Rok Churnovic Mr.

Hackney English 101: Rhetoric 25 November 2013 Effectively Using Dead Space In recent discussions on the preservation of land that was once thought to be the wide open country, a controversial issue has been on what the general population should do with the deceased humans as we run out of room to bury them in our cemeteries. On the one hand, some, such as Richard Moylan, argue that more people should be cremated because the ashes could fit in a smaller space, which, in turn, would allow current cemeteries to build new above ground vaults that can hold a large number of these ashes as a natural memorial. From this perspective, cremations allow people to continue using cemeteries that were already built, saving the stress of building a new one in a rural area. Marc Jahr and others, however, suggest that we need to continue to build new cemeteries. In this view, cemeteries are vital to the life of the everyday person in that, they allow us to have our memories preserved for future generations. My own view is that a proper burial is very import, in fact it is the very raison d`etre of mankind, therefore it is necessary to continue building cemeteries. Though I concede that we are running out of land to use as cemeteries, I still maintain that we need to continue to build cemeteries just because it is a tradition that has been around for many centuries. Cemeteries were initially made to properly show tribute to our loved ones who passed on to the next life. With the outbreak of cholera, burying the dead became a necessity in order to stop the disease from spreading to others. With the evolution of time, the principle of burial and the funeral has changed. Now, burial is more of a show and a tradition than anything. It has lost its value as a life after death preservation, and has turned into a show; one that many people do not really think too much about. It has become a common thing for people to be buried after their death. In the words of some supporters, cemeteries are a common place for mankind, and it is therefore important to our culture and heritage. Despite the need to bury our dead, some who oppose the idea of cemeteries believe that we should not use more land to build newer and bigger cemeteries, but use it to make more money.

Some people believe that cemeteries should continue to be built, but they need to be somewhere in the country as to not overcrowd our cities and homes. Richard Moylans article, Country Plots and Alternative Spaces states that Suburban and rural cemeteries have once again become popular alternatives for city residents. What Moylan is saying is that with the decline of plots in our cemeteries is forcing people to look to new places in order to have a burial. Moylan thinks that if people just start being buried in the country, then everything will be just fine. Another idea comes from people like Oliver Peacock, who states, My company plants a tree at each grave, creating a woodland, wildlife sanctuary and a nature reserve in perpetuity. This not only gives a place for people to remember their loved ones, it allows for a place of serenity and beauty; without having to take land away for a cemetery and a wildlife woodland. Its also true that cremation is a intelligent solution. Moylan maintains that The exponential rise in cremations is also easing the demand for land. But unless a cemetery offers appropriate memorial space, there's a risk of being relegated to a box in the attic and forgotten. This truly shows the idea that, it matters what people think about us when we are gone. It should not matter if we are forgotten in a box anyway, because we are dead. Although there were some substantial and concrete reasons for humans to build new cemeteries or build onto old ones, some naysayers think that we should do away with cemeteries altogether. Charles Morris writes in his article entitled, Green Burial Is Friendlier to the Earth, he states, Green burial allows us to say goodbye to our loved ones without leaving an excessive ecological footprint in an ever more crowded Earth. A green burial is when a body is cremated without any embalming fluids or any kind of chemical that can harmful to our environment. After the body has been cremated, the ashes are not given back to the family. The ashes are disposed of in a totally environmentally friendly way. I believe that, while cemeteries are very important to the function of society, it is important to keep and preserve our natural land. That is why I maintain that we should just build up the cemeteries that we have already built in the past. In his article, Preserve Memory and Remember Lifes Brevity Marc Jahr claims that, GreenWood has so far constructed architecturally beautiful above-ground spaces for more than 10,000 cremated bodies. What this means is that now certain cemeteries, like Green-Wood in New York, are being innovative and are trying to effectively carry out the routines of a cemetery while also contributing to keeping our country land preserved. In sum then, there are many factors to consider when thinking about the purpose of a cemetery. Some may say that we do not need to have cemeteries if we cremate the dead, while others agree that we need cemeteries. Some ideas that come up on what to

do with this increase in dead people and this decrease in the space to bury them include: building new cemeteries out in the country, building mausoleums above ground on sites that are already used as cemeteries, and to make the plots also a spot to plant trees in order to build a woodland preserve. The right choice on what to do with our deceased may not be clear, but the issue is real: something needs to be done about them, for the sake of the people who are still alive in this world. Whether it is just burning everyone or building big, beautiful buildings, the decision will ultimately impact the past generation and the future. Works Cited Jahr, Marc. "Preserve Memory and Preserve Life's Brevity." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. - - -. "Preserve Memory and Preserve Life's Brevity." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Moylan, Richard. "Country Plots and Alternative Spaces." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. - - -. "Country Plots and Alternative Spaces." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. Peacock, Oliver. "Instead of Urban Sprawl, Create a Forrest." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013. - - -. "Instead of Urban Sprawl, Create a Forrest." Room for Debate. New York Times, n.d. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.