"Bodies ... The Exhibition" is coming to the Carnegie Science Center in October 2007. It is a display of actual human beings whose bodies were “plastinated” after death. These bodies will be posed and splayed to expose various organs and body parts …. all done very artfully and scientifically of course.
Plastinazation is a process whereby the bodily fluids of dead people are replaced by polymers. The resultant plasticized mummy is one of intricate detail, especially with the skin removed to show all muscles and tendons. The Science Center “bodies” have come to us from Premier Exhibitions in Atlanta, which procured the bodies from China’s Dalian Medical University, which in turn acquired the corpses from China’s police. And where did China’s police acquire the deceased individuals? Well, here are some sobering facts …..
o 60 plus offenses in China are punishable by death. Many of these offenses are solely political or economic in nature.
o China accounts for 80% of the world’s government ordered executions.
o Even though China has no voluntary organ donation system, organ transplantation is a huge industry in that nation. The Chinese deputy health minister acknowledged its booming illegal organ trade and confirmed that most transplanted organs are taken from executed prisoners.
o To streamline the acquisition of viable prisoner organs, the convicted are executed by lethal injection in mobile vans en route to hospitals so the harvested organs can be of the highest quality.
o Further improving on the efficiency and profitability of their transplant industry, Canadian parliamentarian David Kilgour and human rights lawyer David Matas documented the braggings of Chinese surgeons who procured organs from LIVE prisoners.
How fortunate for the Chinese that the aftermarket for organless carcasses is nearly as profitable as their black market for the organs themselves! Premier is paying $25 million to China alone for the rights to parade just 15 of those bodies around the globe, the Carnegie Science Center being just one stop on this “educational” tour.
The brutality and barbarism of the human species is often times beyond comprehension and is unsurpassed in the animal kingdom. Even the deadliest predatory beast stalks, hunts and kills its prey as sustenance to live. We, on the other hand, make soap and lampshades from the skin of Nazi Germany Jews because their race is inferior. We slit the throats of bound infidel captives because they are not godly enough for the likes of Allah and the peaceful religion of Islam. We are slaughtering hundreds of thousands in Darfur as we speak for who-knows-what reason.
While we Americans may not be able to put an end to every senseless, blood lusting venture of every beastly, demonic despot and jihadist …. Must we allow even the fringes or “aftermarkets” of this kind of brutality within our borders? The Carnegie Science Center, a venerated Pittsburgh institution, seems to think so. They plan to display the ghoulish remains of persons whose deaths and butchering appear to be heinous crimes in and of themselves, all in the name of “art and science”.
We remind the Science Center that “art and science” could have been as effectively promoted with the use of realistic mannequins and statues. That their decision to exploit real human beings for the sake of making a buck is deplorable and makes them no better than traveling freak show hucksters. That they may as well light the exhibit with Jewish skin lampshades while they are at it. Who knows how many additional paying customers that might draw in.
As the Science Center worries about what impact increased casino traffic will have on the safety of school children bussed to their site, they might also take a minute to consider the exhibit’s impact on these same children as they view the dead bodies before them, forming their own opinions and moral beliefs regarding the sanctity, worth and respect for life. All life. Human and beast alike. However interchangeable those terms appear to have become.
Elaine Catz, education coordinator for the Carnegie Science Center for the past 11 years, has tendered her resignation in protest of their decision to host the controversial exhibit. The Pist-Gazette applauds this woman's courage and sense of decency. This world could use more people like Elaine Catz.
9 comments:
Falun Gong's live organ harvesting allegation has been discredited by multiple undercover investigations.
US government and Chinese dissident investigations:
1) http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20060806_1.htm
http://www.cicus.org/news/newsdetail.php?id=6492
2) http://usinfo.state.gov/xarchives/display.html?p=washfile-english&y=2006&m=April&x=20060416141157uhyggep0.5443231&t=livefeeds/wf-latest.html
http://www.usembassy.it/pdf/other/RL33437.pdf (section CRS-7)
3) http://crc.gov.my/clinicalTrial/documents/Proposal/TCM_Stroke%20TrialProtocol%20synopsis.pdf (page 3)
As you can see, the hospital Falun Gong accused is partly owned by a Malaysian health care company and is subject to oversight beyond Chinese authority.
The allegations are true.
David Kilgour is the former Secratery of State in Cananda, and David Matas is a international recognized human rights lawyer, neither of which practice Falun Gong. In addition they werent paid to conduct their extensive 2-month investigation as well print their detailed 46-page report. What do they have to gain?
From the theepochtimes.com site: which regularly reports on China's human rights abuses (a subject that is taboo for the U.S. Media)
---Kilgour highlighted at the press conference that one of the most disturbing pieces of evidence was his interview with the ex-wife of a Chinese surgeon. The husband admitted he had removed corneas from approximately 2,000 Falun Gong prisoners. "No one gave their corneas without giving their life as well," Kilgour said. Other surgeons were responsible for removing the vital organs before the bodies were cremated.
