Lessons From Hiroshima

Compiled by: Saka Ridwan


North American children know about Hiroshima. They are taught about the dangers of nuclear war. Sometimes they learn the details of the damage that was done. They learn about what happened at 8:15am on August 6, 1945. People were eating breakfast; children were going to school and adults going to work. There was a blinding flash of light, a scorching heat, and a mushroom cloud rose up. People close to the explosion were instantly vaporized. Many of those further away would die from burns and radiation. Sixty thousand houses were destroyed immediately. One concrete structure remained standing, although it was damaged. The local government left the Atomic Dome standing as a memorial to the explosion.

Even those who were not seriously injured in the explosion later became very ill. They became very sick from radiation poisoning. Many developed leukemia. Sadako Sasaki was two years old when the bomb exploded. She was apparently uninjured and grew up normally until she was twelve. Then she developed leukemia, a disease of the blood and bone marrow. Sadako began to fold paper cranes to protect her from the illness. However, she died in 1955 before she reached 1,000 paper cranes. Her example inspired the Children's Monument at Hiroshima.

There is a Peace Museum in Hiroshima which has objects left by the explosion. These include bottles, metal, stones and tiles twisted into strange shapes by the heat. There are objects on which people were vaporized, so that their shape appears like a shadow on the material. There are bits of burnt clothing and many photographs.

Why was the bomb dropped? World War II was a long and bitter war. The rules of war, which said not to kill civilians, were forgotten. Hitler bombed London, hoping to break the spirit of the English. Then England bombed Germany to destroy the factories and kill the people who worked in them. Americans wanted revenge for the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The U.S. government had spent six billion dollars developing the A-bomb and wanted to use it. Some say that they also wanted to warn the Russians not to cause trouble for America.

When American forces advanced on Japan in 1945, they had to decide what to do. Would Japan surrender, or would they fight to the last soldier? American leaders feared that they might lose many men by an invasion. Dropping the atomic bomb would end the war very quickly. President Truman made the decision to use it.

Since then, most people have felt that this decision was wrong. It was such a terrible thing to do to people - children, old people, women, men and babies. Hiroshima inspired many people to try to "ban the bomb." They wanted to ensure that atomic bombs would not be used again. Even some of the scientists and aircrews involved in making and dropping the bomb at Hiroshima wanted it banned. Perhaps if we can all remember what happened that day, there will be no more Hiroshimas.


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Nakata's Blog: 57th Independence: Nigerians are Dancing Without M...

Nakata's Blog: 57th Independence: Nigerians are Dancing Without M...: ::::::AT A TIME LIKE THIS:::::: By Bamiteko Anthony Dare Celebration galore... I can see people using Nigerian flag inside and outside...

57th Independence: Nigerians are Dancing Without Music

::::::AT A TIME LIKE THIS:::::: By Bamiteko Anthony Dare

Celebration galore... I can see people using Nigerian flag inside and outside their cars, including homes, offices and shops. There are people putting on white and green clothes in the Church. Church Altars are also decorated in white and green.  White and green hand band worn by many. Some put on brooch with Nigeria's flag or map. And I ask myself, why are we even celebrating this country at a time like this? Why are we over joyous to the extent of using one thing or the other that has white and green? With all the complaints of people here and there, even home and abroad majority if not all still dim it feat to remember Nigeria and honour this day in one way or the other? Many honour it verbally, some with signs and symbols. Why at a time like this?

At a time like this, Nigeria was freed from some sets of people that had the privilege of exposure before her. Nigeria was liberated from the hands of outsider instructing, leading, teaching, shaping and governing her. I remembered base on history that Nigeria independent was gotten on a platter of gold.

Kudos to our great leaders that worked for this and made it happened. Permit me to mention the man of timber and calibre, he inspires me so much because of his political sagacity, a patriot, loyalist and lover of his people. A man with impeccable character and charisma. His political sagacity can never be overemphasized. I am talking about Pa Awolowo. I can never forget to mention the most renowned politician from the East. A man that knows how politics work. A man that can play his political card and get intended result, he is no other person than Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe. The wise and the visionary man from the North. The man that his political prowess still live on after his death and place Northerners high till date in Nigeria politics and power. Alhaji Tafawa Balewa is his name. I doff my cap for this great men because of their vision and mission.

These 3 great men were highly respected and brought independent to Nigeria without blood shed because of the level of their exposure, knowing how to play their political card and seeing how things work outside Nigeria, they were passionate to bring liberty to Nigeria. I call them the Three Wise Men of Nigeria.

