|
|
|
| NO.20 | My father was killed by the testing of an atomic-bomb | 2000.6.6 | Country:U.S.A. | Reference number:02020 |
| Bikini Islands Atomic Bomb Test Task Force
1953 I am the daughter of a deceased Naval
Officer. He died about six months after he
was on the task force for an atomic bomb
testing (I have the card he was issued) at
the Bikini Islands. His reason for death
on the death certificate stated that he died
from Peritonitis of the Pancreas. He was
only 36 years old. His symptoms came suddenly;
throwing up blood, weakness, weight loss.
My mother says it was only a matter of weeks
before he died in a Carona, Calif. Navy hospital.
If I hear from someone interested in this,
I need to find out how to research or query,
how many of those men at that time and place
of testing, along with my father, died suddenly
just months after the fact! Please help.
Our family lost a special member and our
lives have never been the same. I truly believe
it was because of the bomb testing. |
||||
| NO.(20) | Bikini Atoll hydrogen bomb a thousand times as destructive as Hiroshima bomb | 2001.1.10 | Reply | Reference number:02020 |
| The symptoms your father exhibited before
his death closely resemble those of people
who are exposed to radioactivity. After the
atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, many, many people suffered similar
symptoms as your father did, and died as
a result of radiation poisoning. The United
States conducted hydrogen bomb testing in
the Bikini Atoll in the Central Pacific Ocean.
The hydrogen bomb is believed to be a thousand
times as destructive as the atomic bomb dropped
on Hiroshima. Because of this testing, 23
Japanese crewmembers who were working on
a fishing boat about 160-km away from the
site were exposed to radiation. "Ashes
of Death." Later one of the crewmembers
developed acute radioactive symptoms and
died. Citizens on Marshall Island still suffer
from thyroid cancer. I apologize that I do
not have enough information to correctly
answer your questions. Please contact the
worldwide volunteer group "Green Peace"
for additional information. |
||||
| NO.19 | Will humankind be annihilated by nuclear weapons? | 2000.6.20 | Country:U.S.A. | Reference number:02019 |
| Do you think that nuclear holocaust will
have destroyed civilisation by the end of
this century? and why? Thank you for your
opinion. I have to do a debate on the above
topic and would appreciate an informed opinion
and some true facts and reasons. Thank you
again, |
||||
| NO.(19) | Don't allow the lessons of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to wither away | 2001.1.10 | Reply | Reference number:02019 |
| I believe man will never be exterminated
by nuclear weapons, because I believe man
has learned valuable lessons from Hiroshima
and Nagasaki. I am hopeful that mankind will
choose the way that will never repeat the
tragedies of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. To ensure
that this atrocity is never repeated , we
need to continue our efforts to abolish nuclear
weapons. |
||||
| NO.18 | Reflecting the past, let’s protect our earth with wisdom | 2000.6.23 | Country:Canada | Reference number:02018 |
| Dear world my name is scott and I live in
British Columbia Canada as I have grown I,ve
lived in poverty in this country but at least
have never been to war I don,t really understand
why peple want to kill each other but history
is full of bloodshed are we on a collision
course towards total annihilation of the
human species towards what gain? My simple
philosphy in life is what if there is no
heaven or hell, no other life in existence
anywhere except here on this small island
which we seem in such a hurry to destroy
we are fortunate though to have vast knowlege
and to have seen what the end goal might
look like. We must reflect on past mistakes
and not forget how fragile we really are. |
||||
| NO.(18) | Man who can produce weapons should instead protect life | 2001.1.10 | Reply | Reference number:02018 |
| Man has the power to produce weapons of mass
killing, and conversely has the power and
wisdom to protect human lives. Through education,
we as human beings need to develop and exercise
the wisdom to create peace. We must strive
to teach about mankinds past mistakes throughout
generations of time and continue to make
efforts to attain world peace into time.
As you mentioned, we must reflect on past
mistakes. |
||||
| NO.17 | Let history teach us the futility of war | 2000.7.7 | Country:U.S.A. | Reference number:02017 |
| Japan was not fault free in WWII. However,
to say that the Japanese "started"
the Pacific war is ignorant. There were many
actions by the U.S. that led up to the decision
to attack Pearl Harbor. Banning the import
of Japanese goods into the U.S., restricting
the usage of major ocean passageways, and
stopping all sales of oil to Japan are chief
among them. As for the expansion of Japan
into parts of Asia, this is no different
than what the colonists did when coming to
America. It was justified as Manifest Destiny
and "entitled" colonists to take
from the Native Americans, all their land.
