I just read an article that set me off on a rant. Apparently on display at Harvard there was a book of 19th century French poetry about the human soul that was bond in human skin. Well some group at Harvard decided that it was disrespectful to the dead, and a disgrace, and unethical so they have unbond the book and are seeking ways to “respectfully” deal with the remains. Now there is a lot I have problem with here.
For the record I will state that this was not some Nazi shit where the individual in question was tortured and brutally killed and then had their skin used to make stuff. The skin came from an unknown woman who died in a mental institution (ok to be fair she was a woman in a mental institution in the 19th century so she may have been tortured and potentially died as a result of her treatment) but she was not killed just so her skin could be used for this purpose.
Now I know I can be a bit morbid but personally I am of the opinion that using someone’s skin to bind a book of French poetry about the human soul is in fact quite reverential and highly respectful. Even if we do not know her name using her skin in this way in fact immortalized her in a way which never would have happened otherwise. Let’s be honest here if she had not been used as this binding of this book odds are she would have been buried in a mass paupers grave (are you going to tell me that is really more respectful?). I also want to point out that if my skin was used to bind a book of French 19th century poetry on the human soul, and I found out some pompous self-righteous assholes unbound my skin from the book to dispose of it in the manner they determine was “best” I would poltergeist the living shit out of them.
The biggest problem I have here is everyone has there own unique different ways of respecting the dead, and who the hell are these elitist fucktards to dictate to someone else what is or is not the correct way to honor the dead? How do they know that the dead woman would have found it respectful? What makes them believe that the person who did the binding did so with the intent of dishonoring the dead? Do you know the time and care that goes into binding a book, particularly back in the day when it was done by hand? The process itself is one of respect.
There is a culture in South America ( I cannot remember exactly where) who respect the dead by going out to old, decrepit uncared for graves and digging up the skulls and taking them home to treat as relatives. I just have to state for the record I totally want skull uncle, but my point is if you did that just about anywhere else it would be considered vandalism and grave robbery and disrespecting the dead.
Everyone has there own way of dealing with the dead, and nobody else gets to step in and be the “moral police” and dictate what is and is not the right way. Who the hell are you to decide what is or is not disrespectful to someone else? Are you really so arrogant that you know better? That your way is the only right and correct way?
I swear if there was a way to legally do it I would write in my will that when I die I want my skin to be used to rebind that book. And no I am actually not kidding about this.
Labyrinth of the Mind 