An Important Anniversary
Almost 63 years ago, the people of Japan saw a bright flash - the flash of the atomic bomb. One was used on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 and erased 140,000 people. Another was dropped on August 9, 1945 on Nagasaki and instantly destroyed 70,000 people. Another 160,000 people died from burns, infections, radiation sickness, and cancer. The anniversary of those world-changing dates is approaching, and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society does not plan on letting it pass unrecognized.
In their auditorium on Tuesday, August 5th at 7 PM, they will screen White Light, Black Rain – The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by Steven Okazaki. The filmmaker met with more than 500 survivors, interviewed more than 100, and from that picked 14 interviewees to be the main focus in the film. Using rare and never before seen material, Okazaki paints the picture of their survival stories in an unforgettable way.
The film shows the horrors and awesome power of the atomic bomb on a personal level of those who had to live through it. Following the film at 8:50 PM, there will be a floating lantern ceremony at the edge of Mirror Lake in the Japanese Garden located behind the Historical Society building. Both the film and ceremony are free and open to the public.
Though anyone can come and children are encouraged to take part in the lantern ceremony, it is strongly advised that adults do not bring children under the age of thirteen to see the film. The film has many graphic and disturbing materials and uses historical footage and photographs that is really unsuitable for children.
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buffaloweiner
Did Truman make the right decision?
Only now are we hearing stories of the war Churchill wanted to fight with the Germans: carpet bombing civilian cities, rape, torture, bio-warfare, poison gas, etc. Churchill wanted all of Germany to devolve into a nation of pastures where 90% of the population was killed and the remaining uneducated and de-industrial. Dont think the Americans under FDR were that brutal. Why didnt it happen? Stalin and the Soviet Union made the US, Britain and France need a strong Germany.
People like to think that there was prejudice involved in dropping the bomb on Japan and we wouldnt have done it to Germany. Churchil would have dropped the bomb on Germany.
War brings out the ugliest...there were most certainly atrocities committed by the British and the Americans, too. Anyone know knows of the Rape of Nanking or the Batan Death March knows that the Japanese were as brutal as the German death camps.
Was it the right decision? That will be debated long after history has forgotten the details of the era.
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