The World in Pictures- Eliza Jane Schaeffer

This is a picture taken 20 minutes after the atomic bomb exploded in Nagasaki 1945. You can see that even after nearly half and hour, the dust and smoke still hangs in the air. It's photographic evidence of the horrifying destruction the United States wreaked when it bombed Japan. In the foreground, there are people standing in awe. I can't imagine how scared they were. They had just watched their homes and friends distengrate under the force of the bomb. 20 minutes later, they are still staring at the mess that was once their hometown. 

The bombing of Japan is something that, as United States citizens, we try not to think about. Was it really necessary? Was it worth the countless deaths and residual radiation? Some argue it was, some argue it wasn't. This picture makes us consider these uncomfortable questions. Although we can do our best to forget memories, it's hard to forget a picture.