Bicycles and Cemeteries: Making Cemeteries Relevant, Part 3

March 4, 2010
The relationship between bicyclists and cemeteries is a varied and often contentious one. On one extreme, bicycling is prohibited in National Cemeteries. This restriction has prompted protests from both visitors and commuters, but is supported by many people as well. On the other end of the spectrum, Sunset Hill Cemetery in Eugene, Oregon offers the use of a bicycle hearse, allowing for meaningful and carbon free transportation of the deceased to their place of rest.

An Evening Ride in the Cemetery from the Lovely Bicycle! blog

The recreational nature of bicycling is considered to be disrespectful to the solemnity of the cemetery, military rites, committal services and grieving families by the Veterans Administration. Also prohibited at National Cemeteries are jogging and picnicking. Along with automobiles, bicycles are often prohibited from using National Cemetery roads for transit. The VA states that in order to accommodate the high volume of funeral processions, all vehicles not involved in processions must be parked at the cemetery entrance. This restriction has rankled bicyclists from Arlington to Santa Monica who wish to bike in and through National Cemeteries for recreational use, and for safety in commuting.

The concern for supporters of this restriction is that the specialness of the cemetery will be lost. That National Cemeteries will become no different from National Parks, with barbecues and Frisbee games taking place among the headstones. Proponents of the restrictions fear a slippery slope leading to highways running through sacred ground, disrupting the respectful rites and deeply emotional services which are the purpose of the cemetery.

A bicycle in flowers during the Day of the Dead in Mexico

At the other side of the continuum, many cemeteries not only allow, but encourage bicycle traffic. The administrators of these cemeteries argue that the more a community is involved in its cemetery, the more they appreciate the beauty and historical significance of the space. As communities become involved, they develop a sense of 'ownership', a desire to keep up and protect the space, and are more likely to choose interment there for themselves and their family members. Not only are bicycle paths encouraged; bird watching is facilitated, religious and ethnic festivals are held and tours, film festivals, and concerts are taking place in cemeteries all over North America.

At issue is the question of who and what a cemetery is for, and what use is appropriate within its walls. Should we respect the dead with solemn silence, focusing only on their passing and the sadness of their loss, or should other emotions and activities be allowed to play a part in our interaction? (In previous posts, I have explored this topic along with the challenges that cemeteries face in remaining relevant; the idea of the cemetery as Sanctuary, and dwelling place; and the limits of Freedom of Speech in Cemeteries.)

Unfortunately, in recent years cemeteries have lost much of the relevance they once had. Cemeteries are more and more often seen as a waste of space, or a gloomy reminder of our inconvenient mortality. For many, they are not a desirable place to visit, much less rest forever. People choose to cremate and scatter in a place that reminds them of life and the spirit of the deceased, rather than bury in a cemetery. Often the unintended consequence of scattering is that mourners have no special place to visit their loved ones; no place to go to share an achievement or setback with their loved one, no place to go to include their loved one in holiday traditions, to continue a very real and important relationship.

Some cemeteries have made great strides to change their environments and burial options to suit these changing tastes, but many traditional cemeteries already have wonderful and desirable features to enjoy - if only the public would take the time to explore them. This is why cemeteries must allow the activities of life to have a place among the dead.

Riding a bike through a Provincetown, Mass Cemetery from A Lovely Bicycle!

Here is an excerpt from this wonderful blog

... I present you also with this photo of me and Marianne cycling through Provincetown Cemetery at dusk. I spent part of my childhood in a small New England town, where we lived down the street from a very old graveyard. Its presence seemed entirely normal; my friends and I would even take walks there after dark. Only later did I discover that graveyards freaked other people out. That and old Victorian houses with floorboards that creak even when no one is walking on them. Go figure!

