There are many things that could be considered "waste of space" Clinton. We really don't need gardens, except for vegetables. We could do without museums, stadiums, movie theaters, churches, libraries, pubs etc. Of course, there are many people who enjoy and find comfort in these places.

History books give you facts and if the writer is good, you may get some feeling. Visiting the site where the event took place brings on another perspective, and visiting a gravesite can work in the same way.   The first time I went to Arlington and saw the graves of JFK and RFK gave me a feeling that is hard to describe. While I watched the events on television, seeing the gravesite made it seem "more real".   All my grandparents died before I was born, but I when I visited their graveyards I could feel a connection with their past and all the stories that I heard about them took on more meaning.

IF we did not have room for playgrounds or parks, I would see the point. However, there are a number of other spots that I find more "wasteful" than the room used for cemetaries.