Was catching up on some text conversations with my friends from the International Black Sheep Society of Genealogists (IBSSG), when one just floored me.
In the State of California, they have ruled that communities may take over cemeteries and convert them into memorial parks. That sounds so serene, but it is not what you think.
All the headstones are removed, names are listed on a plaque, the cemetery grounds are converted into playgrounds, baseball diamonds, etc — and the bodies are not removed at all!
California is where my friend, Jeff Scism lives, and the oldest Catholic cemetery near his place was converted into this memorial park-format, because the State of California requires a certain amount of playground space per the number of houses developed.
As “memorial parks,” the State declares them to be City parkland to meet recreational land requirements! Dead people cannot file grievances; and descendants are told that the Dead have no rights! (No problem.). It sounds like California’s politicians do not have any respect for Heritage or History either.
Closing note: that old Catholic cemetery had Native American and Mexican Citizen burials prior to 1850.
I am not comfortable with the idea of anyone scrambling across the grounds (where we buried our ancestors and war heroes) to play football, soccer and baseball.
But the most upsetting thing: this practice is taking off in Europe and in British Columbia (Canada).
HEY, JEFF, put some flowers on second base for me too!
Wow…that one is going down on my list of “shameful things people have allowed” Distasteful doesn’t come close to describing that 🙁