Ryerson University Design Student Katy Alter wins First Prize in a Bicycle Rack Design Contest sponsored by innovative Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Toronto

Here is an example of bringing the life of a community into the cemetery, and enriching both in the process. The following is an excerpt from an article by Antoinette Mercurio from the Ryerson University Website

Third-year interior design student Katy Alter won first place, with her partner Jeff Cogliati, master of architecture, in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery bike rack competition. Students were asked to create specially-designed bicycle racks for Toronto's historic Mount Pleasant Cemetery. The idea is that the racks will enhance the bicycle-friendly environment that exists within the Mount Pleasant grounds. Andrew Furman selected seven third- and fourth-year students in his interior design course to take on the challenge, letting them choose teammates from any discipline across the university. The first place prize of $3,000 went to Katy Alter, third-year interior design, and her partner Jeff Cogliati, master of architecture.

Alter and Cogliati designed "The Lotus," a dynamic, functional and sculptured bike rack that's practical in purpose but artistic in vision as well. They chose the lotus flower because it symbolizes regeneration and the continuing cycle of life.

"We wanted to create something that blended in with the cemetery and was sensitive to the surroundings," Alter said.

The design jury was chaired by Ryerson alumna and renowned landscape architect Janet Rosenberg and included Daniel Doz, dean, Faculty of Communication & Design; Andy Barrie, host of Metro Morning, CBC Radio; Christopher Hume, urban issues and architecture columnist, Toronto Star; and Glenn McClary, President and CEO, Mount Pleasant Group of Cemeteries.

"When Mount Pleasant approached us about this unique challenge for our students, we were thrilled to be part of this opportunity," Doz said. "This kind of joint initiative speaks to so many aspects of what Ryerson is about - in particular, challenging our students with unique experiential learning opportunities in engaging with our community." The winning team will begin to produce their prototype in April.

For the full article visit Ryerson.ca

This photo from GroovyGreen.com shows Wade Lind, the owner of Sunset Hills Cemetery in Eugene Oregon with his Bicycle Hearse. Inside the hearse is a 'green casket' made of renewable. biodegradable and lightweight materials. This hearse would conceivably be allowed within National Cemeteries as it serves a very real, as well as symbolic purpose in the funeral rites and procession!

Activities in cemeteries need to be circumscribed out of respect to their residents, and to remain special and peaceful places for communion and contemplation. However, there is a danger in restricting too much of life's activities within the cemetery walls. Only by opening them up to life, will cemeteries be appreciated, valued and relevant to the needs of the communities they serve. It is my hope that cemeterians will continue to find innovative ways to welcome the life of the community into the cemetery, and that our communities will once again realize how much cemeteries have to offer.

Please visit my post on Ghost Bikes: Memorial and Protest

at

http://www.dailyundertaker.com/2009/01/ghost-bikes.html

Please visit these posts highlighting innovation in funerals and cemeteries:

• Making Cemeteries Relevant: Feng Shui in Minnesota
• Making Cemeteries Relevant: Part 2, Innovation in Toronto
• Technology Facilitates Ritual at Japanese Cemetery

Mob Stones: Speech and Cemetery

Mongrel Mob Headstone

The contentious dialogue regarding what activities and which forms of memorialization are appropriate for cemeteries, is not confined to the United States or the antics of the gay and military bashing Westboro Baptist Church.  In previous posts, I have highlighted the controversies over bicycles, political speech and even the establishment of living quarters within cemetery walls.  Today, we look at new cemetery policies in New Zealand that are putting a bee in the pickelhaube of local gang members.    

Mongrel Mob Headstone at Whenua Tapu cemetery

According to news sources (Kapi-Mana, Stuff NZ, and 3News NZ,) Porirua City Council is moving to expand the scope of their oversight regarding proposed monuments at the city cemeteries.  Currently, the council can only reject monuments based on size.  The new language would allow it to consider issues of individual monuments causing offence.

Dennis Makalio sits the grave of a Mongrel Mob member at Whenua Tapu cemetery,

This move follows a 2008 instance of a widow exhuming and moving her husband's remains after a Mongrel Mob gang member was buried next to him, memorialized by a headstone that featured gang insignia.

Meanwhile in Oakland's Evergreen Cemetery, a group of  fallen Hells Angels seem to be capturing little attention. 

