Overcome fear of a nuclear Nevada

More than most, Nevada is a state that was founded upon one idea: opportunity. Over time, Nevada has come through many circumstances and trials, and yet it has found ways to overcome adversity by way of new opportunity. It is bothersome to me that we are not following those same ideals today.

Nevada became a state in order to secure enough electoral votes to help Lincoln win the presidency. This state’s motto isn’t “Battle Born” for just any reason. Nevada came into existence on Oct. 31, 1864, because, at the time, the United States was a war-torn country, and it needed all of the Union allies it could find. Lincoln found an ally in Nevada, a way to help secure his win in the upcoming elections.

As time passed, Nevada developed as a state. It was always a bit different from the rest of the states in the country. In 1931, Nevada was hurting. It had no real means of a steady economy, and the Depression was barreling toward it. So what did the Nevada government do in 1931 to help ease the pain of the Depression? Well, one of the main things was legalize gambling. Thus Nevada began to develop as the entertainment state, and people came from all around the world to test their luck in the casinos.

It was President Harry S. Truman who stated, “Then we came to the great gambling and marriage destruction hell, known as Nevada. To look at it from the air it is just that—hell on Earth. … Such places should be abolished, and so should Nevada.” Truman had harsh feelings toward Nevada, to say the least. But I believe it was because Truman never understood what Nevada was all about. He saw it as an abomination, but it was truly a developing area that was advanced for those times.

Nevada may have been hell to President Truman, but the Battle Born state was just that, a state that grew out of war, and it would fight to stay afloat. But Nevada currently seems to be losing that founding value. The state isn’t taking advantage of opportunities, and fear is clouding the judgment of the politicians involved.

Nevada is suffering from a rather large economic crisis. Experts tell us this isn’t a depression, it is only a recession, but it is time that Nevada reestablish its true nature. In times of need, we need to become resourceful, and Nevada has something the rest of the country wants, a place to store nuclear waste. Nevada has the means and can use this to our advantage.

Bring in this so-called waste. Store it here. And then charge the people who want it stored here. This state can be resourceful once again and make money off an unlikely source to help us get through a hard economic period. We need to get over our fear of what may happen, and embrace what we do know. Right now Nevada needs the money, and we have a way to make money, we just need to stop living in fear.

The Yucca Mountain project has been very controversial for many years now. Some people want it, some people don’t, and there are others who are just scared because they don’t know any better. This could be a great thing for Nevada for the time being and down the road. When scientists find something better to do with nuclear waste, then we can move it out of Nevada. Even though political maneuvering in Washington, D.C., is attempting to pull this opportunity from our fingertips, the issue will re-emerge—maybe with the next administration—because this country needs to solve its nuclear waste problem. This is a money making opportunity—one that Nevada needs to jump on now before we are told we have to store the waste here anyway, and then we’ll make no money off of the situation.

This state grew as the “Battle Born” state for a reason, and it is time that Nevada shows the country exactly why we deserve the motto.