshima.
But the events that have unfolded since then have betrayed their expectations. As commander-in-chief of the U.S. military, Mr. Obama has stood by the policy of nuclear deterrence and has authorized nuclear tests in the name of maintaining the performance of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. His pragmatic side has always been conspicuous. And due to deteriorating relations with Russia, there has been no progress in bilateral disarmament negotiations. Moreover, there is no sign that he will pursue compromise with the non-nuclear nations which seek to highlight the inhumane nature of nuclear arms and are pressing for a nuclear weapons convention.
From the viewpoint of Hiroshima, the world without nuclear weapons that President Obama has advocated has become less likely to materialize as a result of the past seven years.
With Mr. Obama leaving office in January 2017, it is unrealistic to expect that he will pursue a bold shift in the country’s nuclear policy. Some point out that Mr. Obama is seeking to cement his legacy as the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima. But such a visit must not end up a mere personal legacy.
He must mourn for the innocent civilians who were killed in an instant, comfort the elderly survivors to the degree he can, and consider the sentiment of those survivors who believe an apology for the bombings should be made. People all over the world are eager to hear President Obama’s “Hiroshima Speech,” which would mark a turning point in the quest to create a world without nuclear weapons.
(Originally published on April 23, 2016)
