Hiroshima and Nagasaki

60 years ago, World War II was concluding with two of the largest single explosions known to man at that time - nuclear devastation in densely populatated Hiroshima and Nagasaki Japan.

I've studied a great deal about the topic, and there are arguments to be made that:

1. The bombings shortened the length of the war, saving countless lives.
2. The Soviet Union could have had a greater influence in postwar Japan, which could have created a N. Korea scenario or worse.
3. The decision makers in the United States did not fully comprehend the true horror of nuclear war.

There are also arguments to be made that:

1. The bombings were murderous and barbaric, not just killing thousands instantly, but inflicting death and disease for years to come.
2. The bombings weren't just a demonstration to Japan, but to the Soviet Union as part of post-war posturing.
3. The decision makers in the United States may have been able to avert the use of at least the second bomb, if not both and still obtain the surrender of the Empire of Japan.

Regardless of any of this, just like any war, destruction or death that is inflicted on civilians on any scale, we should all be sad and be thoughtful as we think back to those terrible days in August. What was done to the Japanese people, and that America had to do it. The unique historical circumstances that brought this tragedy to the island of Japan. Did Japan deserve it? Is America guilty? The greatest memorial to the entire war is the great friendship between the two countries. We are like two adversaries that have become too weary to fight and have come to know and appreciate each other through the conflict, and become friends through mutual familiarity and above all, respect.

I respect the decision makers in 1945 that made the decisions they had to make. I also respect the right of a nation to remember and grieve a terrible price that was paid.