Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter Lane
Ventura Naive and a Little Arrogant
RECEIVED Thu., Aug. 2, 2007
Dear Editor,
I'm having just a little difficulty understanding the point of Michael Ventura's entry this week ["Letters @ 3AM," Aug. 3]. That there was argument at the time about using the bomb is historical fact. Eisenhower, Stimson, Leahy, and Lemay were not privy to the internal Japanese documents that we can now view. That evidence clearly demonstrates at least a plan for the civilian population in the home islands to actively resist American occupation. It is naive and a little arrogant to think that, just because American civilians would not have acted in that manner, that Japanese civilians would not have either. There seems now to be pretty convincing evidence that the cost in lives on both sides had we actually invaded the home islands would have far exceeded the death toll from the two bombs combined. That, unfortunately, is the cruel arithmetic of war.
If his point is that, in his opinion and despite the evidence, the use of the bomb was not then and could never be justified, he could have said so in far fewer words.
I'm having just a little difficulty understanding the point of Michael Ventura's entry this week ["Letters @ 3AM," Aug. 3]. That there was argument at the time about using the bomb is historical fact. Eisenhower, Stimson, Leahy, and Lemay were not privy to the internal Japanese documents that we can now view. That evidence clearly demonstrates at least a plan for the civilian population in the home islands to actively resist American occupation. It is naive and a little arrogant to think that, just because American civilians would not have acted in that manner, that Japanese civilians would not have either. There seems now to be pretty convincing evidence that the cost in lives on both sides had we actually invaded the home islands would have far exceeded the death toll from the two bombs combined. That, unfortunately, is the cruel arithmetic of war.
If his point is that, in his opinion and despite the evidence, the use of the bomb was not then and could never be justified, he could have said so in far fewer words.
Scott Sexton
