Seventy two years ago today the first nuclear weapon was dropped on human beings. The debate about whether its use was justified continues. The Washington Post asks “Was it Justified or Needless” here.
The Globe and Mail interviewed one of the survivors, a Hibakusha, Setsuko Nakamura here..
A few things about nuclear weapons are not really debatable:
- They are not precision weapons. They destroy everything and everyone within a large radius including women and children.
- The effects of radiation exposure on surviving humans create lingering uncertainty – there can be health effects that show up years later. Women and children are the most vulnerable to these lingering effects.
Letʻs hope any world leader who considers scenarios that could result in the use of nuclear weapons has taken the time to learn about what can result. No one wants to ponder these things, but it is important that we do. The possible outcomes are horrific. Can the ends ever justify the means? This is a question that deserves to be asked…
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