The question I keep asking myself is that what inspired these great men to be passionate about working for the good of this Nation. They wanted Nigeria to be great, just like what they see overseas if not better than that. They led with example and the development they brought to their regions within the short time spent as leaders in various capacities its the manifestation of their good works we are still making reference to till date.

Who or what truncated the good trend and the land mark these people put in place? Do we still have visionary leaders in our midst? Do we still have patriotic leaders in our midst? Do we need to beg God to wake this Three Wise Men from the dead for Nigeria to be great again. Are we even sure if they are still alive till this day or called back to serve, will the structure in place make them function?

Our problem is that we are all corrupt in this country. Almost everyone is self-centered. Me first is the order of the day. No one is ready to make and set record and also becomes true hero and pay the price attached to it anymore in this country. Outrightly, no one is aspiring to lead and serve without interior motives. Majority are just after how to make name, with the show of; I was once a Minister, Governor, Perm. Secretary, Senator, Honourable President, CJN... Please don't confuse making name with setting record.

Why are we like this in this country? Why are we self-centered? What we see nowadays is joker using people and forming hero. Where did we go wrong.

Even youths are not helping matters. Youths are been used to create tension, chaos, anarchy and doom. Imagine we youths of nowadays are gullible. We are even celebrating Not too young to rule as if that will bring food to our tables, nor have the money and everything it takes to finance it and become a leader. We didn't clamour for not too young to seek for job. It seems we don't know what is good for us. Some youths gathered and say they want to have their own political party and I studied the atmosphere, what I see is partiality, self-centeredness, bias (this is my person) and agents using others. People that can't speak the truth in respective of whose ox is gored. And all these laughable characters are endemic among we youths, we might be worst than our present leaders if we didn't work on ourselves on time.

What pierce my heart is that of the ethnicity tension. Youths saying we are marginalized and indirectly fighting for the leaders that never brought true development to their land. I'm not talking about marginalization or not, but why are we fighting for political appointment for those that didn't remember us. When they get it will they remember us?

Time like this we need to reflect and know what is good for us. Truly we need to celebrate Nigeria and fly the flag higher, but we need to reflect and meditate on attributes and circumstances surrounding our independent. A time like this should be for sober reflection of where we missed the track and on how to put ourselves back on the track set by our founding Fathers

We don't pray for our country nor our leaders that God should grant unto them everything it takes to govern anymore. But everyone is aspiring to lead. Many betray his colleague just to win favour. Many are spy and mole among his contemporaries.

What we know his how to talk about flaws of our leaders and that make us find it difficult to see anything good in them. Buhari administration is doing everything to put Nigeria on track, doing it with utmost loyalty. What majority talk about is his weakness and flaws. "He is bias, he likes Fulani more than others as if we are better than him. We've never appreciated any leader while in government. I thy know is always a late statement anyway. Its high time we appreciated our leaders. We need to learn how to weigh disadvantages and advantages of each government and adopt better strategy in checkmating them.

A time like this, we need a person like General Muhammadu Buhari to help us apply military pattern of leadership stylishly and diplomatically because we are all chronically corrupt in this Country and everyone needs to be checkmated. Even small child that is aware that one did something bad, buy biscuits for that child and ask who did it? The child response will be; I don't know or point to another person. That is the environment we find ourselves and that is the state of our Nation.

Nothing is wrong with Nigeria. I find it difficult to believe that restructuring is the panacea to our problem, because though restructuring is good but it will only empower some crooks that I am 100% sure will use it for their own good. Our mindset needs to be restructured first. We need to work on ourselves, first thing first. We need to wake up from our slumber because we are deeply asleep and many Nations that we gained independence before and those that are age mate with us like Malaysia are all ahead of us.

Arise O compatriots. We all need to obey the clarion call...

We bless God for the 57th year anniversary of our great nation Nigeria.
Individuals should aspire to make Nigeria great without selfish ambition. Let's shun ethnicity and violent. Let's drop self-centredness and study the life of true heroes and heroine within and outside Nigeria and put it into practice.

The future and destiny of this nation is in the hands of we youths. Let us restructure ourselves, strategies and pursue everything like a patriot with utmost loyalty so that leaders can be checkmated and made quit the stage. And if those old leaders refuse to quit the stage willingly, nature will automatically quit them for us. Patriot don't struggle to be noticed, nature and their attributes brings them to limelight.

God bless Federal Republic of Nigeria!
Live On Real Patriot of Nigeria!
Long Live Real Patriot!
Happy Independent!
God Bless Nigeria!