Does Salt Lake Really Want Body Worlds in Our Backyard?

Gunter Von Hagen's Body Worlds exhibition of real cadavers continues to reveal itself as questionable science. Do we really want this in our backyard?

One ethicist from the University of Michigan said recently commenting
on Body Worlds that we all have highly sensitive Geiger counters that
register ethical violations; if the hair on the back of our necks stands up, or
we get an uneasy feeling about seeing these bodies so exhibited, we should
pay attention to that reaction.

I have more information about Gunter Von Hagen you will want to read, which follows.

Don't get me wrong; I'm not queasy about dissections or cadavers. My father (who died when I was nine) and grandfather were Harvard Medical graduates - lots of anatomy books and slides in their libraries. My mother, a nurse, said my father could eat a sandwich while dissecting a cadaver. A strong stomach and a healthy respect for science is in the genes.

Dispassionate medical practice was standard fare at home. No tittering giggles, no prudish restrictions. So some of this exhibit is very familiar to me. But there's another part of Body Works that is just plain odd. And it revolves around Von Hagen himself, and those he hangs around with (and I don't mean the cadavers).

Here's what Mom de Guerre wrote today:

Mom de Guerre said...
"Happy to share, Lend Me Your Ears. Its more than just you and me, thank goodness. No Bodies 4 Profit has close to 500 members. And there is more good news. California was recently the FIRST STATE to pass legislation to regulate these morbid displays. Its currently on Gov. Schwartznegger's desk.

"Also working toward legislation: PA, NY, HI I know of. NJ Congressman Chris Smith has proposed Federal legislation.

"Did you see Gunther von Hagen in David Barboza's NYTimes video tour of VH's laBORatoree (sic) in Dalian China?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqKvYUO7C7w

"The originating article:

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/08/08/business/worldbusiness/08bodies.html?pagewanted=print

"Herr Dokter's mention of Mercedes was especially offensive to some Jews, because of Mercedes' role in the Holocaust. Dalian is the same place that got Premier (a competing company to Von Hagen's Institute of Plastination) into trouble with the NY Attorney General.

"And his crocodile tears in the Feb 15 ABC expose were really exceptional and so very unconvincing. It gets better (or worse as you may agree) Regarding von Hagen's past

http://en.rian.ru/russia/20071226/94178628.html

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2001/07/45426

"His father was a Nazi SS agent who turned in a couple dozen of his neighbors and was decorated for it.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article416989.ece

"And what the future holds in VH's creative vision...

http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,532934,00.html (international/zeitgeist/0,1518,532934,00.html)

http://www.smh.com.au/news/tv-reviews/gunthers-er/2008/05/30/1211654292604.html

"Nice guy, huh? Really encourages you to trust him at his word, doesn't it? Would be a lovely neighbor I'm sure. And with those extra plastinated pieces around, I bet his house is the most popular place for parties. To die for, one might say.
September 11, 2008 2:41 PM"