Contraversial Issue

The United State’s use of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, Japan, in August of 1942, is a controversial issue connected to the December 7, 1941 Japanese attack on America’s Pearl Harbor. Americans opinions are split on whether the decision to use nuclear weapons on Japan was the appropriate retaliation for Japan’s assault of Pearl Harbor.
An editorial from the Las Vegas Review Journal written on the 60 year anniversary of the U.S. nuclear attack on Japan acclaims the decision. However, Fred E. Foldvary, Senior Editor of The Progress Journal considers the bombing a “historic blunder.” The Editor of the Las Vegas Review Journal states in his editorial that it would have taken months and probably years to elicit surrender from Japan just by continuing the “submarine blockade of food going into Japan, and the firebombing of Japanese cities. Mr. Foldvary, of The Progress Journal, makes the opposing point that the Japanese did not surrender because the U.S. demanded an unconditional surrender and would not negotiate terms with the Japanese. The Japanese government wanted to be able to keep their emperor as ruler, but the United States would not allow that according to Fred Foldvary.
The Las Vegas Review article makes the point that with a full on war against Japan, the ultimate death toll for both the United States and Japan could have been in the millions. Instead U.S. soldiers were spared and only 300,000 Japanese lost their lives. Mr. Foldvary of The Progress Reports disagrees with these figures. He reports in his editorial that a “worst case scenario for death with a Japanese invasion would be less than 50,000. He states that those who “defend the atomic bombings use grossly inflated numbers of potential casualties.”
Both of these editorials have facts supporting their opinion that contradict each other. Those who support the U.S. use of the atomic bomb on Japan feel that this was the only way to end the conflict with this country and to keep the overall death toll low. The opposition states that America should have negotiated further with Japan and allowed them to make some of the choices for the peace treaty.

Works Cited
“Editorial: Hiroshima Bombing Anniversary.” Las Vegas Review Journal. 6 Aug. 2005. http://www.reviewjournal.com/1vrj_home/2005/Aug-06-Sat-2005/opinion/2794069.html.
Foldvary, Fred. “Hiroshima, mon horreur.” The Progress Report. 21, Oct. 2008.
http://www.progress.org/2005/fold415.htm.