Atomic Bomb National Park Is a Real Possibility

The Texas abortion bill isn't the only questionable piece of legislation floating around The House at present. Nope, representatives have also passed a bill that would commit $21 million dollars to the building of a national park in honor of the atomic bomb.

History class flashback: the atomic bomb is the only type of nuclear weapon ever used, and twice at that—both times by the United States. Towards the end of the Second World War, the U.S. dropped twin atomic bombs—a month apart—on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians died, and the country surrendered.

Nagasaki and Hiroshima today exist as reconstructed symbols of struggle and strength, and the cities are peppered with their own memorials to those who perished from the bombs. The U.S. team that orchestrated the atomic attack was called "The Manhattan Project," and technically—not to mention slightly creepily—the millions of dollars in question have been set aside in honor of them, rather than the victims of the nuclear fallout. The project would allow the park's tourists to wander around the facilities in which the nuclear attack was brainstormed.

“Establishing these sites as national parks is the best way to preserve their history and ensure there is public access for decades to come," said Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.)

Academics have debated the ethics of establishing a historic park dedicated to America's role in the atomic attacks. Former Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich noted: "If there was going to be a new park, it should serve as a solemn monument to Japanese-American friendship that rose from the ashes and the worldwide work for nuclear disarmament that continues to this day, rather than a celebration of technology that has brought such destruction to the world."

Word.