Gang member and historian, Dennis Makalio is challenging the new regulations, claiming that  his gang identity is similar to a religious membership, and likens the removal of gang insignia from headstones to removing symbols of faith such as crosses, or to military insignia.

Deciding just what expression is offensive, is a task that seems simple at first blush, but in actual practice proves slippery and prickley.  We may 'know offensive when we see it" but what is the absolute ethically justifiable criteria?  What community do we base our "community standards" on?  If it's the Westoboro Baptist community, we'd be talking about military insignia and burying same sex partners together.  If were were in Germany under the Nazis, Hebrew graves would be the target.  Add to this the less than perfect reputation of gangsters respecting the rights of others - should this be considered?.

If Mr. Makalio is a world historian as well as his gang's historian, he should know that the victors write the history books.  In the end they will determine whether his protest is seen as a frivolous waste of council time, or an important defense of speech and religious freedom. 

I'd love to see my readers thoughts and comments on this issue!   

Making Cemeteries Relevant, Mountain View Cemetery, Vancouver

Previous installments of this series have explored the importance of cemeteries for the maintenance of emotional and historic bonds, ways that cemeteries have adapted to the changing needs and values of families, and the ways that art and cultural traditions enrich the cemetery. Part 5, will take a look at the exciting revitalization taking place at Mountain View Cemetery in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Owned and operated by the City of Vancouver since 1886, Mountain View Cemetery is one of the oldest cemeteries in the metropolitan area. The cemetery is made up of 106 acres of land and features beautiful views of the city and coastal mountains. With over 90,000 grave sites and 145,000 remains interred already, this property had run out of grave sites and was in danger of losing its future.

Following an ambitious revitalization program including an award winning construction project, the cemetery now has a renewed involvement with its community, and for the first time in over 20 years, new spaces are available for purchase. This investment has given Mountain View back it’s future, and showcased the importance of its history. Cemetery Manager, Glen Hodges has graciously agreed to discuss the changes at Mountain View, a wonderful example of making cemeteries relevant.

Pat McNally: In 2000, the city of Vancouver launched a plan to revitalize the historic Mountain View Cemetery. Now, 10 years later, the cemetery is a model for what can be done to make a cemetery relevant. The team at Mountain View has created wonderful new spaces, has engaged the community in activities and discussions, has showcased contemporary arts and facilitated the appreciation of the historical significance of the cemetery and its residents.

What was this process like, and what made it so successful?

Glen Hodges: The process was many things including long, challenging, invigorating, scary, exhilarating, anxious, difficult, etc. Maybe it can best be summarized in one word – monumental (pun intended). The success of our process relied on a number of factors including the many people with a keen interest in making it a success, the City of Vancouver’s desire to be a leader in many things that they do (planning, urban development, the environment etc.), our high cremation rate (>75%) and certainly the unique market conditions in Vancouver – cemetery space here has a higher market value than in most of the rest of the country.

The idea of a cemetery chapel is nothing new, but looking at your Celebration Hall, there is obviously a qualitative difference between this space and traditional chapels. What were the ideas behind Celebration Hall, and how has the space worked out for you so far?

The idea from the very beginning was to create a ‘sacred space’. We were determined to build a facility that was not like any other funeral chapel. The architects and I toured many facilities and were driven to create something that was not ‘residential’ in style or scale. We saw many local facilities that were just like a nice living room - only bigger. We wanted our space to be distinctly different – high ceilings, simple, clean and with very controlled views and courtyards. The result is a very private, contemplative place in the middle of a large active cemetery.

Celebration Hall accommodates screenings and concerts as well as memorial services. What role do you think the arts have to play in a cemetery environment?

I think the arts can, and should, play a much larger part in cemeteries, funerals and other aspects of death - and life. Artisans clearly played a significant part on the commemorative aspects of cemeteries in the past – I am thinking of the monuments that were carved by hand by craftsmen with years of experience. Historically local artists in the community would have participated in may other ways as well – singing, providing music, arranging flowers, and creating memorial items for the funeral or for remembrance after. We have slipped away from these informal community resources to more commercial variations. The experience I have had in the last 6 years with local Vancouver artists has been eye-opening – they are a tremendous resource in ways I never even imagined; providing live acoustic music on the harp, violin, or marimba to vocals, hand made urns, memorial lanterns and shrines.

