The Decision to Drop the Atomic Bomb

Due: Wednesday, 2/26, 9 a.m. Upload to D2L Assessments>Assignment Dropbox. 20 points total.

Citations: At the end of each paragraph, provide a citation.  Your citation can be: the first few words of the paragraphs you used, the first few words of the answers in the interview, OR time stamps from the interview. If you do not provide a citation at the end of each paragraph, I will deduct 5 points.  Please remember the citations are designed to demonstrate you gathered your answers from the class materials, so keep that in mind while writing.

 

Step one:  Read the "Atom Bomb" article and either listen to the NPR interviews or read the print-out of the transcript.

https://www.asianstudies.org/publications/eaa/archives/thank-god-for-the-atom-bomb/

https://www.npr.org/2023/08/11/1193189051/looking-back-at-the-decision-to-drop-atomic-bombs-on-hiroshima-and-nagasaki

 

Step two: Write three paragraphs.  Your document should be at least one page, total, double-spaced.  Feel free to write longer than one page. This assignment does not have to be a coherent paper with an introduction, body, and conclusion.  It should a series of three separate paragraphs.

Paragraph #1: YES. Summarize the "yes, the U.S. should have dropped the atomic bomb" side of the debate.

Paragraph #2: NO. Summarize the "no, they should not have dropped the atomic bomb" side of the debate. This paragraph could also discuss other options available besides dropping the atomic bomb.

Paragraph #3: YES OR NO? What do you think?  Should Truman have dropped the bomb?  Why?