Example of Countering

Countering:
Based on the personal narratives of those who lived through World War II, it is my contention that war can never be justified. John Berger says as much in his essay "Hiroshima," in which he argues that in order to learn from history, personal accounts must be the central focus, not statistics (581). Berger's text brings the artwork and words produced by the survivors of Hiroshima to the forefront, while arguing that the attack should never have taken place. He writes, "The two bombs dropped on Japan were terrorist actions. The calculation was terrorist. The indiscriminacy was terrorist. The small groups of terrorists operating today are, by comparison, humane killers" (580). Note that Berger uses the word "terrorist" three times within as many sentences, while also alluding to the terrorist threat that the United States currently faces. This combined effect jars the readers, prompting them to rethink their positions not only on the atomic bombings of Japan, but also on war itself. However, this type of language is inflammatory, and therefore could have the opposite effect than that intended by Berger. Hence, I propose that instead of resorting to the type of rhetoric seen in Berger's essay, historians should focus on the personal narratives he offers--for it is the personal account that is far more able to effect change.