The local museum has decided to run "Bodies - The Exhibition". I feel like I am so in the minority on this, but the whole idea of this display disturbs me.Trust me, I'm not squeamish and I've certainly seen my share of deceased persons in my lifetime. But, there's just something weird and freak show-like about this whole thing.
These shows are big business and have toured all over the world under the cover of science and education. People flock to them - as people will when presented with something sensational. Certainly, the museum will make a great deal of money. And, I'm sure it's very, very interesting. In a morbid, sick kind of way.
In nursing school we were taught that the passing of a life was a sacred moment which should be treated by us with the utmost respect. It was drilled into us that a person deserves as much dignity and privacy in death as in life. We were taught to be gentle, speak softly and respectfully, and be humbled by our inclusion in that sacred moment. So, the idea of taking human bodies and displaying them skinned, sliced, and engaged in bike riding, tennis playing, and ballet - all for our entertainment - is nothing less than offensive. Have we forgotten that these bodies were people?
And then there's the whole controversy surrounding where the bodies come from. Were they really donated by consent? How coincidental is it that they're all Asian?
No one I've talked to seems to agree with me, so I am a lone voice in the wilderness. But I think staging an exhibit like this says a great deal not only about the degeneration of our sensitivities and what we're willing to embrace as entertainment, but also what some people will do to make a buck.
Shame on us.
No comments:
Post a Comment