e permitted to fight an evil, then their good becomes indistinguishable from the evil they set out to destroy.” --Christopher Dawson In the novel Hiroshima, author John Hershey presents a clear message to ban the use of nuclear proliferation. This true account was written in 1946 and portrays the lives of six survivors of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Hershey’s intentions were to show everyone what kind of destruction can be caused by the atomic bomb. The bombing of Hiroshima by the United States was retaliation to the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. The U.S. wanted to make an example of Japan, so they dropped the most powerful bomb they had, not fully knowing what kind of devastation it would cause. Many people lost their lives and an entire city was economically devastated. Nuclear proliferation should be banned in order to prevent other countries from suffering the death and destruction like that of Hiroshima. Governments around the world have the power to regulate what kind of warfare is used during battle. However, by permitting the use of the atomic bomb, many innocent civilians are killed. Proponents of nuclear armament argue that one massive show of force results in fewer casualties overall compared to prolonged ground war, but the use of the bomb is still inhumane. In the case of Hiroshima, staticians said that “at least 100,000 thousand people had lost their lives” and 37,245 had been injured(81). The bombing of Hiroshima also produced radiation over a widespread area. Twenty percent of the victims killed died from radiation exposure. It was reported that 25% died from direct burns caused by the bomb and 50% died from other bomb related injuries. Although the use of nuclear proliferation is often used to set an example for the rest of the world, it causes intense suffering and death to many innocent civilians. Although many governments use atomic warheads to protect their own ci...
