No, this will not be a blog about Michael Jackson, or how he died. Or whose fault it was. And it’s also not about whether Jackson should be buried, for old time’s sake, on the very spot where he seduced small boys.
I leave it to Randy Cohen, the ethicist of the New York Times, to worry about where the late singer ought to be buried.
But despite the silliness of all the media coverage, Cohen’s included, one paragraph chock full of information does stand out. And it answers directly some questiions that have come my way from a number of readers lately.
Namely: who gets to decide where to be buried? The dead person? Or the relatives? Or the spouse? Here’s his answer, and it’s dead-on (pun absolutely intended):
“In most states, survivors must abide by the wishes of the dead. When those wishes cannot be established — for example, if there is no will — authority usually passes to the next of kin, often to a spouse (making this a matter of some concern to proponents of gay marriage). Just as you may bequeath your car or your cash, the law allows you to decide what is to be done with your carcass, treating the question as one of property rights, with you as your own property. This is impressive metaphysical sleight of hand but not much good as ethical guidance for the Jackson family…”
The Jacksons yet again… Let’s ignore them. More to the point: if where and how you’re buried is important to you: make a will. If you prefer cremation, say it. If you want an ecologically-friendly green shroud, stick that in the document. And not only that: tell your relatives — now – what you’ve said in the will.
You may not get to Neverland. But at least you’ll get what you’re paying for.
Very useful advice, Judy. However: I assume if someone wants to be buried in an unlawful manner (body thrown into a river, say), and therefore the wishes of the deceased cannot be met, it is the next of kin who decides. My great uncle has expressed those very wishes — he really does want his corpse thrown into the ocean — and because of his age we have humored him. But we know that’s just not gonna happen on our watch…
Learn from the Hindus - burn those bodies and scatter the ashes, Ecology, as in water for cemeteries. Greedy funeral industry. Family feuds. Space. Graves becoming shrines. Time for rites. Need I say more?
I am not convinced he “seduced small boys”.
Judge not least you be judged.