March 29, 2024

A response to ‘Hiroshima — 69 years later’

To the editor,

I am certainly opposed to nuclear war in all its forms. Unfortunately, I believe Dr. Dodge and his colleagues are expending their energies in the wrong direction. In order to change, reform or redirect a person, one must first change his way of thinking.

This is true of nations, as well. A nation (and there are several) that does not hesitate to have its own citizens killed to protect the political, military or religious goals of the leaders will not honor an agreement to rid themselves of nuclear weapons.

A nation that holds women at a slave-like level ... a nation whose dominate religion advocates lying if it will advance its goals ... why would we think it would honor even its own agreement to dispose of their own nuclear weapons?

An international nuclear arms agreement can only succeed when all of the nations have the same ideology of honesty and regard for human life. Will this happen? Probably not. But it would be far more beneficial to expend our energies toward changing the thinking of the international world than to give up any of our own defense without overwhelming evidence that their thinking and actions have changed. Until that happens, the U.S. “leading by example” as Dr. Dodge proposes, will have no effect except to weaken ourselves. Until this happens, encourage legislators not to sign on to any such agreement.

Yes, we have flaws, but countries founded on Judeo-Christian principles are providing the example of a homeland others long to experience. Changing one’s thinking leads to changing his/her attitudes and actions.

Shirley Atwood Osborne

Newton