If the
"Enola Gay," which dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima, is publicly
displayed, we request that materials showing
the "calamity of the bombing" also be exhibited
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
has announced that it has completely restored the B29 bomber "Enola
Gay," which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and that it will
display this plane to the general public from December onward. The
explanatory text for the public display devotes a great deal to the
performance characteristics and the like of the Enola Gay, but is said
to restrict itself to a brief reference to the dropping of the atomic
bomb: "Dropped the first atomic weapon on Hiroshima in 1945."
Moreover, we have heard that Director Dailey has explained: "This is a
museum of technology, and we have focused on the technological
achievement."
We cannot repress our deep astonishment and
anger. What the Enola Gay wrought was the loss of well over
100,000 lives that were cruelly destroyed by the atomic bomb and the
deep wounds and radiation-induced handicaps that continue to afflict
victims of the atomic bomb to this day. Of the 140,000 people
estimated to have died in Hiroshima within that year, 65% were women,
children and elderly people who had no connection to the war. To
exalt this Enola Gay - which caused an unprecedented atrocity that
violated all norms of morality and international law - as a testimony to
"technological achievement" is completely unacceptable to the atomic
bomb victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
If an exhibition of the Enola Gay is to be
conducted, the exhibition should be presented without concealing the
"calamity" that the atomic bomb inflicted upon humanity. In the
year 2000 review meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT),
the government of your country made an "unequivocal undertaking" to
"accomplish the total elimination of its nuclear arsenal." If
faithful to this "undertaking" your country has assumed the
international duty of fostering an atmosphere favorable to the
elimination of nuclear weapons, and this exhibition should be conducted
with the underlying resolve that "Hiroshima will never happen again."
By our signatures, we hereby make the following
requests.
On the occasion of the public display of the restored
B29 bomber "Enola Gay" which is planned for December, we request that
you also exhibit photographs and materials showing the damage inflicted
by the atomic bomb that was dropped from this airplane.
If this should prove impossible, we request that you
cancel the currently planned exhibition of the Enola Gay.
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