Enitire tribes were wiped out by the white
man. Are not American hippocrites when they
comdemn the Japanese for the same actions
THEY did? Japan has many faults to deal with,
as does the U.S. I have spoken to many British
soldiers who fought during the war, some
who survived the Batan Death March, and even
they, do not understand why a SECOND A-Bomb
was dropped. Was not one enough? Pearl Harbour
was a military point whereas Nagasaki and
Hiroshima were civilian ones. Many children
melted and died. The effects of the cancers
are still evident. As for Pearl Harbour being
a suprise attack, please read Department
of Defense archived papers. They indicate
that there had been reasons to believe an
attack was coming. There were congressional
hearings after Pearl Harbour, where several
officers were disciplined for ignoring those
warnings. War IS hell, and no one should
judge others, unless they are free of ALL
guilt. I am proud to be a Japanese woman
living in America. Both countries have done wrong, but we should all learn from this, teach others, and move along in life. If any good can come from all this, it should be that we have taught many people and children the wrongs of war. |
||||
| NO.(17) | Strong objection against any war | 2001.1.10 | Reply | Reference number:02017 |
| Thank for your valuable opinion. From the
viewpoint of the preciousness of life, the
people of Hiroshima firmly oppose both the
aggressions by the Japanese army during the
WWII as well as the atomic-bombings performed
by the United States government. As peaceful
citizens, we oppose ALL wars. I am determined
to continue working towards the goal of world
pease. |
||||
| NO.16 | Who can live on a polluted planet? | 2000.7.7 | Country:U.S.A. | Reference number:02016 |
| I live on the Big Island of Hawaii, in Waikoloa
Village. My observations come from living
in the USA at a time when the bomb, was the
almighty Boogy Man. I was born 2 months and
2 days after D-Day. Growing up in Scituate,
Mass. public schools, the A-Bomb drills were
real. The duck and cover, scenario was done
frequently. Growing up, I soon found out
how useless and foolish, those methods were.
The money spent to give the population some
hope of protection was wasted. From the Nike
missiles stationed around the city of Boston,
to the Civil Defense headquarters on Rt.
9 in Framingham, Mass. The money should have
been spent on giving us a good time before
we died. But as luck prevailed, smarter people
with more patience, saved us from ourselves.
The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the submarines
we have lost, the testing. One of the worries
in 1945, was that the Atom Bomb test would
set off a chain reaction around the world.
Then there would be no world. There have
been, upwards of 10,000 tests collectively
around the world. How stupid is that? Scientists
are still not convinced. What will it take?
another Chernobyl? Three Mile Island? How
about an Atomic Bomb Accident in Manhattan?
Since 1956, there is a giant section of the
Yuril mountains in Russia, that is uninhabitable.
What will happen when some of these areas
touch, then what. We will need a new planet!!
One reason we continue space exploration,
it won't be long before anyone, will not
be able to live on earth. The whole planet
will be radioactive. one side of the earth
will be a gargantuan sewer and the other
side will re radioactive. It will have been
accomplished by people with IQ's that resemble
the national debt. But they won't be satisfied
until we are all dead. For those people that
don't believe in God or one of the other
manifestations of his or her likeness. Believe
in the Earth, it's talking to us. It's having
a hard time fixing what we screw up. Hope
it never gives up. We will have had it. |
||||
| NO.(16) | Protest telegrams ignored | Reply | Reference number:02016 | |
| I can understand your concern. Every time
a nuclear test is performed, the mayor of
Hiroshima City issues a letter of protest
to the country that has conducted the testing.
As of December 2000, the mayor has written
577 protests against nuclear testing. All
countries participating in nuclear testing
have ignored the voices of protest, leaving
the people of Hiroshima in sadness as well
as anger. Complete abolition of nuclear weapons
and realization of world peace is the sincere
prayer of Hiroshima. I would be glad if you
appeal for nuclear abolition and world peace
just as I do in Hiroshima. Let us have the
same prayer for peace. |
||||
| NO.15 | Nobody is free from the threat of A-bombs--let's strive for the future. | 2000.02.15 | Country: | Reference number:02015 |
| Dear Miyoko, Forgive me if this is not correct
forum to express my opinions on the atomic
bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. I can
probably thank Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor
for my existance. I was born in December,
1942. As a member of the "war babies",
chances are I was conceived because my father
assumed he would be going off to war, and
wanted to start a family as soon as possible
- in case he might be killed in the war.