At your Cemetery Forum in April, you sponsored and participated in very important discussions about palliative care, death and dying, the generational importance of cemeteries, and the arts. Please tell us about this forum and what its goals were.

Since the early planning of the Celebration Hall there were ideas of hosting talks that were directly (or even in-directly) related to the cemetery. This symposium was our first attempt to do just that – bring people to the cemetery to learn about death and dying. We started with a thought provoking video about home funerals in the US. This was a great way to jump right in to the some of the very technical challenges of dealing with a deceased person. The morning sessions then focused on providing basic information on what hospices, funeral homes and cemeteries provide. It was definitely not presented to be a sales pitch but more along the lines of “things you should know and consider before you are faced with the inevitable”. The afternoon sessions built upon the basic knowledge and expanded people’s thoughts toward green burial options and the role of artists in meaning and ritual.

You have made a public commitment to increase outreach projects to the community. Do you think that Funeral directors and Cemeterians have a responsibility to inform and educate the communities they work with?

Cemeteries are historically excellent at establishing bylaws and rules about what you cannot do in the cemetery. These are all nicely documented and some cemeteries even post certain excerpts on signs within their property. However, I think we have great room for growth in providing meaningful and important information to our communities before they become clients or visitors. It is easy to inform the people that we come in contact with directly – the pre-need person or maybe the one or two family members making at-need arrangements – but the challenge is getting information to the other people who attend the cemetery service. Maybe even more importantly, what are we doing to reach out to the people who think they don’t need a cemetery – “just scatter my ashes”? How do we reach them so they can consider the impact of their choice on the friends and family that will be left to grieve after their death?

Vancouver enjoys a great cultural diversity, and your cemetery reflects this richness. Many of the ethnic ‘neighborhoods’ have developed organically within the cemetery over the years, but are there any programs or initiatives to celebrate various traditions or spaces created to appeal to different groups at the cemetery?

This was a large part of the thrust behind our first Night For All Souls event in 2005. The artist who came up with the concept, Paula Jardine, was very insightful in borrowing from many cultures and religions, primarily with regard to their various traditions around All Saints Day, All Souls Day and The Day of The Dead. She was very deliberate in trying to create an environment at Mountain View Cemetery that shared some of these other traditions with the public but also in a way that allowed the public to bend, twist and borrow from those traditions the things that resonated with them and then to make them their own. She summed it up greatly the day after the inaugural event when she said that in effect, we were making our own (new) culture! Or at the very least, new cultural traditions.

I see that the cemetery has an accommodating policy allowing dogs on leashes. This policy is communicated by some humorous signs! Can you share the story behind these signs and your policy with us?

The position on dogs is primarily a City of Vancouver position – except for designated off-leash parks dogs must be on a leash and controlled by their owner at all times. The cemetery started seeing a large increase in the amount of dogs – especially off leash dogs – in the mid 1990’s. This was a decade after the sale of graves was ceased in 1986 and at a time when the City was considering selling the site to private operators. Once the local dog owner population had established the cemetery as their ‘unofficial’ off-leash park we had a struggle trying to get that genie back in the bottle. About a year ago one of the management staff and her husband had an encounter with a less than cordial dog owner one day. Her husband was aware of a neighbouring municipality that erected ‘camel crossing’ signs in an area prone to speeding - in an effort to slow traffic. The sign worked. He applied the same logic (and humour) to our off-leash dog problem and our no elephant signs were the result. We sent a complimentary sign to a writer from the local paper and ended up with two follow up articles supporting our case and assisting with the communication of our problem.

Bicycles are an issue at many cemeteries these days. Some administrators argue that cemeteries are not playgrounds or thoroughfares, but others go so far as to encourage the bicycling community to bring their activity in to the cemetery. What are your thoughts and policies on bicycles in the cemetery?

