Hiroshima Day: August 6

[ysabetwordsmith]

Tomorrow marks the 66th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Teach tolerance.  Practice peace.  We have the power to destroy the world.  Either we learn these crucial survival skills, or humanity will wind up in the cosmic dustbin and some other species will get a chance to do better than our historic example.

Comments

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

Let this be a lesson to us all.
If you're ready to surrender, don't hesitate.

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

Point if fact, it is the anniversary for Hiroshima. Nagasaki received its 'gift' on August 9. Had the announcement been made by the Japanese government to surrender on either two days between it may not of happened.

So, indeed, be aware that hesitation may bring dire consequences.

[msstacy13.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

It's also worth noting that no other weapon has ever been used twice in three days,
and then not used again for more than sixty-five years.

*sigh*

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

Or the overly powerful, genocidal maniacs could decide to massacre you just for the hell of it because they can and you're helpless. Ask the sliver of remaining Native Americans how safe it is to surrender to the U.S.

Blaming the victim is not the lesson people need to take out of this historical atrocity. If that's how folks feel about this, you're entitled to your opinion, but please take to some other venue that agrees with you.

Re: *sigh*

[madshutterbug.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am by no means blaming the victim. I do not buy into that argument, not for any of the various 'they started it' rationales. Truman made the decision to use the bombs. And as I've pointed out to other people, even with both cities which did receive an atomic bomb attack having war-related industries, the nigh on complete destruction of both cities involved excessive 'collateral damage'.

However, the Allies were very cognizant of the fact a land invasion would involve significantly higher casualties (on both sides by my estimation) than the combination in fact of the two cities. That consideration played a large part in the decision to use the devices. This does not mean no racist/jingoistic sentiment was involved. I doubt if the loss of live on the part of the Japanese in the event of a land invasion played a large part in the decision.

At the same time, an end to the war was desired. I stand by the basic fact, if the Japanese government in power decided to and communicated the decision to surrender after the attack on Hiroshima and before the attack on Nagasaki, the second mission would most probably not of taken place.