NguJack Gilroy, nge-21 kaJulayi, 2020
NgoAgasti 6, 1945 wandifumana emotweni kunye nomalume wam, uFrank Pryal. UMalume uFrank waqhuba ngezitrato ezixakekileyo zaseManhattan ukuya eCentral Park Zoo ukuya kudibana nomhlobo wakhe uJoe. Yayiyindawo edlamkileyo eneentsapho ezinandipha izilwanyana. UJoe, igorila, wabona uMalume uFrank esiza waza waqalisa ukumbetha esifubeni njengoko sasondela. UFrank wakhupha i-cigar epokothweni yebhatyi yesuti, wayilayita, wamnika. UJoe uthathe utsalo olude wasivuthela ... Ndikhumbula ndihleka kakhulu kangangokuba kuye kwafuneka ndiqubude ukuze ndiyeke.
Umalume noFrank besingenalo nofifi ngelo xesha, kodwa ngala mhla mnye eHiroshima, abantwana baseJapan, abazali babo, kwaye ewe, izilwanyana zabo zasekhaya, batshiswa besona senzo singaziwayo kwimbali yabantu, eUnited States bahlasela abantu Hiroshima nge atomic ibhomu.
Njengomfana oneminyaka eli-10 ubudala waseMelika owayethanda imfazwe, ukutshatyalaliswa kukaHiroshima kwandishiya ndingenanceba, okanye usizi. Njengabanye abantu baseMelika, bendixinwe engqondweni ukuba imfazwe iyinxalenye yobuntu kwaye ukubulala kuyinto eqhelekileyo. Ndacinga ukuba kupholile xa iingxelo zangaphambili ezivela eYurophu zisixelele ukuba yethu blockbuster iibhombu zinokutshabalalisa iibhloko zesixeko sonke eJamani. Abantu ababehlala kwezo dolophu babengakhathali. Emva kwayo yonke loo nto, "sasiphumelela" emfazweni.
IMerriam Webster ichaza ukonakala kwendibano ngokuthi "ukwenzakala kwenzakala kwenye into engeyiyo into ebejolise kuyo. Ngokukodwa: abantu abenzakeleyo abasebenza emkhosini.
Umongameli wase-United States, uHarry Truman, wathi nguHiroshima umzi womkhosi. Yayibubuxoki obucacileyo. Wayeyazi ukuba iHiroshima yayisisixeko ikakhulu sabantu baseJapan abangakhange babesoyikiso eMelika. Endaweni yoko, isenzo esoyikisayo kubemi baseHiroshima sasinokwenzeka ukuba uphawu lisiya kwiSoviet Union ukuba iUnited States iwagqale njengabemi basemzini umonakalo nje ongafanelekanga.
Intsomi yokuba ibhombu ye-atomic yathintela ukubulawa kwabantu baseMelika ngamawaka nje asasazwa ngabantu abaninzi base Melika ukuza kuthi ga ngoku. U-Admiral u-William Leahy, Umphathi wamajoni aseMelika ePacific, wathi “Luluvo lwam ukuba ukusetyenziswa kwesi sixhobo sibukhali eHiroshima naseNagasaki akuncedanga nganto kwimfazwe yethu neJapan. AmaJapan ayesele oyisiwe kwaye ekulungele ukunikezela ngenxa yokuvalwa kolwandle ngendlela efanelekileyo. ” Ekugqibeleni, iidolophu ezingamashumi amathandathu anesihlanu zaseJapan zazisothuthu. Ngokubanzi Dwight D. Eisenhower wathi kudliwanondlebe neNewsweek “AmaJapan ayekulungele ukunikezela kwaye kwakungeyomfuneko ukuba ubabethe ngaloo nto imbi kangaka.”
NgeKrisimesi ka-1991, unkosikazi wam uHelene, udadewabo uMary, intombi yethu uMary Ellen kunye nonyana wakhe uTerry badibane ngezandla bethe cwaka kwindawo yaseHiroshima apho iqela lamaKristu e-US laqhushumisa amashumi amawaka abemi baseJapan ngala mini imbi. Sikwacamngce ngesinye isiganeko esoyikekayo. Kwiintsuku nje ezintathu kamva, ngo-Agasti 9, 1945, ibhombu yesibini yaseMelika kunye neqela lababhaptizi abangamaKristu laliza kusebenzisa Inkonzo YamaKatolika e-Nagasaki njenge-zero yomhlaba yokuqhushumba ibhombu ye-plutonium ukutshisa uninzi lwamaKristu amakhulu e-Asia.
Ngaba abantwana baseMelika namhlanje basengqondweni malunga nemfazwe? Ngaba ubhubhane weCovid-19 ngumzuzu onokufundiseka ukubonisa abantwana ukubaluleka kwabo bonke abazalwana noodade abakwiplanethi yethu? Ngaba lo mzuzu wexesha uza kuvumela izizukulwana ezizayo ukuba zilushiye ulwaphulo-mthetho olubi, olucekisekayo lomonakalo wesivumelwano?
Isikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-75 yokutshiswa kweHiroshima siza kubanjwa ngoLwesine, umhla we-6 kuAgasti, ngentsimbi yesi-8 kusasa kwiCawa yokuQala yamaBandla, kwikona yeeNdlela eziPhambili neziphambili, eBinghamton, eNew York, eMelika. Iimaski kunye nokuhamba ngokwasemzimbeni kuya kufuneka. Ixhaswe yi-Broome County Peace Action, iiVeterans zoXolo lweBroome County, kunye neCawa yokuQala yamaBandla.
UJack Gilroy ngutitshala odla umhlala-phantsi waseMaine-Endwell High School.
