I grieve, as all Americans do, for all the innocent Japanese civilians that were killed during World War II. They were the victims of the Imperial Japanese Army's and the government's warlords lust for power and its arrogant use at the expense of the Japanese people. But before Japan can condemn the United States for its use of nuclear weapons to end the war, I believe it must take responsibility for the actions of its government and military during the war. The Japanese government and military's methods and decisions dictated how the world reacted to, and dealt with, their aggression.
It is good that citizens Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as survivors of the unfortunate nuclear attacks, have become outspoken in their denunciation of nuclear weapons. I am always disappointed, though, when I read of those who denounce the U.S. for using nuclear weapons to end the war. They claim there was another solution, as if the U.S. made the decision lightly and never questioned whether it did the right thing.
Japan must look at and accept responsibility for the unmeasurable suffering, destruction and devastation it was responsible for in initiating the fighting in the Pacific. That aggression put in motion the terrible events that brought about the results at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Thank God that ever since that time, nuclear weapons have not been used in war by any nation. As citizens of the world, we can only hope and pray that nuclear weapons will never be used again.
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