Post 8--The Funeral Industry (1)

Post 8—The Funeral Industry (1)—An Unfinished Business 
  
The second post in this series dealt with remembering and honouring the dead. There is so much more to be said about related subjects, but all kinds of subjects are crowding me in more and more as I read the news media. I should probably quit reading and just finish off the subjects currently crowding me in. I’m afraid that won’t happen any time soon, since I am a news junky. But it means I have been jumping from one topic to another, occasionally promising to come back to it. 

It’s often said that two things in life are inescapable, taxes and death. It’s not true, of course, for there are any number of smart asses and loopholes that, with the help of accountants, somehow manage to get around taxes. But with death, there are no loopholes or accountants. 
Being a senior, I am, in addition to taxes, naturally interested in everything connected to end-of-life issues, including funerals and cemeteries. So, here I am, continuing on a subject related to Post 2, which dealt with remembering and honouring the dead. 

I am also intensely interested in everything related to oppression, cheating, fraud, gauging, taking advantage of the distressed. You’ll find these concerns pop up throughout this blog. It fits into my main thesis that everyone in this world is my neighbour whom I need to respect and defend. The actual and most powerful term is “love,” which is the key mutual obligation we all have towards each other.

So, then, what’s with the funeral industry? For one thing, it’s something we all face at one time or another, either for yourself or for a loved one. You avoid it only at your own peril or that of your loved ones. Making pre-arrangements and stating your intentions for the disposal of your own remains clearly in your will or other official document is doing a huge favour to those who will be responsible for your disposal. If all choices and decisions have to be made after you die, you leave your survivors with difficult decisions at a time they are most likely emotionally distressed. Funeral homes often take advantage of distressed emotions by talking their clients into expensive decisions that are totally unnecessary. 

Probably the best article I have ever read on this subject is the front page article of the Vancouver Courier of October 31, 2008, written by Michael McCarthy and titled, “Dead Reckoning” (www.vancourier.com). It deals with the local Vancouver BC situation, but I’m sure it is typical of almost any location in North America. Besides, it tells a lot of gory stuff about the large corporations in the business, the largest of which is said to be Texas-based Service Corp International. So, a local article but with tentacles all over the continent.  

All this introductory stuff and I haven’t said a thing yet, really. So, since you have a few days before the next installment, look up this article before you read the next post. Obviously I cannot leave it at this. But, I promise, one more on this subject and we move on to more lively topics--pun intended.