Extremely Moving and Disturbing Japanese Manga of Hiroshima

I came across this Japanese Manga depiction of the attack on Hiroshima the other day.  It is a very moving AND extremely graphic and disturbing depiction of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima. It is also a very accurate depiction of what would happen.  This was written and lived through by a survivor.

PLEASE be warned that this is an EXTREMELY GRAPHIC & DISTURBING video.  DO NOT watch it if you are disturbed by such things.  This is definitely not safe for younger kids.  I debated on posting this, but I think, in light of what is happening in the world today, we need to be reminded of the horror of Hiroshima, and the consequences of “pushing the button.”  I will have more comments below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfJZ6nwxD38

For some reason, I was unable to embed the video directly.  Click on the link, and then click back to my blog to read more.

The depictions of the effects of a nuclear bomb on people is fairly accurate from my understanding, depending on where one would be in relation to ground zero.  While one may be tempted to label the United States as “evil monsters” for doing this, one needs to understand the times in which this happened.  The war with Germany was basically over at this point in 1945.  However, the war with Japan was continuing with no end in sight.  The question the leaders of the United States faced was this: “We have a weapon that could end this war.  Hundreds of thousands will be killed.  This will ultimately save the lives of millions.  Should we use it?”  Japan was showing no sign of surrendering, or bending to diplomacy.  The war had already cost millions of lives.  If it had continued, it would have dragged on for many more years, costing many millions more their lives.  While I sympathize with those innocent lives that were affected by this dreadful incident, I really don’t think there was any other choice.  End this now, or let it continue.  Ultimately, the US would have won this war, but it would have cost the lives of millions.

Contrast this with what we are faced with today:  An administration that led it’s country into a needless war in Iraq.  An administration that is now considering striking Iran.  A President that has NOT ruled out the use of nuclear weapons, and seems bent on taking us down that road.  (This despite the protests of his senior military staff, and evidence to suggest that Iran poses no major threat.)  While the use of nuclear weapoms may have been justified in 1945, there is absolutely no justification for the use of such weapons in Iran today.

I believe that one of the reasons that nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945 is because no one wants to unleash this horror, knowing that if they do, they will face the same horror themselves.  The nuclear weapons of today are far more devastating than those used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

If nothing else, I hope that has given you pause to think.