Bicycle use in Vancouver is a very current topic. For many years Vancouver has had designated “Greenways” throughout the city – residential roadways that have been partially closed or ‘calmed’ with measures such as speed bumps or roundabouts – that are intended for bike use. One of these ‘greenways’ bisects the cemetery and a result we have a large amount of bicycle traffic through our property. Cycling, jogging, walking – all of these activities are encouraged uses of the cemetery. My concern has always been more with the person’s intent rather than their action. If they are not meaning or causing any harm or disruption I see no concern with cyclists cruising through the cemetery.

Coming up later in July, the cemetery is hosting an Open House featuring a variety of tours, activities and presentations of cultural and historical interest. I applaud you for involving your community in this way. What do you see as the benefits of this involvement – both for the cemetery and for the community?

Much like the symposium on Death and Dying we hosted earlier this year, the Open House is another opportunity for us to invite the public to the cemetery for something other than a funeral. It’s a chance for us to show off our facilities, create a light atmosphere with acoustic music and engage the public to find out more about this mysterious (not-so-scary) place that they all avoid entering. Last year we advertised people to bring a picnic, this year our Artist in Residence will be helping visitors build small kites that will fly without running and with very little wind. I suspect some people may even make their kites a memorial to someone they have lost. We will also be opening up our works yard for people to take a peek at some of the equipment we use to maintain our 106-acre site. This is also a great opportunity for the field staff to engage with the public and share some of their knowledge and expertise. It allows the field staff to more fully participate and share in the success of our redeveloped cemetery. Since we are not open on weekends it also allows us the opportunity to provide additional service to people who cannot come by during weekday hours. The more we can do to make our cemetery a place for the living today, the better chance they will see us as an important place for their loved ones in the future. We want to make it comfortable for them now, so it can provide comfort to them in the future.

Part of the City’s goal in revitalizing the cemetery was certainly an effort to increase the lifespan of interments and allow for new revenues to finance maintenance of the grounds. A result of this was adding new space for cremation interments. What design attributes and decisions went into the creation of these spaces?

Much like the buildings, our design team was not satisfied with the examples that existed in the market place. We set out to create our own vision for what columbaria could (or should) be. This vision also extended to the surroundings that support the cremation spaces. You cannot just purchase a columbaria and plop it down in the middle of an area and call it complete. Well, I guess you can - because that’s what many cemeteries do. However, if you spend some effort on the context or the landscape surrounding the columbaria, you can amplify the impact and really make it an attraction. In our design we pursued a number of objectives and ideals. We were extremely impeded by a lack of space. The cemetery had essentially run out of room in 1986 when graves sales were ceased. We were now left trying to close a few remaining roadways and squeeze these new developments in between the existing graves. Our measurements came down to the millimeter in some cases. At the same time, we were very conscientious about density. Cramming every little last piece of space and converting it to a ‘saleable’ product would negatively impact the entire development and detract from the cemetery – not add to it. With very little space, and almost no public space within the cemetery, we identified two areas where we could actually create some public spaces – with no interment options encroaching the areas. We ended up with reworking an old abandoned fountain in to a much larger fountain and created an entirely new water feature on the other end of the area. We were also careful to create many varied physical and visual entity points throughout the plan so that you never had a sense of being walled, trapped or hidden. Finally, we set out to solve three challenges we had with most of the prevalent columbaria design at the time: why are the niches always arranged in straight rows and columns just like a checkerboard? There must be a better way to attach the niche panels that using the outer rosets? And families clearly want to leave something at the cemetery when they come but on columbaria, unless you glue a bunch of vases to the outside, people are left to clutter all their items at the bottom or else trying to tape/glue/wedge or insert them in-between the niche panels making the whole place look cluttered and messy. In the end we came up with our own design that uses no rosets or outer fasteners to secure the niche panels, has the colums of niches offset – much like the way you would build a stone or brick wall and our design incorporated shelves under each row of niches so visitors would have a place to put their flower, pebble or other trinket when the came to visit.

Are there any cemeteries that you look to for inspiration?