It makes no sense to apologize either for starting the war (Japan's contribution), or ending the war (America's contribution) in the year 2000. Obviously in 1941 the persons in power in Japan "thought" they were making the correct decision in attacking Pearl Harbor. Several years later, the persons in power in America "thought" they would be correct in dropping 2 atomic bombs on Japan... We can't reflect almost 60 years later on "who" or "what" did the right or wrong thing. I know that every veteran of WW2 that I ever spoke to (and it was a great number-it was my father's generation, and we heard it talked about a great deal) was extremely happy that we used the atomic bomb(s) on the Empire of Japan.. I believe its fair to say that if we had 50 more atomic bombs available , world war 2 veterans would agree we would have been justified in using every one of them.. Let me ask you this question - do you for one minute doubt that Japan would have used atomic bombs on America if they had them available? You know, and I know that Japan would have used atomic bombs in a heartbeat.... Germany would have used atomic bombs in a minute.. It was just our "luck" that we had 2 of them and they WORKED! The first thing anyone familiar with the Japanese soldier in world war 2 would tell you is they were going to fight to the bitter end.. If we had invaded the mainland of Japan more people would have died many times over than were killed by the atomic bombs. I was in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Korea in 1962-1963, and had the opportunity to visit in Japan several times. I visited Hiroshima. I visited Mijiyma Island, and traveled some between them. I was always treated with courtesy by all Japanese I met. And this was only 17 years after the war... I was amazed at the intelligence, and attiudes of the Japanese people.. I could not imagine how people like this could have been the same people we had so recently been engaged in a life and death struggle with so recently.... I couldn't see how the people who were so kind and courteous to me in 1962 could have been the same people my father's generation hated so much.. But they were... I think when you take a poll of college students who were not born until 40 years after the war you are fooling yourself. Try polling the people who were involved in the crisis at the time.. If you study history, you will see that the fine line between allies and enemy's changes every generation or so. World War 2 made for strange bedfellows: America/European allies/ VS Japan/Germany/Italy... Now, 55 years later, America/Japan/Germany are considered allies, with Russia/China on the other side. It seems to sum up like this to me. 1. Japan started the war. (rightly/wrongly depending on your individual perspective) 2. Japan was losing the war - BUT would not have surrendered -( forcing an invasion of the mainland Japan). 3. America had 2 atomic bombs - used both, and ended the war. (rightly/wrongly depending on your individual perspective). 4. If Japan had atomic weapons first, they would not have hesitated to use them on the allies. Now, what we have to realize is that if the situation occurred TODAY what would we do? Possibly the same thing, what do you think? My favorite quote on wars has always been that "if only the Generals or politicians could fight in war, there would be NO war". For what its worth, all young persons wind up fighting for their countries during times of war.. Very few soldiers every get a say in whether or not to "bomb pearl harbor" or "drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima/Nagasiki" It would seem to me that many mistakes were made in judgement by the leaders of Japan before world war 2. But then all governments seem to make mistakes don't they? Again, and again, and again..... Let's hope that all of the uproar over "nuclear weapons" makes us think very carefully before using them.. And don't you feel that if the politicians and generals who authorized the attack (we think of it as a "sneak attack") on Pearl Harbor could have our "hindsight" they might have decided it was a real BAAAD mistake? Pardon me for going on so much, but I get a bit frustrated when I hear students rave on about how "terrible" the bombings on Hiroshima/Nagasaki were. The bombings were thought appropriate and necessary at the time, its a done deal... Now lets try and not get into that situation again. For what its worth, I have no anomosity to the Japanese people. I can't say the same for my parents generation - most of them have never forgotten the war, and Japan's actions in it. As the older generation dies out, (here and in Japan) hopefully world war 2 will fade away, and we can forget the mistakes we all made. My son is 18 years old, and doesn't even think about world war 2. Probably most young Japanese feel the same way. Thank you for letting me rave on, and isn't it nice that we can even discuss such a thing as this "peacefully". Best Wishes, Jesse W. Pomeroy |
||||
| NO.(15) | Never repeat the tragedies and sufferings. | 2000.5 | Reply | Reference number:02015 |
| Thank you very much for your long message.
I totally agree with the quote that you refereed
to in your message: "if only the Generals
or politicians could fight in war, there
would be NO war." Now I'm wondering whether Japanese civilians, including me, really wanted to have war. At that time, military education was justified in Japan and children like me (then 8 years old) were only to believe it. Generally speaking, only a handful politicians and authorities long for wars, and citizens are just brainwashed through education; It was after war that we came to know the fact of invasion of Asian countries by Japanese military. I learned how dreadful the brainwashing by authorities was from my personal experience. Therefore, I truly hope that young people can get just education and know the truth correctly. I could say, as you pointed out, that there is a tendency that young Japanese have been gradually forgetting the WWII. I'm greatly concerned about this situation; because I'm afraid that "forgetting/unknowing" might bring us fear of repeating tragedies over again since people cannot understand the pain and agony caused by war. Therefore, we need to strive for letting young people know what happened in the past and its tragedy, and learn from them. It is certain that we cannot change what had occurred in the past. However, the most important thing is to learn from the past and strive not to repeat the same mistakes. I just don't want to have the people in the world experience the tragedy of August 6, 1945 and painful aftereffect caused by radioactivity. That is why I have launched my homepage and tried to send message "Never Again" from Hiroshima. |
||||
| NO.14 | Never forget the past--lessons from A-bomb testimonies. | 2000.03.15 | Country: America | Reference number:02014 |
| When I was old enough to understand the concept
of war and the horrific nature of the bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, I asked my mother
why we (the United States) did it. She told
me that the A-Bombs saved millions of lives
including my father's, who she believes would
have been killed had the war continued on.
