NguJack Gilroy, Julayi 21, 2020
U-Agasti 6, 1945 wangithola emotweni nginomalume wami, uFrank Pryal. Umphenyi we-NYC ongagqokile iyunifomu, uMalume uFrank wahamba ngemigwaqo ematasa yaseManhattan eya eCentral Park Zoo ukuyohlangana nomngani wakhe uJoe. Kwakuyindawo ejabulisayo enemindeni ejabulela izilwane. UJoe, oyigorila, wabona uMalume uFrank eza futhi waqala ukuzishaya esifubeni lapho sisondela. UFrank wakhipha ugwayi ephaketheni lejazi lakhe lesudi, wawukhanyisa, wamnika. UJoe uthathe ukudonsa okude wasiphephetha ngentuthu… Ngikhumbula ngihleka kakhulu ngaze ngagobeka ukuze ngime.
Mina nomalume uFrank besingazi lutho ngaleso sikhathi, kodwa ngalo lolo suku eHiroshima, izingane zaseJapan, abazali bazo, futhi, kanye nezilwane ezifuywayo, zashiswa ezenzweni ezimbi kakhulu emlandweni wesintu, i-United States ihlasela abantu Hiroshima nge atomic ibhomu.
Njengomfana oneminyaka eyi-10 waseMelika owayethanda impi, ukubhujiswa kukaHiroshima kwangishiya ngingenalo uzwelo, noma usizi. Njengabanye abantu baseMelika, ngangicindezelwe ingqondo ukuthi ngikholwe ukuthi impi iyingxenye yesimo somuntu nokuthi ukubulala kuyinto ejwayelekile. Bengicabanga ukuthi kuhle ngenkathi imibiko yangaphambilini evela eYurophu isitshela ukuthi yethu ibhayisikobho eshisa izikhotha amabhomu angabhubhisa wonke amadolobha aseJalimane. Abantu ababehlala kulawo mabhulokhi edolobha babengenandaba nami. Ngemuva kwakho konke, "besiyinqoba" impi.
IMerriam Webster ichaza ukulimala kobuhlakani ngokuthi “ukulimala okwenziwe okuthile okungekhona okuhlosiwe. Ngokukhethekile: izisulu zokuhlukunyezwa kwabantu abasebenza empini.
UMongameli wase-United States, uHarry Truman, wathi uHiroshima wayengumuntu umkhosi wamasosha. Kwakungamanga aluhlaza cwe. Wayazi ukuthi iHiroshima kwakuyidolobha ikakhulukazi lezakhamizi zaseJapan elalingasongozi e-United States. Esikhundleni salokho, leso senzo sokwesaba kubantu baseHiroshima cishe sasingu- isignali eSoviet Union eyakhuphuka lapho iMelika ibheka izakhamuzi njengamacala okushayisana.
Inganekwane yokuthi ukuqhuma kwamabhomu e-athomu kuvimbele izinkulungwane zabantu baseMelika ukufa kuyinkulumo-ze nje esekholelwa iningi labantu baseMelika kuze kube namuhla. Ummeli uWilliam Leahy, ophethe amabutho ase-US Pacific, uthe “Ngumbono wami ukuthi ukusetshenziswa kwalesi sikhali esinonya eHiroshima naseNagasaki akusizanga ngalutho empini yethu neJapan. AmaJapan asevele enqotshiwe futhi elungele ukuzinikela ngenxa yokuvinjelwa kolwandle okusebenzayo. ” Ekugcineni, amadolobha aseJapan angamashumi ayisithupha nanhlanu ayesemlotheni. Jikelele Dwight D. Eisenhower kusho okwaxoxwa neNewsweek "AmaJapane ayekulungele ukuzinikela futhi kwakungadingekile ukuthi ubashaye ngaleyo nto embi."
NgoKhisimusi ka-1991, unkosikazi wami uHelene, udadewabo uMary, indodakazi yethu uMary Ellen nendodana yethu uTerry bahlangana bathula izandla endaweni yaseHiroshima lapho iqembu lamaKristu lebhomu laseMelika lashisa amashumi ezinkulungwane zabantu baseJapan ngalolo suku olubi. Siphinde sazindla ngomunye umcimbi osabekayo. Ezinsukwini ezintathu nje kamuva, ngo-Agasti 9, 1945, ibhomu lesibili laseMelika elinabasebenzi abangamaKristu ababhapathiziwe lalizosebenzisa i- ISonto LamaKatolika eNagasaki njenge-zero zero ukuqhuma ibhomu le-plutonium elishisa inani elikhulu kakhulu lamaKristu e-Asia.
Ngabe izingane zaseMelika namuhla zisengqondo mayelana nempi? Ngabe ubhadane lweCovid-19 ngumzuzu ofundisekayo ukukhombisa izingane ukubaluleka kwabo bonke abafowethu nodadewethu emhlabeni wethu? Ngabe lo mzuzu ngokuhamba kwesikhathi uzovumela izizukulwane ezizayo ukuthi zilahle ubugebengu obungenasimilo nobudelelekayo bokulimala kwesibambiso?
Isikhumbuzo seminyaka engama-75 sokushiswa kwesikhuni saseHiroshima sizoba ngoLwesine, Agasti 6, ngo-8 ekuseni e-First Congregational Church, ekhoneni leMigwaqo iMain ne-Front, eBinghamton, eNew York, e-USA. Amaski nokususwa komzimba kuzodingeka. Ixhaswe yiBroome County Peace Action, amaVeterans for Peace of Broome County, neFirst Congregational Church.
UJack Gilroy uthisha osethathe umhlalaphansi waseMaine-Endwell High School.
