Dropping The Atomic Bombs

Gravity (n): extreme or alarming importance; seriousness. As people grow and mature, they encounter experiences that force them to make decisions full of great gravity. These decisions cause them to be extremely careful when choosing their own paths in life. In August of 1945, atomic bombs descended upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing over 40,000 casualties. As America decided to drop the atomic bombs, a massive controversy was created within the country. Most officials attempted to hide the fact of the atomic bombs, hoping that secrecy would prevent problems. As well, many feared the consequences, such as death, and extended war, would arise due to the effect of these bombs. Finally, many believed that releasing the bombs aided in the ending

of the war, while others believed it only caused more destruction. Therefore, it is quite clear that Robert Oppenheimer’s speech, “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” and www.ushistory.org’s “The Decision to Drop the Bomb” clearly explore the three serious controversies that arose from the decision to drop the bombs: the surreptitious nature of the bomb droppings, the consequences of releasing the weapons, and the possibility of ending the war.
Clearly, the secrecy of the atomic bomb played a huge role in the heated controversy within the country. Although secrecy was believed to be necessary in order to
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prevent the people from objecting; once the secrets became known to the public, controversy struck. Many believed the secrecy was harming the innocent people living in Japan , but others believed it was only protecting the thought that the power of the atomic bomb did not have to be used. In the petition written by the 70 scientists, “A Petition to the President of the United States” sentence one of paragraph five states, “If such public announcement gave assurance to the Japanese that they could look forward to a life devoted to peaceful pursuits in their homeland and if Japan still refused to surrender our nation might then, in certain circumstances, find itself forced to resort to the use of the atomic bombs,”.(“A Petition to the President of the United States” ,29). There is clear evidence that suggests the United States did voice their opinion to Japan pertaining their surrender before the power of the atomic bomb needed to be used. Saving their people could have been achieved, but Japan’s secret refusal resulted in the United States decision to drop the bomb. Japan had offered conditional surrender, but the Uniteds States did not consider this, which led to the other side of the heated controversy. In Robert Oppenheimer’s “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists”, in paragraph seven he claims,” It is not possible to be a scientist unless you believe that the knowledge of the world, and the power which this gives, is a thing which is of intrinsic value to humanity, and that you are using it to help in the spread of knowledge, and are willing to take the consequences.”(“Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,”24). The quote expresses the opinion that secrecy of the atomic bomb was limiting the future of science

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from more amazing discoveries. It is unequivocal that secrecy can be interpreted as good or bad, as it proves the heated controversy within the United States.
It is evident that the atomic weapons used in the war created catastrophic effects, resulting in death, disease, and destruction within Japan, but also allowed a new era of technology and development to flourish.

Thousands of lives were lost due to the war. Many argue that the end of the war could have been achieved without the use of the atomic bomb, while others believe that the use of this weapon created more opportunities for the United States, including more scientific knowledge. However, the deaths resulting from the weapons used is still quite unbelievable, knowing that lives could have been saved if the bombs were never used or produced. In 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” sentence three, paragraph seven it states, “Thus a nation which sets the precedent of using these newly liberated forces of nature for purposes of destruction may have to bear the responsibility of opening the door to an era of devastation on an unimaginable scale.”(“Petition to the President”, 29). This quote explains how many believed that the use of this weapon was the beginning of a journey towards destruction, otherwise known as the cold war. The effect of these weapons did result in different views explaining how the bombs destroyed the beginning to a great generation, while others believed that this is where it all began. The drop of the atomic bomb did provide a new perspective to science and technology. Without the atomic bomb, humanity would not be as

advanced as it is today. In www.ushistory.org’s “The Decision to

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Drop the Bomb”, paragraph 14 explains, “Pandora’s box was now open. The question that came flying out was, ‘How will the world use its nuclear capability?’ It is a question still being addressed on a daily basis.” (www.ushistory.org, 37). This quote provides many unanswered questions still to this day. Questions whirl around asking what the United States will do with this newly invented technology. Will it cause more harm? Good? These questions are unknown. People only know that the United States have invented machines that hold great power, and with great power comes great consequences and decisions that can affect everyone in the United States with one single action. It is most definite that the impact of handling these weapons can be interpreted as both a destructive occurrence and a miracle, proving the arguments spoken about to this day.
Without a doubt, the atomic bombs aided in end of the war and caused many casualties. While the bombs created many advantages, they also had atrocious,
everlasting effects.

Without the use of the bombs, the war may never had come to a close. In Robert Oppenheimer’s “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” paragraph five states “... without atomic weapons it might be very difficult, it might be an impossible, it might be an incredibly long thing to win the war.” (“Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” 23). This quote shows that the atomic bomb used to end the war was an excellent choice because without the atomic bomb the war would continue and could have escalated to a level of world destruction, but because of the use of the bomb the war was ended. Most obviously, the atomic bombs made it extremely easy to quickly end the war. Also, as stated in 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” “The war has to be brought speedily to a successful conclusion and attacks by atomic bombs may very well be an effective method of warfare.” (“Petition to the President of the United States,” 29). Not only was the bomb the easiest way to end the war, but it was also one of the most effective weapons. Certainly, the bombs were able to stop the country from going deeper into war and helped to save many lives by bringing a rapid end to the entire war. In www.ushistory.org’s “The Decision to Drop the Bomb,” it says, “Normandy-type amphibious landing would have cost an estimated million casualties. Truman believed that the bombs saved Japanese lives as well. Prolonging the war was not an

option.” (www.ushistory.org, 37). As supported in the quote, if the war was prolonged, many more lives would have been lost due to shootings and other possible bomb threats. Yet on the other hand, the bombs also had horrible effects and caused thousands of deaths. In paragraph 6 of www.ushistory.org’s “Decision to Drop the Bomb” it explains, “Instantly, 70,000 Japanese citizens vaporized. In the months and years that followed, an additional 100,000 perished from burns and radiation sickness.” (www.ushistory.org, 37). Even though the bombs may have prevented an even larger amount of deaths, they still killed a copious amount of innocent people. The controversy begins in whether the fact of if the bombs assisted in ending the war by bringing positive aspects or if they simply murdered thousands. To conclude, the atomic bombs benefited the world by bringing a quick end to the war, but also were an act of murder as they killed over 70,000 people, proving the immense controversy of the war.
It is evident that Robert Oppenheimer’s speech, “Speech to the Association of Los Alamos Scientists,” 70 scientists’ “Petition to the President of the United States,” and www.ushistory.org’s “The Decision to Drop the Bomb” deals with the serious and controversial topic about the decision to drop the bombs: the hushed nature of the bomb’s dropping, the consequences of dropping the weapon, and the chance of ending the war. The United States government attempted to conceal the truth about the atomic bomb to prevent many complications. Also, many citizens, government officials and other countries had anxiety about the lasting effects of the bomb like, death and extended war. Lastly, some people thought that the release of the atomic bombs assisted in ending the war, others thought that the atomic bomb was a destructive tool used by America. In conclusion, because of many gravity-filled decisions made by officials of the United States, controversy arose due to secrecy, the impact of the bombs, and the atomic bomb’s power to end the war.