76 Years Ago, USA Dropped An Atom Bomb On Hiroshima And Nagasaki & Effects Can Still Be Felt

Even today after 76 long years, there is no disputing the devastating brutality of the two nuclear bombs that were dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on August 6th and 9th of 1945, respectively.

After successfully conducting world's 1st atomic bomb test a month prior, the two final man-made nuclear bombs named 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' killed more than 300,000 people and set in motion a number of forces that as we know changed the world forever.

The unthinkable and unimaginable act of using nuclear bombs in the midst of World War II led to two questions that largely remain unanswered even today. First, is the survival of human race dependent on geopolitical disputes and second, were the bombings actually even necessary.

A huge expanse of ruins left after the explosion of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima- The Atlantic

In the United States, the narrative that prevails is that nuclear or atomic bombs were absolutely necessary for Japan to surrender in World War II. Some advocates go a step ahead and try to explain how without that invasion, there would have been far more casualties all over the world and not just in Japan. There is also the argument that the bombs were needed to curb Soviet ambitions. Neither argument can ever be validated.

According to writings and literature available at the US National Archives, it can be attributed that Harry Truman, the president who ordered the attacks, never doubted the decision. To him the use of the atom bomb was fully justified.

The same writings also go onto proclaim that J. Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist who played a central role in developing the nuclear bomb never wanted them to be used.

Streetcars, bicyclists, and pedestrians make their way through the wreckage of Hiroshima.- The Atlantic

As of yesterday, Mayor Kazumi Matsui in his peace address urged leaders to steadily work toward achieving a world without atomic weapons.

"Around the world today, we see self-centered nationalism in ascendance, tensions heightened by international exclusivity and rivalry, with nuclear disarmament at a standstill," Matsui said in his peace declaration.

While nuclear weapons have never been used in war since those two instances in history, news of France trying to weaponize space with lasers and other deadly weapons by 2030 does seem disconcerting. This is why it's worth thinking about what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki 76 years ago, and learn from an unforgettable lesson: the hope that this time history should NEVER repeat itself.