To: President Donald Trump
Lend Your Support for President Obama's Planned Historic Visit to the Hiroshima Memorial
WAND (Women's Action for New Directions)
Thank you for taking the opportunity to advance progress toward the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons by becoming the first American president to visit nuclear ground zero at Hiroshima, where the United States first used a nuclear weapon in war.
Your April 2009 speech in Prague gave hope to Americans and people the world over that we may one day live free of the threat of nuclear annihilation.
You pursued that goal by negotiating an important nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia, by bringing the world together to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and by convening world leaders to take concrete action against the threat of nuclear terrorism.
Much has been accomplished. But you can and must do more.
When you visit Hiroshima, we call on you to recognize the devastating humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and underscore why nuclear weapons must never be used again.
Additionally, we urge you to announce further concrete steps to reduce nuclear dangers, to include:
1. Reverse plans to spend $1 trillion upgrading the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
2. Reinforce the global moratorium on nuclear explosive testing and lay the foundation for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty's entry into force.
3. Call on all nations with nuclear weapons to commit to working toward nuclear disarmament.
Only strong and sustained U.S. leadership will move us forward on the path towards a world without nuclear weapons. These important steps would sustain momentum to that safer world for our children and for future generations.
Why is this important?
President Obama will make history by becoming the first U.S. President to visit nuclear ground zero when he is in Japan during the G7 Summit on May 26 and 27.
On August 6 and 9, 1945, the United States ushered in the nuclear age when it dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing hundreds of thousands and changing the world forever.
By visiting Hiroshima, President Obama will provide a reminder unlike any other that nuclear weapons pose a threat to global peace and security. But he should not stop there. He can and must take concrete steps during his waning days in office to advance his vision for a world without nuclear weapons.
Like you, WAND has been both inspired and frustrated by the president’s nuclear weapons policies. He spearheaded a once-in-a-generation agreement to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon -- without firing a shot. Yet, he has also approved a plan to spend $1 trillion over the next 30 years that would lock in an excessive nuclear weapons arsenal for decades to come. We have urged the president to reverse those plans.
Ben Rhodes, deputy communications director, explained the visit this way:
“On May 27, the President will visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, a site at the center of the city dedicated to the victims of the atomic bombing, where he will share his reflections on the significance of the site and the events that occurred there. He will not revisit the decision to use the atomic bomb at the end of World War II. Instead, he will offer a forward-looking vision focused on our shared future.
… The President’s time in Hiroshima also will reaffirm America’s longstanding commitment -- and the President’s personal commitment -- to pursue the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.
… The President and his team will make this visit knowing that the open recognition of history is essential to understanding our shared past, the forces that shape the world we live in today, and the future that we seek for our children and grandchildren."
In addition, chief Iran Deal negotiator and former Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs, Wendy Sherman, characterizes what a visit would mean in this way:
"Polling by the Pew Research Center shows that younger Americans are already much less likely than their grandparents to think that the use of nuclear weapons was justified.
"And, indeed, the trend is such that years from now, the majority of all Americans are likely to believe it was wrong. Future generations need to understand history in all of its dimensions. The President's focus, therefore, should be on remembrance, on the importance of never again going down the road to a World War. We too must remember what we did in August 1945 and the profound need to ensure there is never another Hiroshima."