It was a strange and uncomfortable concept
for me to think that I may have never been
born if the A-Bombs had not been used. So
I accepted that part of history as a justifiable
and reasonable act of war necessary for the
survival of the United States. As I have
grown older (43 years), I have learned much
more about subjects such as hate, prejudice,
war, genocide, terrorism and ethnic cleansing,
to name a few. I wonder if humans will ever
be able to eradicate these acts from their
existence? After reading the testimonials
of the innocent survivors listed on your
website, I pray that all weapons of destruction
be eradicated from the earth, and that all
people globally unite to preserve the well-being
and survival of humankind. Humans have the
choice to live together in peace and harmony,
or to destroy themselves out of fear, ignorance,
hostility and stupidity. We should never
forget the past, but instead learn from it
and prevent the same mistakes from ever happening
again. It is important for your message to
be shared throughout the world, and I'm glad
I had the opportunity to review it. Peace
for all the world! |
||||
| NO.(14) | Keep promoting the peace message. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02014 |
| Thank you for your sincere message. Wishing
that we, human beings, never repeat the same
mistakes, as you said, I'd like to continue
my effort to send messages of peace throughout
the world through my Home Page. Our choice
is unmistakably to coexist in peace and harmony. |
||||
| NO.13 | Please understand--India's nuclear tests were in self-defense. | 1999.07.14 | Country:India | Reference number:02013 |
| Dear madam Miyoko, I am Ravi from India .I
want to express my opinion on the Indian
nuclear test . Madam as far as my opinion
is concerned ,I strongly feel that
it was
absolutly correct for India to carry
on nuke
tests .You should be very well aware
of the
fact that India shares a very large
boundry
with China and Pak and both of them
are potential
threats to us .This is evident from
the wars
we have fought .Indian nuke tests are
the
defensive measures we have taken from
our
aggresive neighbours .Let me make it
clear
that they are not for destructive purposes
as interpreted by the global bigwigs.
Madame,as
an Indian I would ask for your support
in
the international arena .Please let
my views
known to the world through your esteemed
columns . Madam,Iam a great fan of JAPAN and want friendly relations between India and Japan. Please convey my best wishes to my brothers and sisters in Japan .Hope you understand me . |
||||
| NO.(13) | Nuclear deterrence never leads to peaceful solutions--start promoting confidence- building. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02013 |
| I understand your views very well. However,
we can't accept the existence of nuclear
weapons whatever reasons you have. So we
can't help to deliver your opinion to the
world. You insist nuclear weapons are not
for destructive purposes for Indians, but
destruction is all that nuclear weapons produce.
If they are not used, is that all right?
The existence itself throws an adversary
into fear and doubt, thus deepening antagonism.
So we can never say they are only for defensive
measures. As long as you have nuclear arms,
there is no assurance they will not be used.
I understand India, China and Pakistan have
a history of animosity. Why do you have to
shed more blood and tears of grief? We have
seen enough death of human beings. Indians
or Pakistanis or Chinese, they are all the
same human beings on the Earth, the same
as the Hiroshima victims. I don't want to
see any more victims killed in war. I believe
true defensive measures are to understand
and trust each other. For mutual trust, don't
we have sublime intelligence and wisdom to
learn from the past tragedies? Instead of
spending more money and time on destructive
weapons, we ought to use our brains and spend
our money and time to create trust and promote
friendship. I also hope Japan and India will
have a friendly relationship. I am convinced
that the friendship must be built without
nuclear weapons. Lastly, I again want to stress the idea that nuclear deterrence does not lead us to a true and lasting peace. |
||||
| NO.12 | Leaders of nations should learn from the tragedy of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. | 1999.08.25 | Country: | Reference number:02012 |
| Hi, I am from Indonesia and I just opened
this web site. I am wondering about the aim
of this web site. Do we just discuss it or
maybe there will be any action to against
the nuclear bomb test. Any way I don't agree
with the nuclear test in any where not just
in India or Pakistan. I still can't find
the positive value- especially in humanity-
from that test. In my opinion that activity
just to show up that their country is great
and they have strong military / army. They'
re proud when the test success but they forget
that they just destroy the environment and
prepare the killer machine. They (the leader
of any country) should learn the Hiroshima
and Nagasaki tragedy. Maybe I am an utopia
but I always dream that someday we - all
people in the earth- can live together peacely
in a green planet. Let's save our earth and
all which live on it. |
||||
| NO.(12) | I would like to know exactly what happened on Aug. 6th. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02012 |
| Thank you for your precious opinion. We sympathize
with your deep wish for peace. The purpose
of my Home Page is to convey the reality
of the Atomic-bomb from Hiroshima and send
a message of nuclear abolition. If you have
not seen our new HP, please access it. (http://hiroshima.tomato.nu/) We are sure you can understand our desire
to abolish nuclear arms and bring ever-lasting
peace. You pointed out that the leader of
any country should learn from the Hiroshima
& Nagasaki tragedy. In addition, I appeal
to all leaders including politicians, scientists
and scholars in every nation, especially
those with nuclear power, to visit Hiroshima
& Nagasaki. I believe they know the destructive
power of nuclear weapons. However, they haven't
really understood what happened under the
A-bomb mushroom cloud. They haven't actually recognized the fact that many people are still suffering. Nuclear weapons have been used as a tool of politics. Politics should work for citizens. I sincerely hope these leaders can learn about the destruction nuclear weapons brought to mankind. |
||||
| NO.11 | Why can't we abolish stupid nuclear weapons? | 2000.03.17 | Country: | Reference number:02003 |
| The testing of nuclear weapons, the manufacture
of them, the idea of using them, is insane.
