[Norm James]

I spent two years in the Hiroshima area. I’ve talked to several people who were there and experienced the horror of it firsthand. I don’t mean to condone the actions that were taken there, but it was war. It was an open conflict in which both sides committed unspeakable atrocities.

While I don’t know whether the United States was right in using the atomic bomb, the mentality of the Japanese people (from my limited experience) was that they would die before surrenduring. There are mixed feelings in Japan, too. There is a strong feeling that even they viewed it as the only feasible end to the war. Had the United States conducted a full invasion of the islands, there would have many times the casualties, both military and civilian, as in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Regarding the targeting of civilians, Hiroshima and Nagasaki were both chosen for the concentration of military installations. Had the United States intentionaly targeted civilians, it would have bombed Osaka or Tokyo, both of which had much higher concentrations of civilian populations.

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Name : Norm James, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 23, City : Farmington, State : NM, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Mike20437]

Gerald Holton (Reflections on Modern Terrorism) defines terrorism as “a method of coercion of a population or its leadership or both through fear or traumatization.” He describes three different types of terrorism: Type I terrorism consists of acts by individuals or small groups that aim to impose terror on other individuals and groups, and through them indirectly on their governments. Type II terrorism is the imposition by a government on groups of local or foreign populations. Type III terrorism is carried out by a substantially larger group of individuals, often combinations of states and individual groups, and is aimed directly at a national population. Gordon places Hiroshima/Nagasaki in the Type II category, while he puts the 9/11 attacks in the new Type III category. He makes no judgment on whether one type of terrorism is better or worse than another, but I think most Americans view the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a necessary part of ending World War II. They would argue that we were in a declared war with Japan at the time and that it was a military operation designed to save U.S. lives and bring about the close of the war.

There are many books and articles that go into more detail on this subject, and you will find many people – including many Americans — who say the bombing was unnecessary and immoral. For what it’s worth, I don’t think any American would find such high levels of civilian deaths acceptable these days.

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Name : Mike20437, Gender : M, City : Greendale, State : WI, Country : United States, 

[Karim26782]

I don’t know why most everyone who responded to my question assumed I was defending bin Laden. The Sept. 11 attacks were a crime. Bin Laden hurt my country in the early ’90s more than he hurt yours (if you don’t know that, then it’s a big problem). Those who assumed I was defending the Palestinians, however, were not wrong. Just as Pearl Harbor drummed it into your minds that you were fighting for survival, the death of 2,000 Palestinian civilians since the start of the new Intifada did the same to Palestinians. But it’s important that people understand that most of us in the Mideast didn’t cheer on Sept. 11.

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Name : Karim26782, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Arab, Religion : Muslim, Age : 22, City : Cairo, State : NA, Country : Egypt, Occupation : Engineer, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[BETH23178]

LOOK U GUYS HAVE GOOD POINTS BUT ARE LOOKING AT THIS ALL WRONG, WHEN JAPAN HIT THE USA IT HIT A ARMY BASE WHEN WE NUKED JAPAN IT WAS A CITY FULL OF PEOPLE AND NOT AND ARMY BASE. NOT TO SAY WHAT THEY DID IS RIGHT BUT WE WERE JUST AS WRONG IF NOT WORSE. POINT NUMBER TWO IF AND THIS IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN BUT LETS SAY IT DOES, LETS SAY THAT BY MILTARY FORCE A THIRD COUNTRY STARTS KILLING ALL ARABS FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY ARE ARABS, NOW THAT THIRD COUNTRY FEELS SORRY FOR WHAT THEY DID AND TRY TO MAKE IT ALL BETTER SO THEY TAKE THE USA BY FORCE AND GIVE IT TO ARABS AND TO MAKE PEOPLE FEEL BETTER ABOUT TAKING OVER, THEY SAY THE ARABS HAVE A RIGHT TO DO THIS FOR THE QURAN SAYS ITS THE RIGHTFUL PLACE OF ARABS AND OK TO INVADE KILL AND TAKE OVER A COUNTRY FOR ISLAM. WOULD U AS A PERSON WHO LOVES HIS COUNTRY AND DOES NOT BELIEVE IN ISLAM FIGHT TO UR DEATH OR JUST LET THEM WALK IN AND TELL U WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT. OR IS THE FACT THAT IT OCCURED 50 YEARS AGO GOING TO MAKE IT OK, HELL NO I FOR ONE WOULD FIGHT TO MY DEATH EVEN IF I HAVE TO DIE IN THE PROCESS IT IS MY COUNTRY AND I WILL FIGHT FOR IT. NOW WHAT DO U THINK PALISTININS FEEL OR ARE THEY NOT HUMANS LIKE U AND ME. ABOUT HUMAN BOMBERS LET ME MAKE MY FINAL POINT WHAT HAPPEND IN THE US ON 9/11 WAS NOT THE SAME AS WHATS GOING ON IN ISREAL TODAY FOR THE SIMPLE FACT THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR THEIR COUNTRY. I THINK THAT IF JEWS HAD THE RESOURCES TO STRAP BOMBS ON AND TAKE A FEW NAZIS WITH THEM BEFORE THE WERE SENT TO THE OVEN THEY WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING FOR UR GOING TO DIE ANYWAYS. IF U DONT AGREE LET ME KNOW WHY. PROUD TO BE AN A AMERICAN AND I WOULD DIE FOR MY COUNTRY WOULD’T U

