Atomic Bombs

Atomic Bombs Friend or Foe?;
Are Atomic Bomb as Dangerous as They Seem?

Atomic bombs are typically feared by many people around the world because of the massive destruction they are capable of. One bomb is enough to completely destroy multiple cities, which is what strikes fear into people’s minds. But, even though the invention of the atomic bomb has leveled multiple cities and killed many people, they have also created an era peace in the world. The ties between certain countries have grown closer and scientists have made discoveries that were unimaginable with the use of atomic bombs. The images below show the representation of atomic bombs as a symbol of peace and how they have made the world a better place.

There are many symbols that people associate with the word "peace"; common ones being the peace sign, holding up the index and middle finger simultaneously and people of different races holding hands. An internet artist named Kadamez27 combines the generic peace symbols with atomic bombs in hopes to show people that atomic bombs have more than just a destructive effect. The word "peace" on the base of the bomb dictates that when they are created, the creators are making them in means to keep peace between others they have disagreements with; even if it is in the most extreme way possible. The fist attached to the peace symbol, located on the head of the bomb, symbolizes the common term “fight the power”, which relates to the bomb because governments use the nuclear weapons as a fighting tool to keep peace within other countries. This has created a fear factor inside of people’s minds; one being an all out nuclear war, which could potentially destroy the world. What people are naive about is since the cold war, governments have seen less of a use to create atomic bombs because many countries around the world, who have the power to create them, have seen it as a dangerous gamble, and ultimately as an empty threat. This has caused the reduction of the amount of atomic bombs located around the world; more than ⅔ less than the amount in the cold war. Not only that, but it has also created more trust between these countries, and the fighting between them have reduced, creating an era of peace in the world. The author of this image wants to portray how even though people are under the impression that nuclear bombs and peace are very opposite ideas, with the use of this image, he wants to show that nuclear bombs is actually a symbol of peace.

Along with atomic bombs symbolizing peace rather than an image of war, Mutually Assured Destruction is a national security policy that prevents countries from firing nuclear bombs at each other. This creates peace in many countries with the use of fear; different governments hesitate to fire their own nuclear weapons because they do not want to the same damage to happen to their own country. The image shows two men who look like they are ready to discuss business, but their heads have been replaced with bombs. Each man has a lighter in their hand and looks like they are ready to light the fuse on the opposing member. Neither of them light the fuse, which the author of the image intended on doing. He wants to depict that neither of the men wants to light the opposing fuse because they do  not want risk the same fate upon themselves. The men in the image do a good job of representing certain countries because they care about their own well being. Even though different countries and their representatives want to fire atomic bombs, just as the two men want to light the fuse on the opposing man’s head, they are unable to do it because they care more about their own safety. Different governments bluff so that they can strike fear into people’s minds, but they are unable to follow through with attacks because they fear that they might receive the same fate. People are that live in many countries are in a safer state of mind because they know that they can live without the fear of an atomic war. Even though different countries are at war with each other, their ideals become irrelevant when it comes to the safety of their own lives, which causes them to back away from their original threats.

Not only do nuclear bombs create a safer state of mind, they also help strengthen certain communities. Even though the nuclear bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki left both cities completely devastated, the Japanese government uses this as a set back so that they would be able to rebuild their community to become even stronger. The primary focus of the image is the arch, or more commonly known in Japan as a torii, then the secondary focus of the image is the rubble left over from the attack. The reason why the photographer wants to highlight the torii is because he wants the torii to symbolize Japan’s community. He wants to show the arch symbolizing hope for Japan because it shows that they should not let there community die along with the two cities. It shows that if an arch way is able to withstand an atomic blast, then Japan is capable of rising from the ashes so that they can rebuild their nation. The rubble is only the secondary focus of the image because the photographer wants to show that the destruction that took place should be irrelevant in people's minds. The rubble can be cleaned up and the buildings that used to stand there can be replaced. Even though it may look devastating now, as long as they do not lose hope for a brighter future, than they have the capability of rising even higher. The cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are now thriving with life and people going through everyday life just as they normally would. The country is more at peace with each other and the world because they do not feel the need to have a military and fight any more, and their technological advances are making advancements that is helping the world become a more entertaining and efficient place.

Along with strengthening communities, different environments have also been strengthened after being subject to atomic bomb testing. A tiny island, Bikini Atoll Beach, was a testing site for the first prototypes of the hydrogen bombs. Many people believe that after the atomic bombs were tested, the coral reef became nothing but a big wasteland under the sea. This is because the bomb that was tested was one of the most powerful bombs that has ever detonated during that time. The atomic blast left a crater 2km wide and 73m deep and left water temperatures 55 000 degrees. The photograph shows what the testing site looks like in present day. The image clearly contrasts to how people imagine what the coral reef should have looked like now; the coral reef looks very healthy and it is thriving with a variety of life. When scientist went to explore the bombing site, they were expecting to see a vast wasteland, but they were surprised to see that a coral reef habitat had formed inside of the crater and many species of fish are living inside of the coral reef. The reason why this image is so powerful is because it clearly demonstrates the strength and beauty of nature. People are exposed to media everyday and saying how it is “too late” for some specific environments, which causes people to give up on the idea of trying to help make certain environments thrive again. That is why industries are never shut down; because people are under the false pretense that it is truly “too late”, so why should they stop now? This coral reef started out as literally nothing, and is now known as one of the healthiest reefs in the world. The message that this photograph dictates is that if people leave nature alone, then it will find a way to recover and thrive again, which could make Earth a more sustainable planet; which all came from an environment that was first obliterated by an atomic bomb. Without this event, scientist’s would not understand the recovering capabilities of different environments.

Without atomic bombs, people would be oblivious to how our world can truly work. Even though atomic bombs cause massive destruction to whatever area they hit, without them, we would not know the capabilities of human nature and the recovery capabilities of nature. As demonstrated in the four images above, atomic bombs can be used as a tool of peace, not just as a weapon of mass destruction.

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Works Cited:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1woO-jWIr0j80MCQO2k9byIVh-vrgOBEgy036ROEU47A/edit