Ellena+T’s+2016+OpEd+Article

-NUCLEAR WEAPONS: THE BANE OF HUMAN EXISTENCE- // “There was a big flash, like a flare. When I opened my eyes, the place was full of dust. Someplace we saw these trees and [when we] went near and it was a human body, just burnt like charcoal. And with all of these dead bodies rotting, maggots [were] just crawling all over the place. If that isn’t hell, then it’s really horrible.” // // -Suzan Urabe, Hiroshima survivor //

// “The real enemy that we must confront is the ways of thinking that justify nuclear weapons; the readiness to annihilate others when they are seen as a threat or a hindrance to the realization of our objectives." // // -Daisaku Ikeda // The threat of nuclear weapons has not disappeared in the past. It’s still alive. it’s a crisis today. We are under the detonation button’s mercy.

Nuclear weapons are called "weapons of mass destruction" for a reason. They are weapons that destroy everything in a mass. A single bomb can destroy people, cities, and even countries in an instant. By today’s standards, they are much, much more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both bombs combined had the blast equivalent of about 34 kilotons of dynamite. Nine countries have about 16300 nuclear weapons total. Of those weapons 10000 are currently in military service only a hair trigger away. All together, they have the ability to destroy all life and the planet itself many times over.

Not only are nuclear weapons dangerous, they are not benefiting the world. According to ICAN, an international campaign to abolish nuclear weapons, “Globally, annual expenditure on nuclear weapons is estimated at US$105 billion – or $12 million an hour.” US$40–60 billion, or roughly half the amount currently spent on nuclear weapons, can feed and educate every person in the world. There is enough money to essentially eradicate poverty and suffering, yet it’s spent on constructing nukes instead of making the world a better, happier place.

Many argue that the presence of nuclear weapons keeps the world safe, and will deter other countries from attacking each other. However, deterrence will work only as long as all sides remain rational and fear war or death. Many extremist groups and rogue governments, as they believe that they have nothing to lose, are undeterred by any threat of retaliation, no matter the size of it. History is filled with irrational leaders and decisions, which lead to war. Especially today, with the threat of terrorist groups like ISIS, politicians like Putin and Trump have threatened to drop nuclear bombs on them. Unfortunately millions of innocent civilians will perish as well if that warning is carried out. Nuclear weapons combined with irrationality will not only make the destruction of the world a reality, they will eventually make it inevitable.

Nuclear weapons must be abolished. The world is creating its own demise by creating these weapons of mass destruction. They may seem like the easy-way out of many of the world’s problems, but the damages created by the blast, electromagnetic pulse, or the fallout will eventually c atch up. Is the potential destruction of all life really worth that easy-way out? Are nuclear weapons worth the amount of suffering that it will cause to humans and animals alike? Are they worth the possible destruction of the global climate and ecosystems of our planet?

Instead of using the myth of deterrence, we must find the root cause of human hatred and prejudice, and solve it. We must dismantle existing weapons and ban further development, as well as develop a strong culture for peace through education, dialogue, and courage. Developing peace won’t be easy, but nothing is impossible. If we don’t do this, someday that detonation button will be pushed. Think about that.