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Name : BETH23178, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : D TWON, State : NA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, 

[Kumonryu26143]

The attack on Pearl Harbor was not an unprovoked affront by the evil Japanese, as we are generally taught in our history classes. It was a response to an American oil embargo and other political maneuvers instituted to limit Japan’s territorial expansion. Japan had begun to build itself as a military power in response to European colonial expansion and fears that it would be the next nation to be conquered. Ultimately, the Japanese knew they could not win a war against America, nor could they afford to lose. American naval veterans who landed there have told me that the Japanese were already defeated and demoralized before the bombs were dropped. Historians can tell you that Japan was set to surrender on the condition that they be allowed to keep the emperor, to which President Truman agreed, and a ‘miscommunication’ followed while President Truman was abroad, leading to what appears to be a deliberate excuse to use atomic weapons. Remember, it had been known that Russia was on the verge of atomic technology and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were more for the purpose of entering the Cold War than for defeating a nation that was already defeated.

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Name : Kumonryu26143, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Buddhist, Age : 27, City : Berkeley, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Charles32269]

First I want to say I don’t condone any terror assault on a quid pro quo basis, e.g., ‘they bombed Pearl Harbor, we nuked them, all points even.’ However, someone brought up the Japanese war efforts in China, by which I take it they mean the Rape of Nanking. What I want to bring up is that at least Americans are *debating* the morality of the Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombings sixty years later. It is my understanding that remarkably few Japanese today have even heard of the Rape of Nanking. Is this true? And if so, what does it signify?

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Name : Charles32269, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Albuquerque, State : NM, Country : United States, Occupation : Architect, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[me21875]

The Japanese were willing to surrender on the condition of retaining their emperor. Then the atomic bombs were dropped. After the atomic bombs, Japan was allowed to retain it’s emperor anyways.

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Name : me21875, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 15, City : Rochester, State : NY, Country : United States, 

[Tim]

An interesting fact is that suicide bombing is seen in nature. In asia there is a species of Ant that has a soldier that when outnumbered will explode releasing a toxin that kills other ants. Interesting isn’t it?

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Name : Tim, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, City : Bothell, State : WA, Country : United States, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[L M]

Surely just the one bomb would have been sufficient. I believe another reason was that it would be the only chance for scientists to be able to test atomic weapons on a real life sample of people. Very callous.

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Name : L M, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 35, City : Singapore, State : NA, Country : Singapore, Occupation : TV Producer, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[TOM PETILLO]

The dropping of the atomic bombs on Japan in 1945 were unnecessary, interesting. The bombings prove your theory is incorrect. 1]Japan is warned of a super weapon, Japan does nothing. 2] First bomb is dropped, over 100,000 dead, even more exposed to radiation poisoning, Japan does nothing. Three days later, 3] Second bomb dropped same result as the first, Japan does nothing. Ten days after the second bombing Japan finally surrenders. Yet you claim the bombings weren’t necessary. Why didn’t Japan surrender after the first bomb, if they were on the verge of quitting anyway. It took Japan almost two weeks from the first bombing to surrender. Let me get this straight, two atomic bombs did not get an immediate surrender but a military invasion would of had minimal casualties. WOW! Please show me your historicl reference to your point that Truman vetoed all of his generals. If the bombings were racist, what do you call The Rape of Nan King, The Battaan Death March, The Comfort Women, the invasion of South East Asia starting in the 30’s. Japan was not the Victim but the Aggressor. Don’t think for a minute that Japan would not have used the bomb on the U.S. if they would have created it first. ‘Operation Cherry Blossom’ September 1945, Japan planned on dropping biological weapons along the major cities of the west coast. Does’nt sound like a country on the verge of surrendering to me.

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Name : TOM PETILLO, Gender : Male, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 30, City : TAMPA, State : FL, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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