90+% of A-Bomb Victims Welcome Obama to Hiroshima
An NHK survey revealed over 90% of A-bomb victims in Hiroshima "evaluate" and "rather evaluate" the visit of Hiroshima by the acting president of the United States, Barak Obama. The survey asked by post the 321 A-bomb victims in Hiroshima who had responded to an earlier survey last year, 70 years after the A-bombing, and 231 or 72% of them replied to the questionnaires on President Obama's visit of Hiroshima on May 27th.
Some 177 or 77% of them replied they "evaluate" the visit and 37 or 16% responded "rather evaluate". A total of 214 of 231 (93%) surveyed responded they evaluate President Obama's visit of Hiroshima. Those who "don't evaluate" account for 2 (1%).
Those who replied "can evaluate" did so because, one, it is worthwhile for the US president to see first hand the damages of the A-bomb and, two, because President Obama visits Hiroshima in spite of opposition within the United States.
Asked what they would wish to see President Obama do in Hiroshima, 88% replied "touring the Atomic Bomb Museum", 81% ”flower offering to memorial cenotaph for the A-bomb victims", 68% "a speech toward total destruction of nuclear weapons", 58% "dialogue with A-bomb victims and 14% "an apology to the A-bomb victims".
Among those who wish to have President Obama tour the Atomic Bomb Museum are some who want him to "see with his own eyes the terror of nuclear weapons" and others who want President Obama "to feel the voiceless mortification".
Asked how they feel President Obama will not offer an apology, some believe it's only humanely natural that he does, while others wish him to strive for world peace rather than offering an apology.
Asked whether or not President Obama's visit of Hiroshima would contribute to furthering momentum toward destroying nuclear weapons, some agree it will help promote movement to that end worldwide, while others remark the United States is not the only nuclear power and therefore President Obama's visit of Hiroshima will not lead to any significant step forward.
Well? If not an apology, what of a sense of remorse while touring the museum? (Nathan Shiga)