Asheville News

Group walks from Asheville to Oak Ridge to push for nuclear-free future

Jason Sandford April 13, 2011

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

The mountains of Western North Carolina once again reverberate to the Buddhist drum and the sounds of the mantra NA MU MYO HO REN GE KYO. This is the deeply resonate chant of the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order as they make their way, step by step, to the gates of the Y-12 nuclear bomb factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. A dozen walkers set out from Asheville on April 8 for the 12th annual pilgrimage to the “Secret City,” part of the Manhattan Project where fuel was enriched for the world’s first atomic bomb. I joined them for two days of walking through the greening mountains, rich farmland and blooming meadows. Along the way we found a resting spot on the shady lawn of a man who told us his father had worked at Oak Ridge and had since died from a form of cancer caused by the radiation exposure. “Ya’ll are welcome to rest here as long as you want,” he told us.

The rural route to Oak Ridge winds through some of the most beautiful land in the country. Our friends Brother Utsumi and Sister Denise have been walking the highways and byways of the Southeast U.S. for over twenty years, each step a prayer for peace.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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4 Comments

linda (Currie) Sloan June 28, 2016

J. Whitlow. I knew your sister, Mad, back when we were part of the Sunbelt Alliance. I’ve always been so proud of our part in blocking Black Fox. Carrie Dickerson was a true American hero.

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Peace is better April 14, 2011

Thanks for this post. I support this walk every step of the way. And ask when are we going to get serious about developing Harmless Energy?

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J. Whtilow April 13, 2011

Correction tolast post: Aunt Carrie's War against Black Fox Nuclear Power Plant. The proposed site was near Inola, OK. Close to Taleqah.

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J. Whtilow April 13, 2011

Finally, someone is protesting against Nuclear Energy again. I thought people lost the power to fight. My eldest sister, Mad, was part of the Sunbelt Alliance-no nukes group. In the mid-seventies, Black Fox nuclear plant, near Taleqah,OK, had proposed building an Nuclear Facility near town. It never happened,thank gawwwwd. I like to think, and i beloieve it to be, that The Kerr McGee/Karen Silkwood incident,near Crescent, OK. That, in itself, helped reinforce the reason for NO Nuclear energy. Thus, the Black Fox Power Plant never opened it's doors. note: To regain momentumin this fight against, may I suggest a book, that highlights the struggles of that fight (Black Fox), i suggest: Aunt Carrie's Farm by Carrie Blackfoot Dickerson. The book has been out of print for some time now. However, i recommend folks in this fight to check out The Aunt Carrie Foundation, at: http://www.carriedickersonfoundation.com.

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