Burials

There is a spiteful and uncivilized battle going on here in Massachusetts. Even Governor Patrick has participated. Boston's Mayor Menino has also made his proclamation on the matter. All this is about a burial. Politicians weighing in on the disposal of remains.

 

The body of the slain Marathon bomber has been held at a Worcester funeral home under police guard. The funeral home's owner is a man known for his compassion due to his history of burying society's pariahs. He took in the bodies of dead AIDS patients when other funeral homes would not. Now he is being harassed by government officials in response to his kindness. The city of Worcester is considering billing him thousands of dollars for police protection rather than apologizing to him for the potential violence of the citizenry they represent.

 

Perhaps the need to demonize this violent lunatic's body in death stems from the ongoing investigation into the manner of his death. For example, some bullet wounds inflicted on Transit Police during the gun fight which led to his death have now been reported as caused by 'friendly fire' by other police. There are questions from the post mortem investigation. Was he subdued while still alive? Was he intentionally dragged by a vehicle while alive? Was he perhaps kicked to death by police? In other words, was he executed by police without possible due process? These are routine questions when investigating these matters after the fact.

 

When politicians play Pontius Pilot, there is reason for concern. When the governor of a state proclaims that  obstructing any citizen's burial in a city cemetery (Cambridge, MA) is not a matter for government, there is something wrong. Why wouldn't that be a matter for government to consider?

 

I do not believe in the value of ritualized burials. I believe this form of disposing of human remains is archaic and unscientific, especially in an age of human overpopulation. However, I deplore injustice and hypocrisy, even when bestowed on the dead. And I certainly deplore victimizing a good Samaritan, like the man who holds the body in his Worcester establishment.

 

Courage under fire is always part of militarist propaganda in times of disaster. The real story here is the cowardice of reactionaries in times of disaster. Torturing those who wish to do the right thing by a family which has been shamed and humiliated by the actions of one of their own is certainly not courageous. It is not ethical. It is not moral. It sets a despicable example of petty vengeance which makes us less as a culture and a society.