Respect for the Dead, or A Part of History?

by Amanda Filosa
(Virginia)

I believe that it is both disrespectful to the dead and an honor to them. What I mean, is that, on one hand, archeologists are constantly disturbing ancient graves of our history's past, are they not?

But they preserve it so well, and it educates our youth today. Not only about where we came from, but who we are, all nationalities, all different cultures, we can learn from the history of our world, of our brothers and sisters. What's the difference of digging up dinosaur bones, and cavemen, collecting fossils from history's past?

Pompeei, for example, those innocent people in the path of a fiery and ashy doom, preserved by nature's forces and brought to our museums today. That is not any different than bringing Titanic artifacts from the oceans floor now is it? On that note, to the Native Americans, it is believed that the dead should be left alone as they are, not bothered or dug up. Bad things will happen if things are disturbed.

It is, in a sense, disrespectful to the dead, to our ancestors loved ones, but than you have to think, in the end, what you would want done if you were the one that had perished? Would you want to be left as is, your belongings untouched, never to be seen again, or would you want the world to learn, to witness, what you went through, that perilous day in history.

The Titanic's remains are slowly but surely disintegrating, and one day, there will be nothing left but perhaps some jewellery, safes, etc, etc.

One day, in the future, when it is completely wiped away, no one will be able to remember it as we do today, the story and the passengers on the Titanic will become legend, and maybe even forgotten. I don't know about you, but I would not want that to happen. Think about it. Amanda