There is no reason other than 'war'. And,
'war' is insane. Why should we test things
to help make war? We understand that it is
wrong. Yet, there will be another nuclear
castrophe. It will come in the next few years.
Some 'mad man' will decide it is necessary
to go to war and will decide to detonate
another nuclear bomb. Only, this time it
will be far worse. Mankind is incapable of handling such things as handguns. So, how can we expect mankind to handle nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction, chemical weapons, biological weapons are against every living organism on this planet. Why can't we stop now? Why can't we see one another as fellow citizens of the world? |
||||
| NO.(11) | Believe in our actions and convictions for abolishing nuclear weapons. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02011 |
| I think every activist who works for peace
has the same kind of frustration that
you
have. However, I have a hope that nothing
is impossible if we decide to make
it possible,
act on that decision, and unite behind
it.
Therefore, I'd like to rephrase your
last
message as follows: "We can stop now! We can see one another as fellow citizens of the world!" I never want to see people's agony and sorrow caused by war. Let's protest against nuclear tests and abolish nuclear weapons from our beautiful planet! |
||||
| NO.10 | Why continue to hold nuclear weapons in the hopes of peace? | 1999.08.19 | Country: | Reference number:02010 |
| As Humans, we seems to find it difficult
to recognise our mistakes and learn from
the past. for so many years, nuclear testings
had causes death of numberous of human and
wild life. Large amount of land cannot support
the growth of plants nor animals due to that.
although earth is a planet that has its own
abilities to regenerate but at the rate that
people are destroying it soon it will die. Countries with strong millitary power likes to promote peace but they also like to carry out nuclear testing that meant to test the power of mass distruction. Why?? I don't seem to understand it very well, why not surrender all nuclear weapons and nuclear knowledge since they promote peace? Why keep on carry out nuclear testing when you know all the disadvantages it causes? For...... POWER? TO PROVE THEIR STATUS AS A STRONG COUNTRY?? I don't agree with nuclear testing nor the production of nuclear weapons. More production results in more testing. But there will be people agree with nuclear testing when there are people opposing it. We really cannot control that as we all have different point of view. "The Power of One" is not enough. |
||||
| NO.(10) | Let's think about solidarity and global citizenship. | 2000.5 | Reply | Reference number:02010 |
| It is only a handful of authorities and some
egoists who try to justify nuclear tests
and the production of nuclear weapons. I
believe that nuclear weapons will be unnecessary
when we realize that we are all the same
human beings who were born on this planet
called the "Earth." Therefore,
I'm convinced that it is our urgent task
to unite with each other, not for national
interests, but for human interests as "global
citizens" putting aside our differences
in nationality and race. |
||||
| NO.9 | Instead of keeping our hate and grudges, we should do something about the future. | 1999.08.08 | Country: | Reference number:02009 |
| I am doing a study at school about the Atomic
bomb and Hiroshima, and I found this site
very intriguing. Although I am only thirteen
and have not experienced anything like those
who were hit by the bomb, I understand how
they feel. But I continue to ask the question:
Was it necessary? I believe that this hateful,
gross, disgusting, inhumane act wasn't necessary,
but it did happen. Instead of keeping our
hate and our grudges of what the Enola Gay
did on August 6, 1945, we should do something
about the future. And I state again, I am
not experienced enough to say anything, and
I realize that many people can not move on
from what the United States did to them.
Stop the nuclear tests, and we stop atomic
bombs! I think that because of the experience
in Hiroshima, the US won't do it again. But,
will they? Who knows what the future holds. |
||||
| NO.(9) | We try to abolish nuclear weapons for the future of human beings and the earth. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02009 |
| As you said, the A-bomb experiences are unforgettable
for people in Hiroshima. We don't keep hating
because of the bombing. The A-bomb survivors
keep telling their experiences to the world
and call for the abolition of nuclear weapons,
wishing that such a tragedy will never happen
in the future. It is necessary to stop every
nuclear test immediately and to abolish nuclear
weapons for our environment and our future.
In the U.S., please remember what happened
in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We hope that more
and more people will have opinions like yours
in the U.S. and the world. |
||||
| NO.8 | . | Country: England | Reference number:02008 | |
| Sir, I am a post graduate student at King's
College, London University my subject
is
International Peace & Security.
I read
a number of articles last year about
the
legality of the use or threat of use
of nuclear
weapons. I think that they are illegal
weapons
but that is another argument. My view is this, at a practical level,there is no need to test any anymore nuclear devices. We all know that they go bang and that they have phenomenal destructive force. Having said that, I suspect that these devices are not actually tested as such but used to signify qualification of the club, the powerful not to be overlooked Powerful Nation Club. My opinion is that since any use of these weapons is likely to lead to total and final war, that it would be safer for the established nations to share their testing results with all nations. But, I would go further and actually give away a small number of devices together with delivery systems on the condition that an international verification team be stationed along with the weapons. Sounds radical but it saves further tests, it reduces the risks of untested delivery systems and may in the long term lead to a meaningful reduction in the number of nuclear weapons. This is not actually my area of research but it is an area which I am interested in. |
||||
| NO.(8) | We would like to prevent wide-spreading of nuclear proliferation. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02008 |
| As you said, nuclear bombs destroy the environment
with the huge blasts. Plus, the residual
radioactivity does harm to our offspring.
