Students collect anti-nuke signatures for New York conference

Wednesday 10th March, 11:59 AM JST

TOKYO —

A group of high school students in Tokyo are collecting signatures from people to support a world without nuclear arms to submit to the review conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in May in New York. Five of the group, consisting more than 10 students, plan to go to the United States to hand the petition to the conference.

They have asked people for signatures mainly on weekends and chiefly in Harajuku and other busy areas in Tokyo. So far, they have collected some 3,500 signatures since last summer—still less than the targeted 10,000.

One group member Yuma Nishinohara, 17, said, ‘‘It is hard and we need courage to collect signatures. But I want to do my best to help abolish nuclear arms. I want to ask high school students in the United States if the nuclear bombings were right.’‘

Nishinohara is among the students who will go to the United States, where they plan to meet local high school students.

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Latest 15 of 19 Total Comments Show All

medievaltimes at 01:26 PM JST - 10th March

One group member Yuma Nishinohara, 17, said, ‘‘It is hard and we need courage to collect signatures. But I want to do my best to help abolish nuclear arms. I want to ask high school students in the United States if the nuclear bombings were right.’‘

Well intentioned, but not realistic.

How do you need courage to collect signatures? Especially in Japan.

I know this might be shocking to some Japanese, but Hiroshima and Nagasaki are quite debatable. It's not quite as black and white as most would like to think. I recommend

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DebateovertheatomicbombingsofHiroshimaandNagasaki

for a good starting point on a fair and balanced look at the issue.

If you want to do your best to abolish nuclear arms, how about working on answers to questions such as...How do you get all the countries in the world to agree to a ban? Once you get them to agree, how do you enforce the ban? Who enforces it, and how? What do you do with all of the existing nukes in the world? How do you defend against organizations (not countries) obtaining and/or using nukes? Etc, etc, etc, etc......
masterkun05 at 01:44 PM JST - 10th March

Of course the use of nuclear weapons is never justified and never will be. Sadly only America has used them so this is the example that has to be used. Hiroshima and Nagasaki.Even though both America and Japan have a good relationship now. Still an apology is needed. As for disarming the entire world. Sorry but its too late for that. Concentrate on making sure these weapons are never used again. The Russians will never use them and trust me Israel will only use them as a last resort. As for Iran I doubt they even have them.
moonbeams at 01:45 PM JST - 10th March

This is not so simple. Nuclear weapons are horrible and should never be used. Period.

However, how many potential wars have stayed cold because of the threat of nuclear weapons?

Have they saved as many as they killed?
pointofview at 02:21 PM JST - 10th March

Good effort kids. Im surprised that only 3500 people have signed this petition. If they set up a stand somewhere Im sure theyll get people lining up for miles as everyone in Japan is very anti-nuclear anything. I would suggest that all facts are known to both Japanese and American students before Yuma asks her question as there is a very good chance she only knows what shes read in her textbooks and from the J media and I wouldn`t want her to get chewed out because of ignorance.
Gurukun at 02:21 PM JST - 10th March

The Russians will never use them and trust me Israel will only use them as a last resort. As for Iran I doubt they even have them.

Remember, the world still has to worry about that SOB in N Korea too.
medievaltimes at 02:37 PM JST - 10th March

Concentrate on making sure these weapons are never used again.

How?
bentheredonthat at 04:22 PM JST - 10th March

since last summer only 3,500 people have signed the petition?! this wasn't done in hokkaido or anything, it was done in harajuku! how apathetic are japanese people these days? that's ridiculous that so few people would take a few seconds out of their busy schedule to make a statement. i really worry about japan sometimes.
USNinJapan2 at 04:29 PM JST - 10th March

pointofview

If they set up a stand somewhere Im sure theyll get people lining up for miles as everyone in Japan is very anti-nuclear anything.

I guarantee you not EVERYONE in Japan is anti-nuclear but most definitely are. However the Japanese as a population are so lethargic when it comes to issues like this that although they will happily, emotionally, and convincingly tell you that they are against nuclear weapons if asked on camera by a news crew 99% of them will do nothing else about it, not even something as easy and effortless as suspending their morning commute or shopping excursion for a minute to sign a street corner petition. Same attitude and apathy goes for other issues like US military presence in Japan, political corruption, etc.
sf2k at 05:33 PM JST - 10th March

stick to abolishment today, not rehashing why it was used in the past. It killed so that many others would also not be killed. It's really a sad chapter in all of humanity, and it is for that greater humanity that should be encouraged and supported here. Russia and USA are in fact working on that since the expense is too much.

I want to ask high school students in the United States if the nuclear bombings were right.’‘

he need to ask his country's history, not Americans. We're all better off without nukes. I wish him well, but stick to one issue and that will be more successful.
WMD at 07:54 PM JST - 10th March

So if nuclear weapons are abolished, what happens to japan's sitting comfortably under America's nuclear umbrella?? What a joke country japan truely is. These kids are so naive but what else can you expect these days??
BurakuminDes at 11:33 PM JST - 10th March

But I want to do my best to help abolish nuclear arms. I want to ask high school students in the United States if the nuclear bombings were right.

I truly applaud these youngsters for taking an interest - most here, and many elsewehre - don't give a damn. However, I hope Yuma-chan is also asking her own government if they think it is right they request/allow their country to be armed with N-Missiles themselves. It is not simply a case of the big, bad American/Russian/Chinese bogeymen - take a look a little closer to home.
yabusama at 12:17 AM JST - 11th March

>

I would suggest that all facts are known to both Japanese and American students before Yuma asks her question as there is a very good chance she only knows what shes read in her textbooks and from the J media and I wouldn`t want her to get chewed out because of ignorance.

I would! Maybe that's what it will take to wake these people up, face some realities, and start working towards some real meaningful goals rather than getting someone to put a useless signature on a piece of paper nobody gives a damn about anyway.

I had a discussion on why Japan is not allowed to have a military with a woman last week. She said there was no need for Japan to have a military because since Japan is a peace loving nation and has denounced war the rest of the world loves and looks up to Japan. How do you battle this level of ignorance and stupidity?
MeanRingo at 02:02 AM JST - 11th March

Jeez... I have a niece working on a petition trying to stop global warming. Can I get this in the lead position of the national news section?
JohnBecker at 02:23 AM JST - 11th March

It's nice that the kids are getting involved. Noble cause, too.

Unfortunately, anyone who thinks the world can ever be free of nuclear weapons is dreaming. The genie has been out of the bottle for 65 years and will never go back.
Fadamor at 03:52 AM JST - 11th March

America dropped those nukes without knowing half of what they should have about them. Once the facts started to become clear, we shifted from a "look a the big stick we can beat you with" mentality to a "OMFG what have we unleashed?" mentality.

It may be hard to believe to non-Americans, but we would LOVE it if nukes could be removed from the world. We opened up a Pandora's Box and we know of no way to close it again. Students getting petitions signed are nice filler for a newspaper, but AMERICANS have been doing that since the 70's and look where it's gotten them.