Peace Arts Fair Participants Urge Abolishment of Nuclear Arms

On a calm summer day, 15-year-old Yasuko Ohta decided to take a walk with a friend around a neighborhood close to the ammunition factory where she worked. Suddenly she heard explosions coming from above. A plane flew overhead hanging low in the sky. Then a blindingly bright light.

"We knew instantly we had to run and hide," she said.

Nowadays thunderstorms are an unwelcome reminder to Ohta, now 80 years old, of the event that she said changed not only her life, but that of many people around the world — the nuclear bombing of Nagasaki in Japan during World War II.

"Even now if I see blue lighting in the sky I cover my head and hide inside. This is because the light reminds me of the murderous light I saw 65 years ago," she said through her translator yesterday at the Cranford Peace Arts Fair hosted by the Union County Peace Council.

Addressing an audience of about 20 people in the grassy median across from coffeehouse Rockn Joe, Ohta then recounted how she survived the day. She and her friend ran into a small empty house. The house collapsed, and she lost consciousness. When she came to, her legs were trapped underneath the torn-down house and she cried out for help. 

"A stranger got me out of the wreckage. The person's face was bleeding profusely and his nose was missing. It was impossible to tell what his face looked like before," she said. 

Ohta has traveled several times overseas to recount her experiences in the hopes of deterring future deployment of nuclear weapons. A guest of the New Jersey Peace Action, she will be touring around the state until she returns to Japan on Aug. 10, Madelyn Hoffman said, director of NJPA. When meeting with Senator Robert Menendez's aide today, Otha will also go with the organization to tell her story, Hoffman added.

"She's 80 years old, and because of how passionate she feels about it, I think that's part of what keeps her going," Hoffman said of Ohta. "And we're honored that she's here."

This isn't the first time the Cranford Peace Arts Fair hosted speakers who were survivors of the atomic bombings of Japan. In fact, survivors have spoken at half of them, coordinator Monica Shimkus added.

Japanese activists have left their mark on the fair in other ways as well. Diane Beeny, one of the original founders of the event, exhibited handmade trinkets that were given to her by Japanese peace activists on a table. There were crocheted doilies, pin cushions paper cranes and more. 

During a peace rally outside of the United Nations building, during discussions surrounding the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Beeny said about 2,000 Japanese activists handed out the trinkets to fellow ralliers.

"Such incredible generosity," she said.

Calling for Action

The Peace Arts Fair this year focused on nuclear weapon disarmament. In addition to Ohta, speakers included Hoffman and NJPA Treasurer Kit Marlowe. Both asked the audience to stand up for abolishing nuclear weapons. 

"Unfortunately his words, his rhetoric and his actions has not meshed together," said Hoffman of President Obama. She did mention how the president had signed a treaty with the Russian president to reduce the number of armaments. However, since the treaty has yet to be ratified by the Senate, Hoffman urged the audience to call legislators and "make your voices heard."

While the speakers were a large part of the event, there were more musical acts booked this year than ever before by the group's 2010 Youth Auxiliary.  More live bands were asked to perform to make it more compelling to the younger generation, Shimkus said.

Bands ranged from beat poetry by Chris Rockwell, to Hare Krishna mantra music by Sanga Kartan, to local Cranford groups such as Seismic Toss and others.

"We've had a minimum amount of speeches and a maximum amount of music. Just for this year, it's an experiment," Shimkus said. She added that UCPC wants the event to also provide an avenue for youth to speak out. "We had a meeting with the kids, they felt they were powerless to affect a political decision to go to war. We said well for one thing if you say nothing, you're sure to not have any effect at all."