The report also contains transcripts of telephone conversations in which officials at various Chinese hospitals, detention centres, and courts admitted to using organs from Falun Gong practitioners. Callers working with the investigators had posed as Canadians and Americans inquiring about transplants.
The transcript of a conversation with a doctor at the Nanning City Minzu Hospital in Guangxi Autonomous Region on May 22, 2006 reads:
"Why is it easy for them [Guangzhou] to get [organs from Falun Gong practitioners]?
"Because they are an important institution. They contact the judicial system in the name of the whole university."
"Then they use organs from Falun Gong practitioners?
"Correct." … "What you used before (organs from Falun Gong practitioners), were they from detention centre(s) or prison(s)?"
"From prisons."
"And it was from healthy Falun Gong practitioners…?"
"Correct. We would choose the good ones because we assure the quality in our operation." ----
It should be obvious that anything that come from China is directly coming from the CCP and they are never going to admit that they persecute Falun Gong practitioners, much less kill them and selling their organs on the black market.
Here's the Link.
http://en.epochtimes.com/news/6-7-7/43638.html
Ah Epoch Times. You mean Falun Gong's paid-for propaganda outlet?
The financial connection between Falun Gong and Epoch Times is not a secret. Here's the money trail found in non-profit declarations (Form 990, Part III c):
Southern USA Falun Dafa Association. $10,350 were given to Epoch Times in 2002, $22,700 in 2003, $14,750 in 2004:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2002/760/692/2002-760692185-1-9.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2004/760/692/2003-760692185-1-9.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2004/760/692/2004-760692185-1-9.pdf
Falun Dafa Association of New England. $57,609 were spent on computer and print media, $97,755 in 2003, $116,823 in 2004:
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2002/043/576/2002-043576893-1-9.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2003/043/576/2003-043576893-1-Z.pdf
http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2004/043/576/2004-043576893-02038ba1-9.pdf
(These are but two examples of the hundreds of FLG non-profits in US.)
Please note nothing I cited is from the CCP. Not the US embassy undercover investigation, not DC based Chinese dissident report, not the IRS non-profits filing.
There is no regulation of importation of bodies for commercial display. There are 11 body processing plants in Dalian next to prisons. This is in context of a system which cannot even be trusted with dogfood, much less a new 2 billion dollar entertainment reliant of a steady supply of human bodies. Harry Wu witnessed, during 19 years imprisonment, the police and medical students helping themselves to bodies of executed prisoners. Premier, the profiteer, is put in the position of self regulation because there are no regulations. You're going to believe what they say as their stock prices go up up up? Of course they can say its legal because there are more laws regulating a head of lettuce than the display of dead bodies for profit. NO ONE has matched a death certificate with any one of these bodies. Given these circustances, if there is ANY question, a shadow of a question, that there might be ONE executed prisoner in this exhibit, why in god's name would you go? Why would you defend and promote such a thing? Premier is the one who should have the burden of proof. They have only proven how good they are at making money.
Are you still PIST? We are!
Protests in Columbus OH:
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/09/15/bodies.ART_ART_09-15-07_B1_KL7TINA.html?sid=101
Protests in Durham, NC:
www.robinkirk.com
www.nobodies4profit.org
Objections continue in Pittsburgh:
http://willcubbedge.wordpress.com/2007/09/18/diocese-of-pittsburgh-dead-body-freakshow-ethical/
Employees of the exhibits: I know may have felt some idealism at the chance to participate in an ethical scientific opportunity. I also understand, from a conversation or two, maybe some of you had this confidence erode over the course of the exhibit observing:
• Laser sharp focus on profits, such as contests to sell the most earphones.
• Scripted rule books about how to answer questions from the public, even if from your own medical education you would have answered completely differently.
• Blatant scientific mistakes ignored – like a bone missing here and there, erroneous labels, misdirected labels, comments from doctors in the guest book for obvious corrections – ignored.
• And even some especially disturbing stories of health concerns (!!)
• Responsible employees tried to email the production company, but were ignored.
If you or someone you know worked for the production company and would be willing to share your very important stories, please contact me at nobodies4profit@gmail.org.
There are no scientific standards for these companies, as a docent would be expected to adhere to. There are no health inspections for these exhibits. They are self-regulated. These cadavers come into our country as an art exhibit. Medically this is an open door. There are more government requirements for a family funeral displaying a body for 2 days than for these companies hauling miserable cadavers around for years for profit. This is a huge concern. These bodies are not inert. They are not stable. We know that.
Docents of these exhibits are often health professionals and medical students, going in to this partnership innocently. But the dream of a future in the health field brings with it responsibility of trust. Please consider the trust the public will expect of you in the future. I’m sure you are concerned that without any health oversight, children on field trips are at risk - (who has guaranteed these people didn’t die of a communicable disease? - there is no documentation!)
I know you don’t want a problem on your conscience. You can’t be casual about this. Email me so we can talk. Confidentiality promised.
I'm late to this discussion but just wanted to add my voice saying "kudos" to Elaine Catz and all those who have raised these questions of conscience. I've added a piece on my blog... please keep posting if there's more we can do...
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