At present, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation
Treaty allows some big nations to have nuclear
weapons and it prevents us from getting rid
of the danger of a nuclear war. Now that these big nations have gotten enough experimental data of nuclear weapons from nuclear tests, they are switching to subcritical nuclear tests in laboratories which don't set off nuclear blasts. They are trying not to attract much attention with this kind of test. Under these circumstances, both India and Pakistan developed nuclear weapons and tested them in 1998. These incidents show that the proliferation of nuclear weapons is hard to prevent now. We aim at the abolition of nuclear weapons, believing that we must not repeat the experiences in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In the process, we would like to call for the immediate stop and ban on all nuclear tests. |
||||
| NO.7 | Atomic-bombing could not be avoided. | Country: | Reference number:02007 | |
| I recently read, on a webpage entitled "Miyoko's
Room: "Let's Talk Peace.""
(www.csi.ad.jp/ABOMB/miyoko/miyoko.html,
a correspondence addressed to you from a
Mr. Buz Brodin. In his writing, Mr Brodin
asked you "do you think the American
people had an alternative to using nuclear
weapons to stop the war?" In your reply
you state that "Japan already admitted
its defeat and proposed peace negotiations
to end the war against the allies (America,
Britain and the Soviet Union)through Russia.
The United States knew that Japan had proposed
peace negotiations." Your explanation,
in regard to Japan's activities and intentions,
is woefully inadequate and is rife with historical
errors. On July 22, 1945 at Potsdam, Churchill, Truman and a delegation from China sent a message to Japan offering "an oppurtunity to end the war." They further warned Japan "of the inevitable and complete destruction of the Japanese forces, and just as inevitably the utter destruction of the Japanese homeland." The message ended: "We call upon the government of Japan to proclaim now the unconditional surrender of all Japanese armed forces, and to provide proper and adequate assurances of their good faith in such action. The alternative for Japan is complete and utter destruction." On July 26, at a specially called press conference, the Japanese Prime Minister, Admiral Kantaro Suzuki said "As for the Government, it does not find any important value in [the Potsdam declaration], and there is no other recourse but to ignore it entirely and fight resolutely for the successful conclusion of the war. The extreme resistance of the Japanese to unconditional surrender is best illustrated by the words of General Anami who said, after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, "It is far too early to say that the war is lost, that we will inflict severe losses on the enemy when he invades Japan is certain, and it is by no means impossible that we may be able to reverse the situation in our favor, pulling victory out of defeat. Furthermore, our Army will not submit to demobilization. And since they know that they are not permitted to surrender, since they know that a fighting man who surrenders is liable to extremely heavy punishment, there is really no alternative for us but to continue the war. Keep in mind these words were uttered after the bombings. Your statement that "Japan had...proposed peace negotiations to end the war..through Russia" is true, but only to a very limited extent; these so-called negotiations were embarked upon with dubious objectives in mind. These negotiations were conducted without the knowledge of the United States, Britain or China, a fact you fail to mention. This is because the Japanese hoped to circumvent the Anglo-American-Chinese call for unconditional surrender. The United States only gained knowledge of these "peace negotiations" by intercepting Japanese transmissions to the Soviets. The Soviets later shared some additional information about these "peace negotiations" with her allies. The nature of these "negotiations" led the U.S. Secretary of the Navy, James Forrestal to the conclusion that the Japanese Cabinet seemed to have decided "that the war must be fought with all the vigor and bitterness of which the nation is capable so long as the only alternative is unconditional surrender." The Japanese Ambassador to the Soviet Union, Ambassador Sato, also recognized the futility of the negotiations with the Soviets. He suggested that Japan accept the Allied call for unconditional surrender. The Japanese considered his advice unsolicited and foolish and rejected it, as you well know. The Americans as well as the Japanese, would have suffered enormous casulaties if the Japanese homeland was invaded. The battles on Okinawa, Iwo Jima, Guadalcanal, etc. are testament to this fact. Therefore, the contention that the United States dropped the bombs merely to flex its military muscle or to scare Stalin is absolutely absurd. It was assumed in Washington that once the Olympic landing had begun, the Japanese would fight to defend at least the home island of Kyushu with determination and to great effect. The estimates of American intelligence that Japan had about ten thousand planes and two million soldiers is generally considered accurate by many military authorities including Martin Gilbert and Gerhard Weinberg. Truman's advisors, on whose intelligence he planned his decisions, estimated that the casualties would approach 1,000,000. While this number has been the topic of much debate, even the most conservative estimates place the number of casualties at at least 160,000, a number which is unacceptable by any standard. Truman did not capriciously come to a decision to order the dropping of the bombs. Even the most casual perusal of his diary and his various correspondences testify to this fact. He reached his decision because he knew that the Japanese would not surrender unconditionally; he also knew an invasion would cost a great many American lives. The actions and words of the Japanese prior to the bombings provided little reason to dissuade him from this view. While I admire your cause in crusading for peace, it is ill-served by shoddy scholarship and unsupported contentions. Thank you for your time. I welcome any reply. |
||||
| NO.(7) | Atomic-bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is always controversial, but the most important thing is that we will never repeat the tragedy. | 2000．5 | Reply | Reference number:02007 |
| Thank you very much for sending us an email
with your opinion. Though we have a
different
