  Children talk about their wish for a base-free Okinawa -- Akahata 'current', September 15At the memorial ceremony for the victims of the Battle of Okinawa on June 23, Kinjo Sanenori, a third-year high school student, read a poem he wrote to mark the 59th anniversary of the end of the battle. The poem was entitled, "In this country that resolved to not fight a war." That day, June 23, brings back memories of the hellish battlefield to an old Okinawan woman offering a silent prayer. After a minute of silence, "She opened her eyes... She saw the present Okinawa In front of the yard There is a fence Extending endlessly... U.S. military planes fly over and their roar drowns out children's laughter." About 50 days after the memorial ceremony, a military helicopter which took off from the U.S. Futenma base crashed at a university campus. While residents were still suffering from the shock of the accident, U.S. helicopters of the same type as the one that crashed took off from the Futenma base for Iraq. Although Okinawa is no longer a battleground, it is islands of bases directly connected to battlefields. Since the 2nd World War, it has been "war islands." At the September 12 Ginowan citizens' rally demanding a return of the Futenma base site, Okinawan children and young people spoke about their hope for the future. Shimabukuro Yosuke, a 6th grader, said, "I want to live in a safe environment." Uchihara Risa in the 3rd grade of junior high school said, "When I grow up, I want to be in a peaceful Okinawa without bases." Kinjo in his poem tried to give a message to future generations: "We shall not turn our eyes away Let us keep our eyes on what is happening in the world right now on how important our lives are in this country that resolved to not fight a war." This message is not just for Okinawa but the "country" to uphold its peace constitution. The children speaking at the rally were also delivering their messages to all over Japan: "Don't turn your eyes away." (end) |