Over 60 years have passed since the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing approximately 140,000 and 70,000 people, respectively, by the end of the year. By dropping these bombs, President Truman accomplished his goal: by Aug. 14, Japan was willing to unconditionally surrender, sparing at least tens of thousands of American lives by eliminating the need for an invasion. He was well aware of the devastation he ordered, and the massive cost in terms of civilian life. Today, the dominant thought is that dropping the bombs was the quickest way to end the war and saved our soldiers from a long and costly invasion. Rarely discussed are the immense moral consequences of committing such an inhumane act.
