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LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.

Article Excerpt
We're good enough at killing

First, I want to express my appreciation to Peter Straton for his Nov. 21 letter in which he stated, in reference to the bombing of Hiroshima, "targeting civilians is (not) morally acceptable."

Several years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Hiroshima and stand at ground zero. For several days I wandered the Hiroshima Memorial Museum, viewing photographs and other memorabilia from the 70,000 people who were killed instantly, the 70,000 who died by the end of the first year and the 70,000 who have died since. At one point, I stumbled on a little-known fact available deep within the museum commentary and universally neglected in our history books.

In a section explaining the making of the bomb, it was noted that 35 kilograms of enriched uranium were utilized, but only three-quarters of a kilogram detonated. The atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was a dud. It was built to be 50 times more destructive.

Does anyone really believe that the people building the bomb or the politicians ordering that it be dropped had the remotest clue as to what they were doing? Like today's leaders, they were clueless at the eye of the storm.

It is well past time we stop playing at war. In terms of killing, we are already too good at it.

Carl...

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