Any cemetery I ever visit is an inspiration in some way. I can get ideas on things I like and things I would never do from any cemetery. When I first started managing a cemetery in 1996 I met Hans Seidenthal. Hans ran the municipal cemetery in Regina, Saskatchewan (my home town) for probably more than 30 years. Hans told me the first question he always asks another cemetery operator is “Show me your mistakes.” When I asked him why he said “So I don’t repeat them.” That has always stuck with me. Sometimes you can learn a lot from what you don’t like at other cemeteries. For positive inspiration the design team put me on to Carlos Scarpa’s cemetery work in Italy. If I am looking for artistic inspiration I am very envious of the work of the Forest Hills Educational Trust in Boston. On a more local level, my colleague Stephen Olson at Royal Oak Burial Park on Vancouver Island is my guide.

What do you see in the future for Mountain View? Are there any new projects on the horizon for this wonderful space?

The future for Mountain View is a steady climb from a forgotten, almost neglected site, to an innovative, thriving and sustainable cemetery that is engaged with the public. We are currently working on some customizable family columbaria units that will enable a family to vary the layout of the niches, choice of stone, incorporate cast glass elements, basalt shelves, built in planters and poetic verse, etc. We are also going to have our first official public art sculpture erected in the next 12 to 18 months. It will be a commemorative piece commissioned by a local ethnic group. I am still trying to expand our online interment listing (~150,000 records and growing) to include links to the marker/headstone image (>50,000 images taken and linked so far- but none online yet…) Oh… and our walking tour in August will be done on bikes!

That sounds wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us!

  For more information about Mountain View, please visit their site at the City of Vancouver, their YouTube Channel , the Calgary Herald Story on their Cemetery Forum, and the website of Artist in Residence, Paula Jardine.

To read the previous posts in this series, visit:

• Making Cemeteries Relevant: Feng Shui in Minnesota
• Making Cemeteries Relevant: Part 2, Innovation in Toronto
• Bicycles and Cemeteries: Making Cemeteries Relevant Part 3
• Columbarium Art Galleries and Cemetery Sculpture Gardens: Making Cemeteries Relevant, Part 4

originally posted July 2010

Fake Flowers: Unexpected Beauty from Artist, Asher

"almost gone"

If you had told me even a week ago that I would be posting pictures of artificial flowers I wouldn't have believed you.  I have long shared with the late Bobby Darin, and the boards of many cemeteries,  a disdain for these fakes.  In my experience, they never look nice, even new, and soon get much worse. 

"earthen between fakes"

 Unlike real flowers, they lack the good sense to wither and fall apart after a few days.  As a consequence, they get to stay at the cemetery all year, until finally, amid howls of despair from their planters, they are harvested off to the dumpster in the fall, or just before mother's day.

"rain and red"

What I didn't realize, and what I'm grateful to the artist, Asher, for showing me, is that artificial flowers don't really blossom into their fullest beauty until they have weathered at the grave for several years.  

"in the fall, they try to blend"

 To find such beauty in something I once despised brings me a great joy, and I hope that you will share my enjoyment of these compelling graveyard photos.

"in the porcelain valley, only lilies grow"

  Instead of describing his work, Asher preferred for the images to speak for themselves, and I think that they do so eloquently.  He has however, allowed me to share with you an excerpt from his artist statement:

"like spring, in late fall"

 "You're here for the images. Not for the bio. To that end, enjoy them for how they make you react; for how they make you feel. The moment you see them, they become as much your reaction as they were mine. It is in that moment of passing, that transgression from my world to yours, that singularity of event that the art lives. Before and after that moment it was just an image. In that moment it sputtered and spewed, it came to life in a spasmodic fit. In that moment you saw with my eyes and we were human together." 

"long since forgot"

"we love you"

"yellowed"

"caution"

The beautiful textures and unexpected graphic qualities that can be found in the things man has built and then left behind, are not limited to the graveyard.  Here are a few more of Asher's photos from a set called 'Kingman'.  For more of his work, visit his website, 13ft fall.

