THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 30, 1995 TAG: 9503280080
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 06 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
OWNING UP TO ACTIONS
Fact: Aug. 6, 1945, the beginning of the Atomic Age.
America drops the uranium bomb, affectionately known as ``Little Boy,'' on Hiroshima, Japan. Approximately 70,000 people died.
Fact: Aug. 9, 1945, America drops the plutonium bomb, affectionately known as ``Fat Man'' on Nagasaki, Japan. Approximately 30,000 people died. Add to this the approximate 100,000 people that suffered and are still suffering, and you get a clear idea of the human suffering that the Atomic Age has caused and can yet still cause.
These are facts associated with the Atomic Age as well as with World War II. The overlap is there, but if we're paying tribute to the Atomic Age, must we also pay tribute to World War II?
If so, then consider these other facts. The bombing did save American servicemen's lives in WWII. The still arguable fact is how many? The numbers still vary from hundreds of thousands to very few. Some of the people involved with the invention and production of the bomb, the people who came closest to understanding its full potential, were against its use on Japan or any living organism.
Einstein wrote a letter to FDR in hopes of persuading him not to use the bombs, but FDR died before the letter was opened. Nobel laureate James Franck advised President Truman not to use the bombs at this time. Adm. Leahy, a top U.S. military leader who had misgivings about the bombs use said, ``the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan.''
In 1963, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower reflected on the issue and said, ``It wasn't necessary to hit them with that awful thing.'' Yes it is a fact, well-known fact, that the Japanese attacked the United States first and did considerable damage to human life and that Japan did other unspeakable things in its war effort, but that's a heavier burden that Japan, the country and the people, must deal with every day.
Yet, this is not the debate, and that is my point. The point here as with the display in Washington is the Atomic Age, not WWII, not why we set the bomb off, but that we did set the bomb off. The point isn't to qualify ourselves because the world knows why and we know why. The point is that it happened and with that act the age known as the Atomic Age was born.
To hide the fact of its destructive force because we can't face the fact that it was and still is a weapon of pure evil, of pure destruction, is beyond contemplation. I'm concerned that as one of the most powerful and civilized nations on earth we can't live with the fact that we did a most destructive thing to civilians - women, old men and children - now that we've had the opportunity to review our actions.
Every country has made mistakes, but why can't we be adults and say, yes, we take the blame, yes, we are responsible? Not that we as a country did wrong, but now with 20/20 hindsight we could have done better. How can we ever expect our children to learn respect and responsibility? We need to lead the way. No wonder we have a country full of crime, mistrust and greed. We have no stomach for the truth. The Atomic Age is the Atomic Age, and WWII is WWII. They overlap but are separate. If we bend to our fears, then we will break with our honor.
B.S. Gott
Boissevain Avenue
HE'S AGAINST UNIFORMS
I think uniforms should not be in schools. Why? Because children would not wear them. Children would also disrespect them, and that would cost the parents a lot of money. They might play hookey or not come to school because of uniforms. What if the parents didn't have enough money for the uniforms? Would they throw the child out of school? What if many kids damaged the uniforms and the school board ran short of stock? What would they do? I think uniforms are ridiculous in schools.
Michael P. Wolehko
Fifth-grader
Tanners Creek Elementary by CNB