opinion, we will respect yours. There are a lot of documents written about the reasons why the U.S. used nuclear weapons in World War II. It is a controversial issue. The question of whether or not the war would have ended without the nuclear weapons is also controversial because people have different opinions depending on their beliefs and situations. We don't intend to discuss these problems with you because it would be pointless. We would only like to tell you that the atomic bombs were dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, that a lot of people were injured or killed by the bombs, and that some people are still suffering from the aftereffect of the A-bomb radioactivity. These are the historical facts. It doesn't mean that we are filled with hatred because of the past. The A-bomb survivors are telling their experiences, wishing that these horrible experiences would never be repeated on the earth. "Please rest in peace; for we shall not repeat the evil". These are the words inscribed on the front of a stone coffin under the Memorial Cenotaph in the Peace Park of Hiroshima. Day by day, we are working to abolish nuclear weapons and to realize the eternal peace. A world in which we don't need to use nuclear weapons, that's what we hope for world. |
||||
| NO.6 | It is a mission for Hiroshima to appeal the massage of peace. | 1999.07.30 | Country: | Reference number:02006 |
| It is an extreme honor to find a site such
as the A Bomb WWW Museum. I have been
reading
much about Nuclear Weapons and what
they
are all about. I have long known about
their
destructive power for many, many years.
As
a matter of fact, when I was young,
and knowing
about what these terrible weapons can
do,
whenever the networks did their "Special
Reports" back then, I honestly
was a
little scared because I was convinced
either
we were going to war or else the decision
had been made to employ Nuclear Weapons. I for one do not like even thinking about them. I also agree that ALL Nuclear Weapons must be dismantled and destroyed. These are extremely terrible weapons and they are really of no use whatsoever. Some people say they are needed in order to maintain peace. That is insane. Holding Death over someone's country because they are an enemy is downright ludicrous. Do I think it was right for them to bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki? No. While it has been argued constantly that if we hadn't bombed both of them we would have had to resort to invading Japan to try to end the war, there was really no justifiable reason in the entire Universe to use those bombs. Some might say that they needed to know what the effects these bombs would have in a realistic setting outside of the laboratory. They already knew what it would do. They really dropped those bombs just to show that they work. They never really cared if the radiation would kill innocent people or that the bomb could quite literally wipe a city off the face of the Earth. They just wanted to cause harm for no reason but just to see what it could do. They say that we are not under Nuclear threat anymore. This is wrong. We are constantly under the threat. The only real way we can be completely safe is that all Nuclear Weapons of any shape or yield are completely destroyed. There is simply just no reason to still have these weapons. In closing, I think you are doing a wonderful and excellent job teaching people what Nuclear Weapons are really like. I also like the fact you are using Hiroshima and Nagasaki as examples as to the effects of these weapons. I support your fight to have them dismantled and destroyed forever. It is shuddering to think that we human beings with just one press of a button, one turn of the key can destroy everything we have ever done as a species in one single, blinding, nuclear blast. Thanks for your wonderful page. I will be returning quite a bit. I will be exploring the A Bomb WWW Museum and I will continue learning about the horrors of Nuclear Weaponry. |
||||
| NO.(6) | Abolition of nuclear weapons is the goal of our group. | Reply | Reference number:02006 | |
| There is more and more doubt about a nuclear
deterrent in recent years. For example, a
nuclear weapon will not work as a deterrent
when possessed by a terrorist group. As you
said, we can't get rid of a nuclear threat
unless we abolish nuclear weapons. The A-bomb
survivors tell their experiences to the world
so that we can abolish nuclear weapons in
the end. If you agree with our group, please
support us in your heart. |
||||
| NO.5 | Nuclear is always useless. | 1999.08.05 | Country: | Reference number:02005 |
| maybe my english not very good but i'm trying
to tell you how i feel about this...............it's
time for us to let the earth breath again,
breath with peace.........nuclear is always
useless.......that's why god give us brains,
to make us keep thinking, keep trying to
get something more friendly to this earth
and human being. peace.........!!!! love and peace |
||||
| NO.(5) | Let us use our wisdom to abolish nuclear weapons. | Reply | Reference number:02005 | |
| Nuclear weapons are unnecessary for humans
and the earth. Once this weapon is used,
it has a destructive influence on both humans
and the earth. Now we have to cooperate and
do our best to abolish nuclear weapons which
threaten our future and the future of the
earth. |
||||
| NO.4 | I wish I could go back and change the past. | 1999.07.25 | Country: | Reference number:02004 |
| Well what do we do now. So many countries
have this kind of power and it's like
any
other condition where everyone needs
one
to be equal. It's a terrible thing
that we
had to bomb Japan, and I don't think
I could
of made that decision to do that. Sooner or later everyone will be equal, then what, did it really do us any good? I don't think so. Whats worse, everyone speaking Japaneese or goin up in smoke sometime in the future? I really wish I had something good to say or something that would make a difference, but I'm not anyone, just a 48 year old man that wish he could go back and change the past. |
||||
| NO.(4) | I believe that human beings are wise enough to make a right choice. | Reply | Reference number:02004 | |
| Once a nuclear weapon is used, it does a
lot of damage to humans and the earth. Nothing
benefits from this. It is an enormous threat
for humans and the earth that some nations
have nuclear weapons. Humans have conquered
a variety of difficulties. Now we are in
the situation where our lives are threatened
by what we've made. Our group believes that
it is possible to abandon what we've made.