"drive by"

"spectre"

"together"

"we were young"

All photos have been copyrighted by Asher, and are used with his permission

For more on cemeteries and flowers, visit:

In lieu of Memorials, Please Send Flowers

Roadside Memorials

Ching Ming: Tomb Sweeping Day

Speech and Cemeteries: What is appropriate?

Union Brings Rat to Cemetery from NBC NYC

What type of behavior and speech is appropriate in a cemetery?

Out of respect and reverence, should we only allow the quiet prayers of the grieving punctuated by the reassuring whir of the weed-whacker and the cautionary beeping of excavators backing up? Should we allow picnics and dog walkers? Do joggers or smokers disrupt the peace of those who have shuffled off their mortal coils?

Many cemeteries are private property, most others belong to the city, state or nation, and they all have rules. In national cemeteries, jogging and picnics are not allowed. In many cemeteries, dogs and evening visitors are prohibited. However, these rules are seldom an issue because in most cemeteries, most days of the year, the cemetery is a very quiet place. And for many, that's just the way the cemetery should be, quiet and peaceful.

Certainly a cemetery needs to be a safe, peaceful and attractive place that allows mourners to commune with their loved ones. A cemetery is different from any other place, it demands respectful behavior on the level of a house of worship, and many times cemeteries are indeed hallowed ground.

At the same time, in order to remain a relevant part of the community and the life of it's citizens, a cemetery must be more than just a place for the dead. The living must also have an interest in the cemetery. It is through the interest and involvement of the community that the value of the cemetery is realized. If the living are not there to enjoy the gardens, to picnic and jog, to fill the place with purpose and meaning, cemeteries come to be viewed as a waste of land, and an unwanted impediment to progress and real estate values.

But how far should the involvement of the living go within the sanctuary of the cemetery?

Should the freedom of speech be regulated in a cemetery? Should political speech such as war protesters be allowed to disrupt a funeral? Should unions be allowed to picket cemeteries for unfair labor practices?

In the news today, Union protesters in Long Island picketed and installed a giant inflatable rat outside Holy Rood Cemetery. Perhaps the protest would not have generated much notice, but falling as is did, during the Christmas season, when many people visit and decorate the graves of their loved ones, the protest drew some strong reactions. Here is an excerpt from the NBC NYC article, and accompanying video:

Protesters waved signs, passersby honked their horns in support, and a huge inflatable "rat" stood by, signaling that this was a union demonstration. All pretty standard, except for one thing -- this protest was being staged outside the Cemetery of the Holy Rood in Westbury, Long Island. "I don't think the way we are handling this is inappropriate," said laborers' local 66 organizer John O'Brien. For much of the past week, O'Brien and his men have picketed the cemetery, claiming it is using non-union workers for the installation of pre-fabricated crypts. -NBC NYC

I don't like to see this kind of thing in a cemetery. I hate to think of a grieving family confronted with shouting and a giant rat at a very delicate and emotional time. I really can't stand the idea of protesters harassing the grieving families of fallen soldiers. What's more, I'm not convinced that workers have been exploited at this cemetery. I wonder though, if there really was an injustice, would the exploitation or the giant rat be more of an affront to the repose of the dead?

The problem with the freedom of speech is that it only counts when the speech makes us uncomfortable. No one needs protection to say something everyone agrees with; it is the controversial and unpopular message that our freedom of speech was created to protect. Protecting our freedom of speech, in turn, protects us all by allowing the voices of dissent to be heard and considered.

Promession Considered in Scotland

http://www.1adventure.com/archives/cat_travel.html

A Faerie Glen in Scotland 

In September, an interview with Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, developer of Promession was posted on The Daily Undertaker.  Since then, there hasn't been much in the news about the process becoming a real option for families, but I have heard from a great many people who would choose it for themselves if it were available.  Now there is news that the promession process may be gaining ground in Scotland.  Following is an excerpt from an acticle published today in the Scotsman by Jenny Haworth.  It seems that space restrictions and environmental concerns have given authorities cause to look into this worthy process.  Although the authorities seem to miss some key points about promession, namely that the remains would make a positive rather than a negative impact on the earth, and that the liquid nitrogen is a substance that is already produced as a by-product of liquid oxygen production, they cite sound reasons for considering the process. 

