ARE MY HANDS CLEAN?

painting by Tigran Tsitoghdzyan is an
Oil on canvas 2013 titled Armenian Mirror

Is America Reaping What it has Sown - Part III 

“... How will history judge the United States? Will it depict America as the benevolent crusader that it portrays itself, or will history be more candid and juxtapose its generosity and goodwill with its dark side? One cannot write a history about the United States without telling the story of its philanthropy; however, the story that shines brighter than its willingness to come to the aid of those who are less fortunate, is American aggression. This country was birthed in revolution and along the way annihilated nearly 200,000 innocent Japanese with the dropping of two atomic weapons; the only country to have done so. 

Most historians, who have written about the American Revolution that I have studied, seem to take for granted that the war was just; however, there is no consensus that holds the U.S. blameless for the nuclear weapons that were dropped on Japan in World War II. Some argue that it saved tens of thousands of lives by bringing the war to a swift end, but there are those, including Daniel Goldhagen who has written Worst than War, Genocide, Eliminationism and the Ongoing Assault on Humanity, where he argues that Japan was on the brink of surrender and was negotiating the terms of its surrender when America dropped the bombs. He argues that history should consider President Truman a war criminal for his decision to drop the bomb on a totally vanquished opponent. His view is shared by many historians...“- David Tolson 6.28.10


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This was not supposed to be a tribute. I had scheduled to post this essay of David's weeks ago, and I'd been going through David's vast archives for pieces we could discuss, or elaborate upon on and off for years. 

I found out yesterday, David Tolson, died suddenly a couple days ago. He was my friend since our teenage years. With similar in style parents David, his brothers, my siblings and I grew adults our parent's were proud of, and respected. I am heavy now with the thoughts that come as one gets older, and your peers close in intellectual prowess, curiosity, impeccability of spirit die leaving you here with what is left to explore both within and around us in this world. - Gregory r