I though visiting Hiroshima would be unbearably sad, and it was very sad at times, but the thing that I really took away from my visit was the unwavering message of peace. This is a city that was destroyed and people and families that were attacked and devastated by the actions of my country. And instead being vengeful or hating me because I am American, they were gracious and kind enough to share their experience and to preach peace for the betterment of all of us, the world. This attitude and pure goodwill blew me away. It made me want to strive to incorporate that kind of approach into my daily life.
Meeting with Steven Leeper was a great experience, it was wonderful to hear his thoughts. It was different than most of the speakers we heard on this tour. Not only was he American, but he really brought in a more realistic idea of peace for me. An idea with politics. It is great to hold peace meetings, conferences, rallies, etc. to support what you believe in, but ultimately I believe we need the lawmakers and government to lead the way. That is something solid that people can get behind.It is valid and concrete. That is something that is difficult to do which is maybe why our political leaders have not taken a strong approach in leading the way of peace. There are so many interests to account for when making any decision. Hopefully, the governments of all countries will one day realize that peace would ultimately be in the best interest of the human race and lead the way in making that idea a reality for all of us.
While in Hiroshima we had the beautiful pleasure of meeting a hibakusha named Miyoko. She was a little girl when Hiroshima was attacked with the nuclear bomb. She shared the story of how she lived through the attack, her feelings and her art. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
We only had one day in Hiroshima, but I will always remember it vividly.
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