  

http://wwp.united-kingdom-uk.com/scotland/

BODIES could be freeze-dried and shattered into dust to save space and help the environment, under plans being considered by a Scottish local authority.  East Lothian Council thinks the technique, invented in Sweden, could help ease cemetery congestion, while cutting emissions from cremations.  The process would involve freezing the dead body to -18C before submerging it in liquid nitrogen. This would make the body so brittle it would disintegrate into dust when a vibration was passed through it.

Stuart Pryde, the council's principal amenities officer, told community councillors that space in graveyards in East Lothian could run out within decades, and that freezing was a serious option for the future rather than building new crematoria.

He said: "There is a new system being developed where they basically freeze-dry you, hit you with a hammer and you break into dust, so there are no gas emissions – nothing.

"The end process is the same, in as much as there is a casket which can be buried or scattered or whatever, but it does not have the need for -emitting furnaces. It is a very, very clean way of getting the same result."  He added that it was particularly relevant to Musselburgh, because Inveresk Cemetery could not be extended.

The process, known as promession, is considered more environmentally friendly than cremation, largely because it avoids the mercury pollution created by burning fillings in teeth and other metal objects in the body, such as replacement joints or surgical implants.

Exposure to mercury is linked to damage to the brain, nervous system and fertility, and crematoria are believed to be one of the main sources of mercury pollution in the UK.

A spokeswoman for the council acknowledged the process might not be popular with some. "It's considered to be a very environmentally friendly way of doing it, but of course some people think it sounds dreadful to be freeze-dried," she said.

"Who knows, in the future something like that might become as acceptable as cremations. When crematoria were first invented they were also not considered acceptable."

Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, praised the council for considering the environmental impact of disposing of bodies.

"There are certainly a lot of concerns about crematoria," he said. 

"You have got hazardous emissions from the smoke stack. There's a metal component in amalgam used in teeth, as well as in pacemakers. 

"Another concern is that like other species, human bodies are increasingly riddled with chemical substances. Like any other combustion source this can be of serious local concern."

However, he suggested East Lothian Council should carry out more research before moving ahead with the technology, to make sure that the energy used to cool the body to -18C did not negate the environmental benefit.http://news.scotsman.com

 

Susanne Wiigh-Mäsak, 

biologist and head of operations at Promessa Organic AB

The article goes on to report that the Church of Scotland has no ethical issues with the process, and Ms. Wiigh-Mäsak is allowed to explain the process and point out some of its benefits, including a possible expansion of where people can be legally buried:

SUSANNE Wiigh-Mäsak, the biologist who invented the promession process, said: "The main principle of this ecological form of burial is that the corpse is transformed into an organic, odourless, hygienic powder. This, in combination with a dedicated method to separate contaminants such as mercury, sharply reduces impact on the environment in comparison with today's forms of burial.

"The use of cryogenic technology in the process reduces the impact on the air we breathe, since there are no emissions of smoke or mercury to the air. 

"Mercury emissions in particular are a serious problem for which no acceptable solution has been found. 

"Even the greenhouse effect, which has increased in pace with man's use of fossil fuels, is reduced by using liquid nitrogen instead of combustibles. The burial itself takes place in a shallow grave, in the upper mulch-forming layers of the soil. 

"Here we find life-giving oxygen and the busy little break-down specialists, the micro-organisms that are the basis for our existence, at the same time as they are a prerequisite to the process of decomposition.

"The coffin and its contents are transformed into mulch in about half a year, thus becoming an important contribution to the living earth. In this way, ecological burial does not add to eutrophication of the seas via ground water or run-off, and vital drinking water is spared. 

"Since the remains do not cause any impact on the environment, this should also lift restrictions making it possible to place gravesites freely; in the home, on family property or other places with emotional ties to the deceased and next of kin."

for the full article, visit http://news.scotsman.com

For more information on Promessa AB and promession visit the web site at http://promessa.se/index_en.asp