Candlelight Vigil to Commemorate Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Winsted Area Peace Action will hold a candlelight vigil on Tuesday, August 6 in East End Park from 7:30-9 p.m. to commemorate the anniversary of the 1945 bombings of the Japanese cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombings, which killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians and leveled two cities, were the first and only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Winsted Area Peace Action members conduct this vigil annually on August 6 to remind the community that nuclear weapons continue to pose a threat to our security. The vigil this year is particularly timely in light of President Bush's plans to modernize nuclear weapons and build a National Missile Defense system, which could trigger a whole new nuclear arms race.

Since World War II, trillions of dollars have been spent on military build-ups worldwide, with the United States leading the world in numbers of nuclear and non-nuclear weapons. Although promoted as an arms reduction treaty, the recent agreement between the U.S. and Russia does not actually call for the destruction of nuclear warheads and does little to de-escalate the threat of a nuclear exchange. Furthermore, plans by the U.S. to build a National Missile Defense system and to modernize nuclear arsenals send a signal to other nations that nuclear weapons are still a key component of defense; tensions between India and Pakistan demonstrate how quickly war can include threats to use nuclear weapons.

A feature of the annual vigil is the participation of campers from Camp Kinderland in Tolland, MA, who join the candlelight vigil and lead the singing of songs for peace. Anyone concerned about the past use and future threat of nuclear weapons is invited to join the vigil. For more info call Barbara Braunstein at 860-379-5262, or Joanne Hohmeister at 860-379-5265.