The solemn beat of a drum and a slow procession through downtown Syracuse Thursday marked the 70th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Dozens of people of all ages joined the march, which snaked through downtown from Clinton Square to Everson Plaza during the lunch hour. Long-time Syracuse Peace Council activist Diane Swords says the bombings might seem long ago and far away, the threat of nuclear proliferation continues to grow.
"In fact, the U.S. and the nuclear nations are improving their aresenals, and the U.S. is rebuilding the nuclear infrastructure. So, we're at a point where things are not quiet on the nuclear front at all."
Paul Wittjung of Syracuse is in his 70’s, and says he’s marched in many of these processions. He was pleased to be joined by his 13-year-old nephew…
"People like Patrick who is very eager to be here and participate is indicative of the hope we have in young people, that they're going to be oriented toward peace, and be anti-war."
Patrick says, "People don't realize how much damage wars cause to a country." He's familiar with what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 70 years ago.
"I know a lot of people died, and caused a lot of fallout. People were really sick from the radiation, and it was really bad for a long time. I don't think they realized how much nuclear weapons caused until that point.”
Joshua of Morrisville remembers first learning about the bombings when his fourth grade class read Sadako’s Thousand Paper Cranes.
"We had a kid in class who was Vietnamese whose mom taught us how to make the paper cranes. I never forgot, so I used to go back into the class and teach the other students how to make the cranes. So that's how I first found out about it, and I think that was a good way to start out."
…and it’s something that sticks with him as he and others marched for peace.
