Friday, August 06, 2010
A day to Remember
On a hot summer day in Hiroshima, Japan 65 years ago today, mankind unleashed its first and most deadly nuclear attack on itself. The bomb, nicknamed "Little Boy", killed approximately 80,000 people immediately. Another 70,000 were injured. Eighty thousand more Japanese would die within four months of various effects attributable to the attack.
In 1997 I lived in Iwakuni Japan, about a 20 minute train ride from Hiroshima. I visited Peace Park more than once, always being overwhelmed by the event and my emotions. It's hard to explain what it's like to stand at the spot where tens of thousands of people were vaporized. However, I can tell you that the feeling and belief that nuclear weapons are not the answer to our problems does come through loud and clear.
The word "terrorism" gets bandied about a lot now days. I would defy anyone to say that what we did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki doesn't fit the definition of that word. Today we remember the first of those two terrible events. At least I hope we remember, and I hope we think about what those acts can teach us.
In 1997 I lived in Iwakuni Japan, about a 20 minute train ride from Hiroshima. I visited Peace Park more than once, always being overwhelmed by the event and my emotions. It's hard to explain what it's like to stand at the spot where tens of thousands of people were vaporized. However, I can tell you that the feeling and belief that nuclear weapons are not the answer to our problems does come through loud and clear.
The word "terrorism" gets bandied about a lot now days. I would defy anyone to say that what we did in Hiroshima and Nagasaki doesn't fit the definition of that word. Today we remember the first of those two terrible events. At least I hope we remember, and I hope we think about what those acts can teach us.
