Students send message of peace to President Obama

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) today sent 1000 paper cranes to President Obama, which he received from students visiting his office from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, to highlight the importance of nuclear disarmament.  The students told the Congressman that they folded 23,000 cranes to represent the number of nuclear weapons estimated to exist in the world today.

“(The students’) visit was of particular significance as your Administration negotiates a new nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia. The successful ratification of such a treaty is vital in advancing support for a broader international nuclear nonproliferation initiative,” wrote Kucinich in a note to President Obama.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki are both cities where atomic weapons were detonated during World War II, resulting in massive civilian casualties and devastating health effects that persist to this day. The students, who visited Kucinich on March 24 in Washington, D.C, represent local peace groups in Japan who advocate for the eradication of nuclear weapons.

“Furthermore, their visit comes just before you plan to convene the World Nuclear Summit here in Washington, D.C., to discuss the advancement of a global nuclear disarmament track,” added Kucinich.

Article from the website of Dennis Kucinich:  http://kucinich.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=178886