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Peace Activists Commemorate 70th Anniversary of Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

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Thursday marks the 70th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

As they have each year for the past 41 years, local peace activists will hold a candle light vigil in Avon tonight.

Retired pediatrician Dr. Arnold Matlin said the group formed during the Vietnam era and their message is simple.                            

"It's been 70 years since the bombing, and it's easy to forget something that happened 70 years ago, but we think we should never forget that the U.S. used these terrible weapons against another country."

Matlin said passersby often honk and wave at demonstrators during their annual vigil, but he says peace activists always have to ask whether their activities actually make a difference.

"It's very hard to determine that. I mean, how do we know if it does any good or not? We have to assume that what we do does good. It certainly does more good than doing nothing, which is the alternative."

The Genesee Valley Citizens for Peace will be demonstrating at the Avon traffic circle on Route 20 at 7:30 tonight.

Beth Adams joined WXXI as host of Morning Edition in 2012 after a more than two-decade radio career. She was the longtime host of the WHAM Morning News in Rochester. Her career also took her from radio stations in Elmira, New York, to Miami, Florida.