64th Anniversary of Hiroshima

Yesterday marked the 64th anniversary of the worst massacre in human history: the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. 50,000 people from 60 countries gathered to commemorate the event and listen to Japan's call for a total elimination of nuclear weapons by the year 2020. Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso spoke, detailing Japan's commitment to building a non-nuclear world:

"Japan will continue to uphold its three non-nuclear principles, and lead the international community toward the abolishment of nuclear weapons and lasting peace."

So, as we face the potential of nuclear war with Iran, North Korea, Hamas, or any "stateless" enemy, it's important to remember that the only nation to ever USE a nuclear weapon was the US. As we remember what we did, here are some reminders:

• The Hiroshima blast killed approximately 80,000 people instantly, and destroyed the entire city. The total reached 220,000 when Nagasaki was bombed three days later.
  
• "The full count of the atomic bomb's victims was approximately 140,000 by the end of 1945, and has since reached 260,000."
• "The use of the bomb to end WWII ushered in a new nuclear era, and today, there are 27,000 bombs in the global nuclear arsenal. According to William Hartung of the New America Foundation, that's enough to destroy the world several times over."

The LA Times conducted a poll ("Do you think the United States did the right thing or the wrong thing by dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki?") to see whether or not American's still agree with President Truman's use of the bomb and found some interesting results:

• 61% said they believed it was the right thing, 22% called it wrong, and 16% were undecided.
• 73% of voters older than 55 approved, while only 50% of voters ages 18 - 34 approved.
• 74% of Republicans said the bombings were a good idea, and 49% of Democrats agreed.
  
• 72% of men approved and 51% of women agreed.

Though some of those numbers surprise me (especially that almost 3 out of 4 people over age 55 approve of the bombing), the fact that the approval rate drops 25% among the younger generation gives me hope that we are moving in the right direction.

Personally, I can't think of any reason why a nuclear weapon should ever be used. What could justify the instantaneous killing of 80,000 human beings? Not to mention the fact that modern nuclear weapons are thousands of times stronger than the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

To put some perspective on the issue, the American Cancer Society estimates that 440,000 people die annually from tobacco use. Or put another way, almost twice as many people die annually from tobacco products than died from dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki...