Remembrance of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – Iowa Events

Thursday, August 6, 2009 will mark the 64th anniversary of the United States dropping the first atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later, we dropped the second on Nagasaki, Japan. The bombs destroyed both cities in a flash and killed by blast, fire, or acute radiation poisoning approximately 250,000 people. After Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese understood and the war came to an abrupt end. We should ensure that the US never again detonates a nuclear weapon.

In his memoir, Year of Decisions, President Harry S, Truman wrote, “The final decision of where and when to use the atomic bomb was up to me. Let there be no mistake about it. I regarded the bomb as a military weapon and never had any doubt that it should be used. The top military advisors to the President recommended its use, and when I talked to Churchill he unhesitatingly told me that he favored the use of the atomic bomb if it might aid to end the war.”

The U.S. proclivity to use nuclear weapons has changed since World War II, even if our use of nuclear weapons stockpiles for deterrence has continued.

The good news is that we have a window of opportunity to decrease the nuclear threat while making America safer.  Our leaders, President Obama and Senator McCain, have called for steps to reduce the U.S. nuclear arsenal and work towards a nuclear weapon free world. The first step is agreeing to nuclear reductions with Russia. We should support these efforts by our leaders.

The second step would be for the United States to take a leadership role and ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). At the recent G8 Summit at L'Aquila, Italy, President Obama announced that he would seek ratification of the CTBT from the Senate. We can expect a spirited debate with what will appear to be obfuscation and the parsing of words like “deterrence,” “verification,” “nuclear umbrella,” and “weapons reliability.”

As citizens, we must cut through the fog and ask Senators Harkin and Grassley to vote for ratification of CTBT when it comes to the Senate. I urge you to do so, so we can say “never again.”

Another way to get involved is to attend a Hiroshima Day event. There are observances scheduled in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids and Solon.  Click here to find an event near you.