New article today. It seems that we as society have no problem digging up hundreds-years old or thousands-years old kings and nomads, but obviously we wouldn't dig up someone who died last week just to see the look on their face. At what point in time does it become okay to dig up bodies or not? There's no clear-cut dividing line, really.
Thanks for the article. Interesting. As we were getting something in return - lost worlds uncovered, stories of the past, Indiana Jones movies - it was all right, I guess. This time, it feels that they are digging up a person for no reason, as that person already has a face, and a legend built around them. I don't know, but when I first read the title of the tread, my first reaction was - that's wrong.
We will soon have too many researchers scrambling to dig up anything to get their fundings. Hide your pets.
New article today. It seems that we as society have no problem digging up hundreds-years old or thousands-years old kings and nomads, but obviously we wouldn't dig up someone who died last week just to see the look on their face. At what point in time does it become okay to dig up bodies or not? There's no clear-cut dividing line, really.
The interesting thing about this article is that it is from the community where the gravesite is located. The researchers had stated that they haven't heard much local opposition. The comments sure make for some interesting reading. The thing about this guy (the Leatherman) is that his legend is his identity, as he kept his actual identity to himself for 30 years. And there is still so much to be learned above ground through oral traditions passed down in families as witnessed by comments on the article like this one:
My Grandfather told us that "The Leatherman" was the inspiration for the character "The Tinman" in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", a 1900 book by L. Frank Baum and W.W. Denslow. It makes sense that this is true because Mr. Baum lived in NY and CT during the time of "The Leatherman".
Over the last 10 years I've read everything I could find about him, and had never come across that story. It doesn't matter to me if it's true or not. But once again, from beyond the grave, he has given us a gift that will further the folklore, and keep his legend alive. Artists like EV, and maybe even L. Frank Baum have been inspired by him, and in my opinion the world is a better place for it. Gifts are always better when they are freely given, so I don't believe we should be going in and taking anatomical gifts from him to further our empirical knowledge of this private man. Map his footprints, not his DNA.
My Grandfather told us that "The Leatherman" was the inspiration for the character "The Tinman" in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", a 1900 book by L. Frank Baum and W.W. Denslow. It makes sense that this is true because Mr. Baum lived in NY and CT during the time of "The Leatherman".
New article today. It seems that we as society have no problem digging up hundreds-years old or thousands-years old kings and nomads, but obviously we wouldn't dig up someone who died last week just to see the look on their face. At what point in time does it become okay to dig up bodies or not? There's no clear-cut dividing line, really.
indeed. i dont see the real difference between what they are doing in egypt VS what they hope to do here in australia
5 year old story now, but interesting. From one of the articles above: "Historians in Ossining, N.Y., have successfully petitioned a court to exhume his grave in a local cemetery because of its dangerous proximity to a busy road and to perform forensic tests on the Leather Man's remains because of the historical significance.Connecticut state Archeologist Nicholas Bellantoni is leading the project. His team of academic experts intend to rebury the remains with a proper religious ceremony in a more prominent area of the cemetery. A headstone that tells Leather Man's story will be installed."
I don't understand the opposition to this unless it's about religion or something. I dunno. Dead bodies are dead bodies. To me there is really no difference between a buried person and a buried pet, frankly. For me headstones in cemetaries are what carry the real "meaning" and symbolism, not the bodies themselves. So the reasons given to exude Leather Man seem beyond reasonable to me, and it's good about the new headstone. The exhumation seems like a way to further the respect the man, in fact. Like, usually the petitions would be about how he SHOULD be moved to a safer and more appropriate location in the cemetery and given a new headstone to acknowledge his significance in history.... yet the petition was about not doing that. Weird.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
Comments
Thanks for the article. Interesting. As we were getting something in return - lost worlds uncovered, stories of the past, Indiana Jones movies - it was all right, I guess. This time, it feels that they are digging up a person for no reason, as that person already has a face, and a legend built around them. I don't know, but when I first read the title of the tread, my first reaction was - that's wrong.
We will soon have too many researchers scrambling to dig up anything to get their fundings. Hide your pets.
http://www.nhregister.com/articles/2011 ... 123340.txt
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/mystery-man-will-anyone-ever-know-the-real-story-behind-the-leatherman-7258125
I don't understand the opposition to this unless it's about religion or something. I dunno. Dead bodies are dead bodies. To me there is really no difference between a buried person and a buried pet, frankly. For me headstones in cemetaries are what carry the real "meaning" and symbolism, not the bodies themselves. So the reasons given to exude Leather Man seem beyond reasonable to me, and it's good about the new headstone. The exhumation seems like a way to further the respect the man, in fact. Like, usually the petitions would be about how he SHOULD be moved to a safer and more appropriate location in the cemetery and given a new headstone to acknowledge his significance in history.... yet the petition was about not doing that. Weird.