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[deleted] t1_j02g62o wrote

Reply to comment by Epistatious in Hurricanes Reveal 19th-Century Shipwreck Hidden Beneath Florida Beach by That-Situation-4262

[deleted]

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C2h6o4Me t1_j0386p0 wrote

That's asinine. I want to believe that you're saying it out of respect for the dead, recognizing that they died there specifically for a reason, etc. But is exhuming bodies that are a few hundred years old for examination, with the unlikely expectation of identification, and (presumably?) later reburial more respectful than than, you know, actually letting them rest in peace? All because of a western concept of what a "proper burial" is defined as?

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Pt_Zero t1_j02znmi wrote

But if it’s not a slave ship the crew aren’t worth a proper burial?

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arillyis t1_j0315vt wrote

Yup. That's what they said

/s

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Pt_Zero t1_j03s98v wrote

Either we’re valuing lives equally or we’re not. If they’re not implying that the slaves bodies are somehow more valuable than the crew of a non-slave ship, it’s a needless and stupid distinction to make. They didn’t explicitly say it, but it’s heavily implied. Otherwise, why make that distinction at all?

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ixNet t1_j040sbu wrote

Because slaves didn’t get to decide to be on the boat - they were subjected to the risk of sinking against their will.

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Pt_Zero t1_j043vgn wrote

Does it matter in this context? At least you’re willing to admit that in your mind the bodies of slaves are more valuable to you than anyone else. Personally I think they’re all about the same. I think it’s an utterly silly distinction to make especially when we have no clue who any of these people were in life.

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ixNet t1_j0456eh wrote

I agree with that and ultimately think bodies should be undisturbed for a plethora of reasons, including contribution to the ecosystems due to tissue decay. I was just pointing out why the contexts of their deaths can be assumed to be even less of their own volition.

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OtisTetraxReigns t1_j03zzyo wrote

Are you familiar enough with burial rites of East African cultures of the 18th century to decide what counts as a “proper burial” for those people? Because if not, you’re doing it out of guilt rather than respect for the dead.

Build a memorial, by all means, but leave the bodies alone.

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Pt_Zero t1_j043ydz wrote

I think you meant to respond to the person above me…

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Princess_Moon_Butt t1_j03aaxb wrote

Slave ship or not, there's a good chance the crew was able to make it off the boat, even if they didn't make it all the way to shore.

But if it was a slave ship, they probably left the "cargo" chained up below deck.

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