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Misty Hook's avatar

Part of the problem is that far too many Americans don't know our own history. When I was in school, I learned very little about the discrimination and prejudiced policies and behavior the US inflicted on women and people of color across history. I learned about the internment of Japanese Americans after I got out of school. Similarly, I can still remember my outrage when, as an adult, I realized just how terribly we'd treated the indigenous people. I knew none of it before.

The same is true of the atomic bombs we dropped. I was taught that we dropped them to end the war but no one mentioned what happened to the people who were there. That's a huge disservice to understanding history and a missed opportunity in developing compassion. However, I was fortunate enough to be in a gifted program in which we did learn more. I still recall the passion with which my 6th grade classmates and I berated a college professor over his defense of the dropping of the bombs. He told our teacher he'd never been challenged like that before. Yay for us but how deeply tragic overall.

Thank you for writing this article, Ms. Hayasaki. I learned a lot and appreciate the work of activists determined to abolish nuclear weapons. More people need to hear their stories.

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Barbara Terao's avatar

The Nobel Peace Prize and Erika Hayasaki's account of the effects of the atomic bomb send meaningful messages to all of us. I want to include my friend, Kiyoko Neumiller, in this urgent message. As I wrote in The Seattle Times, Kiyoko was near the epicenter, yet survived the bombing of Hiroshima to become a voice for peace.

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