Be Our Guest

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 10, 30 July 1985, Page 4

Be Our Guest

by

Paul

Beckett

Paul Beckett, who makes his living carving beautiful wooden bowls and urns in his Rangataua workshop, was a founder member of the Waimarino Peace Group. The group came into existence in 1982 following a casual meeting between a group of Waimarino residents who shared a concern about the arms race. The aim of the group is to help educate people by constantly exposing them to facts about the nuclear build-up. Waimarino Peace Group members stress that their organisation is non-political and non-denominational.

The nationwide commemoration of Hiroshima Day on 6th August is a clear, positive, and dignified response to the global groundswell of intense human desire for a world free from the threat of nuclear omnicide. It also coincides with New Zealand's unprecedented high profile and position of leadership on issues of peace in the Pacific. There has been huge support from all over the world for New Zealand's antinuclear stand, and people see New Zealand as giving new hope for human survival. Our commemoration of Hiroshima Day is to mark the sober realization that on that day, forty years ago, we human beings finally escalated violence to the edge of extinction, and an attempt to replace erroneous fantasies about "nuclear war" with intelligent realistic understanding of global dangers. We must all accept responsibility as members of our species for having inflicted it on ourselves, knowing full well that to do nothing is to accept whatever comes. There has come a beautiful crossroads in man's evolution. Either we step back from the precipice or dive over — intentionally or accidentally. In discussions I've had with pro-nuclear supporters, they argue that New Zealand needs alliances with superpowers and antinuclear is anti-American.

Mr Shultz himself said last week New Zealand is reneguing on its responsibilities to the West while his team of Perle, Burt, Adelman and Nitze waste vital opportunities for limitation at the arms talks in Geneva — more bilateral chess games foundering on the problem of each side wishmg to start from a position of superiority. Did you know that since the year 500BC there have been 1,656 arms races. Of these, 16 have resulted in economic collapse and the other 1 ,640 have led to war. While 'Peace through

Strength' assumes quite rightly that my enemy is unlikely to attack me if I am bigger and stronger than him, 'Disarmament through Strength' assumes that when he sees 1 am stronger, he will willingly accept moves to make us both weaker. It doesn't work. Despite some 1500 top level meetings between the superpowers, not one weapon has been dismantled as a result of these negotiations. This seemingly vested interest in tension also creates economic instability and a massive waste of capital and resources.

The MX missile alone. cost more than it would to feed, clothe, house, educate and provide medical services for the world's poor for three years. Very expensive! But I digress from the reason for this article, which is to issue an invitation to join in a commemoration of hope for the future, to be held at the Ohakune Cenotaph this Tuesday the 6th of nugust — Hiroshima Day. It is not a commemoration of triumph or defeat in war, but a prayer for sanity on the part of our leaders, and remembrance of Hiroshima's black day. People should assembleat ten to twelve, and after the siren, observe one minute's silence as a simple offering before speeches and a smal presentation to the Mayor. The Waimarino Brass Band will be there and we hope to have a small stall distributing relevant information to anyone who cares enough. Remember 6th August ten minutes to twelve.