Gustav just earned my respect. Even though it was a 'mere Tropical Storm', it's scope and magnitude was so great that it surpassed the boundaries of the living and traversed into that mysterious realm reserved for the dead: Tropical Storm Gustav managed to unearth several dead bodies, disturbing the peaceful sanctity of our dearly beloved departed. To the best of my knowledge, not even Hurricane Gilbert did that! (Get the full story on this most unnatural occurrence here).Humour and disturbingly high gross-and-freak-me-out value aside, there are some very legitimate concerns being raised:
1. What did these people die from and is it a public health risk?
2. How soon will their bodies be returned to six-feet-under and out of public sight/mind?
3. Who exactly will be performing this crucial but highly repulsive duty?
4. And come to think of it, when a body gets washed or dug or blown or somehow-removed from a grave, who do you notify? The Cemetery (if it's a cemetery)? The Parish Council? The police? The family of the deceased? Whose responsibility is it to ensure that the dead and buried stay dead and buried?
12 comments:
That is so bizarre! You are right...hurricanes and tropical storms suck!!
That's gross.I for one wont want to see my relative/friend's grave disturbed.
I assume the responsibilty falls on the Public Health Dept
That's interesting & deep no doubt! I wanna see if there are any bibicial stories like this.
p.s. If it were one of my loved ones I don't know if I would wanna be notified. Is there a stage of grieve for losing someone and their remains coming up out the grave??? that's kind of spooky...
Ivan pulled up a fer graves too in its time. They need to hurry and bury back these bodies.
your question:
"What did these people die from and is it a public health risk?"
from my limited understanding (2 wks actually;) i would say probably yes. i actually listened to a guest speaker from my college town's public health official today & those offices are looking out for us! or at least trying.
(although i considered having the public health look into my commuter rail's one bathroom- GROSS!)
I also thought it was interesting that keisha mentioned biblical reference. i don't personally get involved in organized religion- yet, believe in the importance of wisdom from any source you get it from.
as always wonderful reading your perspective! xxxx
@ jlee: I hate summer storms... they spoil the mood!
@ abeni: me neither...
@ kitten: biblical stories? that's interesting. I don't know about grieving for washed up remains, but it is very disturbing...
@ stunner: oh yes they do, and with a quickness!!
@ lucy: I'm concerned cause the last thing we need is a post-Gustav epidemic... and the one rail-bathroom is gross!
Gustav took a cousin and his girlfriend from me.
love!
Great post!
I had no clue that happened. Well much like Katrina, it might just be a sanitary issue. Hopefully they have been dead long enough for whatever killed them to be rid from their boddies.
blujewel- I am soooooo sorry to hear that. May God give you and your family the peace and comfort needed in these trying times.
This will probably sound heartless but...I feel the relatives should have a choice between a cremation and a burial.
If it's a burial then they should pay a one time-insurance amount in case the body crops up again.
This amount will be given to the funeral home assigned for such a task.
@ jewel: condolences
@ tia: I sincerely hope so
@ amanda: what? I think that proposition would be met with plenty resistance... I've never thought of that, tho...
wild wild wild gustav, wicked wicked wicked gustav
LOL...that happened to us when Ivan made his presence known. Bodies and caskets washed up into one of our police stations as well...Tee hee...
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