Let's work together for our future. |
||||
| NO.3 | Japan has to formulate its nuclear policy. | 1999.08.08 | Country: | Reference number:02003 |
| . I think Japan is faced with a difficult
dilemma. The first A bombs dropped
on Japan
came from 8,000 miles away. Today,
Japan
is surrounded by countries with Nuclear
capability,
India , Pakistan , China , North.Korea
,
Russia .Today there are more powerful
Nuclear
bombs with different delivery mechanisms.
Is Taiwan next to get Nukes? Any Nuclear
fallout will most surely land on Japan. Japan has to decide what is the best path to defend itself, and at the same time stop the spread of Nukes in Asia. Japan has to formulate it's policy quickly, then throw it's political and economic weight behind it. |
||||
| NO.(3) | 非核It is critical for the Japanese people to preserve the "Three Non-nuclear principles" | Reply | Reference number:02003 | |
| The Japanese government has a policy called
"the three non-nuclear principles."
It prohibits the manufacture, possession
and introduction of nuclear weapons. We have
to keep paying attention to the actions of
our government so that our country can actually
stick to this policy. Plus, we would contribute
to promoting disarmament of nuclear weapons
in neighboring countries. |
||||
| NO.2 | I can feel the pain of atomic-bombed children. | 1999.06.06 | Country: | Reference number:02002 |
| Hi. I am an eight grader from New Jersey
and I have to do a report on Hiroshima. I
first want to say is that I never knew that
the bomb did that much damage to so many
people in such a little time. I was looking
up pictures of Hiroshima when I found a picture
of a little girl with her skin hanging loosely
on her. I never thought that it was posable!
It saddens me that so many people died because
they were Japanese. How did you feel when
you had to re tell what happened to you in
the past? Even though I wasn't there or born
at that time, I could feel the pain of the
children when they were hit by the force
of the bomb. How does it make you feel when
you invision those children, screaming for
water and for the pain they were in? How
could America not try to negotiate peace
with Japan? Why did all of this happen? How
could America stand there, not helping the
dying Japanese people who they thought were
the enemy? I can't believe that Americans
didn't try to stop this. Please write back. |
||||
| NO.(2) | It is hard to tell my story, but I have to for the abolition of nuclear weapons. | Reply | Reference number:02002 | |
| A lot of inhumane acts take place during
a war. So, in a war, it is almost impossible
just to raise such humane questions as you
did. It means that no one could answer your
questions in a war. It's really painful for the A-bomb survivors to tell their experiences because the terrible memories come back to them over and over. They tell their experiences to the world in order to prevent such a thing from happening again. In other words, they tell of the inhumanity of nuclear weapons. They believe it is their mission to call for the realization of a world without nuclear weapons and wars. Please keep in mind your present questions. We hope that these questions will make you stand for peace. |
||||
| NO.1 | Victims of Hiroshima and Nagasaki deserve much historical rspect. | 1999.7.22 | Country: | Reference number:02001 |
| thank you for posting your historical information
on the internet i was born in 1952 and gew
up in an era when the possibility of nuclear
war was very much considered; during this
time, the conflict with japan seen as an
unquestionable neccesity in hindsight this
inevitability seems less absolute certainly
japan and the united states were both maneouvered
by cliques into doing terrible things to
innocent civilian populations neither nation
has, nor can they except in the most superficial
and arbitrary of revisionist gestures, said
"we did not need to do that war"
nor will these nations; though at the priveliged
satarpies of academia, self-serving individuals
in thrall to the ideals of collectivist hegemony
may call for strange unilateral apologies
but these are so much vain ephemera i think
that the victims of the atomic attacks at
H. and N. cities deserve much historical
respect as martyrs who have forestalled further
world devastation for over fifty years again,
although the memory of these victims is more
likely to be used as fodder for the pawns
of institutionalists who want to create false
"peace" as pretext for new international
aggressions |
||||
| NO.(1) | Step by step, our group is working for world peace. | Reply | Reference number:02001 | |
| "Please rest in peace; for we shall
not repeat the evil." These words are
inscribed on the front of a stone coffin
under the Memorial Cenotaph in Hiroshima's
Peace Park. These words express our determination
that we shall never repeat the horrible experiences
caused by the A-bomb or the war which led
to the atomic bombing. The A-bomb survivors
recall their hard experiences and keep telling
them to the world so that people can realize
true peace without war and nuclear weapons.
Step by step, our group is working to get
a lot of support in the world for the realization
of true peace. |
||||
