"Some (Japanese) would still like to hear an official apology, but for many of the survivors their focus is not on the past, it's very much on the future and they feel that now Japan has a global spotlight trained on it, with the all the visiting dignitaries from so many countries -- most importantly Roos and Ban -- the Japanese government should actively work with the U.S. and the UN to ensure denuclearization becomes a reality and not just a buzzword."
"Yes, the U.S.' attendance in Hiroshima was well, well overdue, but better late than never. Now Japan can be even more proactive in ensuring global change," he said.
McNeil's sentiments were reflected by the nation's leader during a speech at Friday's ceremony.
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan called for the human race not to repeat the horror and misery that can be caused by atomic bombs and being that Japan is the only country to have been attacked by the war-time atomic bombs, the nation has a moral obligation to lead the efforts towards the realization of a world without nuclear weapons.
Following the prime minister's speech, 1,000 white doves were released in a symbolic gesture for peace, but perhaps, as McNeil suggests, the time for symbolic gestures has long since passed and the time for Japan to actually effect change is here. Enditem
