This coming Sunday, August 6th, will be the 61st anniversary

[panader0]

of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. The Enola Gay dropped "Little Boy" and seconds later 200,000 people were dead. 60,000 more died later of illnesses associated with radiation. In this time of wars in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere, let us all pray that there never comes a time when nukes will be used again. As horrific as all of this is that's going on now, nothing in history was as terrible as that. I'm talking about one single incident.

[RoseMead]

1. It's such a thrill

to be a citizen of the only country in the world that has ever used nuclear weapons. Yay America!

:sarcasm:

[jobycom]

8. We've had an impressive history in the killing department.

Native Americans, Central Americans, Iraqis, Iranians (through our proxy, Hussein), Afghanis, Viet Namese, Koreans, our own Civil War... Just to name a few, in no particular order.

[jobycom]

2. Sad event, but I'm not sure on your figures

Wikipedia and my memory both put the death toll in Hiroshima as about 140K, and in Nagasaki at around 74K, counting the aftereffects.

[panader0]

3. Jeez, I just got this from Wikipedia..............

[november3rd]

7. what

what did you get from wikipedia?

[panader0]

10. The number of casualties

[panader0]

4. Jeez, I just got this from Wikipedia..............

[Warpy]

5. We as a species learn things really slowly

so "let's hope they are never used again" has become "let's hope one rogue country uses ONE and that reminds us what they are so we can get rid of them once and for all." We know they will be used. They've been burning a hole in military pockets around the globe for far too long.

From the time I entered kindergarten to the dulcet tones of nuns comparing nuclear holocaust to the hellfire to which most of us would be condemned afterwards if we didn't dive under our desks properly through the Cuban Missile Crisis and on through today, when just the idea of a CIA backed dictator gone bad with the bomb was enough to send this country into a quagmire of a war, my life has been scarred by the bomb. I have nukemares that are more concerned with surviving in a world of ashes than with the flash of light that would vaporize me.

It would seem we as a species will need another hard lesson in what these things do to flesh and bone before we can rid ourselves of an all too real sword of Damoclese that has been held over us all for six decades.

The last lesson just didn't take.

[panader0]

9. I live near an army base that would probably be a target

in a N-war. A neighbor has a bomb shelter. I asked him, "who's going to give you the warning?" You are right, a flash of light is the

[november3rd]

6. Vigils

Vigils are going to take place around the country.

WRL should know where to participate in your area. http://www.warresisters.org/wrl_locals.htm

[Joe for Clark]

11. It was a little less than 100K.

I would just point out, we had killed a 100K people in single missions before - the fire bombings of Tokyo killed about that number. I always thought - whats the difference? If we sent squadrons of B-29s or a single B-29 and the mission results killed 100k people what is the difference? And they certainly tried to the same to us.

Joe

[panader0]

12. Wikipedia lies?

[Joe for Clark]

14. Nobody knows the precise number killed.

Most of the estimates I've read put it at between 70 and 90K killed on impact.
Less at Nagasaki.

It is not unusual for estimates to vary. But I know the 100K figure is higher than the vast majority of estimates I've seen.

Joe

[Joe for Clark]

16. I thought I'd point this out, about how inaccurate estimates can

be - The Battle of the Bulge - and this should be pretty accurate you'd think, since they are supposed to be based on our (the US) records show - depending where you look - either 81,000 total casualties (41K KIA and 40,000 WIA) OR 41,000 total casualties. Take your pick.

TO this day, my Dad in listed as MIA - He reported back and got promoted a few times, too!

He is still listed MIA on the 324ths records - honest to god.

Those things are based on OUR records - they should be very accurate - and they are not.

Don't be surprised that other "estimates" vary.

Joe

[neverforget]

13. Time to get the popcorn again as this will be a flame war in no time

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[Joe for Clark]

15. No it won't.

We all agree on the basics.
Joe